Jason Gray was one of the first artists signed to Centricity Music in the mid-2000's. Since then, he's been a consistent source of thoughtful lyrics and soothing melodies that have become a signature staple on Christian radio. Here are some interesting tidbits from the
Centricity website to help you learn more about the man behind the songs.
Roots
Gray currently resides in Nashville, TN, but was born in the tiny town of Lynd, Minnesota, population 248. His first concert was The Oak Ridge Boys with his grandparents! "My heeeaaarrt is on fire, Elvira...." He has a half-sister, born when he was 16, so he grew up an only child. Which is why it took him a long time to learn how to share. The first record he ever bought was
Thriller by Michael Jackson. Growing up, Jason Gray dreamed of making music.
Favorites
Gray's top 3 albums of all time are:
- Surprise by Paul Simon
- Achtung Baby by U2
- Shine by Daniel Lanois
He has a guilty pleasure in some angry girl music (Beyonce). He recently worked his way through
Parenthood on Netflix. A recent movie Gray related to was
A Monster Calls—he had a surprisingly visceral reaction to it. It brought up some anger he hadn't dealt with and sparked a pretty heated shouting match with God.
His top 3 Favorite Movies?
- Shawshank Redemption
- Lord Of The Rings (all 3)
- Nacho Libre
And his favorite books are:
- Beyond Words by Frederick Buechner
- The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
- Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin
He most identifies with David from the Bible.
As for favorite sports teams, Gray only has laughter as an answer. But his favorite place in the entire world is his back deck.
Travels
Gray has been to 49 states. He's waiting for you to invite him, Alaska. But he has traveled to Mexico, Canada, Lesotho, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Japan and South Korea.
Other Tidbits
On the top of Gray's bucket list is to go to Europe or to someday write a screenplay. A random detail about Jason Gray? He can blow balloons up with his nose. Two at a time.
Now you know!
