Michael Steven Bublé
Background information
Birth name	Michael Steven Bublé
Born	September 9, 1975 (1975-09-09) (age 32)
Origin	Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Genre(s)	Big Band Traditional Pop Swing Jazz
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter Actor
Instrument(s)	Vocals, piano
Years active	1996 — Present
Label(s)	143 Records, Reprise
Influences	Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin
Website	Official website

Michael Steven Bublé (IPA: /ˈbuːbleɪ/) (born 9 September 1975) is a critically acclaimed Grammy-winning, multiple Juno Award-winning Canadian crooner^[1], big band singer and actor. While achieving modest chart success in the United States, his 2003 self-titled album has reached the top ten in Australia, the UK and his home country of Canada. In 2004, a live album and video called Come Fly with Me was listed on the Billboard music video charts and reached Australia's top 40 album charts. He found commercial success in the U.S. with It's Time. He currently lives in Vancouver and New York City. His third album, Call Me Irresponsible, was released on May 1, 2007, with the first single from that album, "Everything", finding success on the adult contemporary charts. He has sold over 11 million albums.^[2]

Early years

Bublé was born in Burnaby, British Columbia in a family of fishermen. He is of mostly Italian heritage ^[3]. Bublé grew up listening to his grandfather's collection of jazz records, and on his website he highlights the importance of his grandfather in encouraging his musical tastes. "My grandfather was really my best friend growing up. He was the one who opened me up to a whole world of music that seemed to have been passed over by my generation. Although I like rock and roll and modern music, the first time my granddad played me the Mills Brothers, something magical happened. The lyrics were so romantic, so real... the way a song should be for me. It was like seeing my future flash before me. I wanted to be a singer and I knew that this was the music that I wanted to sing."^[4] He recorded three independent albums, one as a present to his grandfather. Bublé received two Genie Award-nominations in 2000 for both songs he wrote for the film Here's to Life starring fellow Canadian Eric McCormack. Michael's first national TV performance was on a 1997 award-winning Bravo! documentary titled "Big Band Boom!" which was Directed by fellow Vancouverite Mark Glover Masterson.

Career breakthrough

Bublé frequently walks through the crowd at his concerts, as shown here in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 8, 2007.

Bublé's career breakthrough came when Michael McSweeney, associate to former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, saw his performance at a business party. McSweeney enjoyed Bublé's performance, and Bublé gave him an album, which McSweeney, in turn, gave to Mulroney and his wife. Bublé was then invited to sing at the wedding of Mulroney's daughter Caroline in 2000, where he sang Kurt Weill's "Mack the Knife". At the wedding, Brian Mulroney introduced Bublé to David Foster, a multi-Grammy award winning producer and a Warner Brothers record executive who had worked with Josh Groban previously. Foster signed Bublé to his '143' record label, producing the self-titled album Michael Bublé in 2000. The album features a range of standards from various eras including "Fever", "The Way You Look Tonight", "For Once in My Life", Van Morrison's "Moondance" and Lou Rawls's "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine". Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees sang back up vocals on Bublé's version of the group's "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?"..

The album Michael Bublé was released early 2003 and soon entered the Canadian album charts. Chart success in the UK, U.S., Australia and elsewhere soon followed with the album going Platinum and reaching the top ten of the album charts in the UK and Canada and going all the way to #1 in Australia. The album has reached the top 50 of the Billboard 200 album charts in the U.S. His version of George Michael's "Kissing a Fool" was released as a single from the album and reached the top 30 of the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" reached the top 30 of the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart as well. His third single "Sway" also reached the top 30 of the Adult Contemporary chart, while a Junkie XL remix of the song reached the top 20 in Australia in May 2004.

Bublé won the "New Artist of the Year" award at the Juno Awards of 2004 and his self-titled album was nominated for "Album of the Year", but lost out to Sam Roberts.

Bublé released a Christmas EP Let it Snow in late 2003. The title track reached the top 40 of the Australia singles chart, ironically in mid-summer in that country. He released a live album and video in April 2004 with the video reaching the top 10 of the Billboard video charts. The album also reached the top 50 of the Australian album charts as at the end of April and the Billboard 200 album charts. Let it Snow was re-released in the United States on October 9, 2007.

Bublé has also appeared in a variety of films in the past few years including his appearance as a karaoke singer in Duets opposite Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis. He also has appeared in, and sang several soundtrack songs for, Totally Blonde in 2001 and in The Snow Walker in 2003.

Songs from Bublé's debut album ("For Once in My Life", "Kissing a Fool") were released on the soundtrack for the Ewan McGregor/Renée Zellweger movie Down with Love, but the soundtrack also included a previously unreleased duet with Holly Palmer on the movie's title theme. The Junkie XL remix of the theme for the 60s TV cartoon version of Spider-Man from Bublé's Babalu album was played during the closing credits of Spider-Man 2, and this version was also released as a single.

It's Time: Bublé goes mainstream

Music sample:

Feeling Good

A sample of the song Feeling Good.

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Bublé's second studio album, It's Time, debuted as a hugely successful performance. The album reached number 7 on the Billboard 200 album chart and number 2 on the ARIA Album Charts in Australia. It's Time also debuted at number 4 on the UK Album Charts. The album features covers of Beatles and Ray Charles songs, and the hit single "Home".

Michael Bublé has now sold in excess of ten million recordings worldwide. His popularity continues to grow as he has a massive following across Europe, North America, Australia, Southeast Asia, South Africa and Brazil.

Personal life

Michael Bublé was engaged to long-time girlfriend Debbie Timuss, a stage actress, dancer, and singer. Both were in the musicals Red Rock Diner in 1996^[5] and Dean Regan's Forever Swing in 1998.^[6][7] Timuss was listed as one of the dedicatees in Bublé's self-titled album Michael Bublé and It's Time, and as background vocalist on It's Time. While away in Italy, Bublé co-wrote the hit single "Home" for Timuss.^[8][9] Timuss was also featured in the music video for "Home" ^[10]. Their engagement ended in November 2005. Their breakup inspired Bublé to co-write the hit original song "Lost".^[11] During an appearance at Australian television's Logie Awards in 2005, he met British actress Emily Blunt backstage. He thought she was a BBC television producer.^[12] They are now dating. Bublé has, during an interview with Australia's Channel 10, jokingly expressed his concern for her fast becoming more famous than himself. She also provided background vocals on the cover of "Me and Mrs. Jones" on the album Call Me Irresponsible. The hit original song "Everything" was penned by Bublé for Blunt.^[13]

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Both albums contain Live CD and DVD.

Other albums

Extended Plays

Singles

Other charted songs

Guest songs

Filmography

• Duets (2000)
• Totally Blonde (2001)
• The Snow Walker (2003)
• Las Vegas (2005)
• Da Kath & Kim Code (2005)

Awards and achievements

• 2007 Me and Mrs. Jones - Song of the Year in The Annual 2007 Résumé of Polish Radio Channel 3

Touring band members

Bublé's band.

• Alan Chang - Piano
• Robert Perkins - Drums
• Craig Polasko - Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass
• Justin Ray - Trumpet
• Mark Small - Tenor saxophone
• Jumaane Smith - Lead Trumpet
• Nick Vayenas - Trombone
• Rob Wilkerson - Alto saxophone
• Jacob Rodriguez - Baritone Saxophone
• Josh Brown - Trombone
• Bryan Lipps - Trumpet
• Rob Castillo - Keyboards, Guitar, and Percussion
• Dino Meneghin - Guitar

Former touring band members

• Frank Basile - Baritone saxophone
• Massimo Biolcati - Bass
• Lyman Medeiros - Bass
• Jason Goldman - Alto Saxophone
• Randy Napoleon - guitar PBS
• Peter Van Nostrand - Drums
• Bill Wysaske - Drums

References:

• PBS.org, PBS page for Caught in the Act shows photo of Randy Napoleon (highlight) and Frank Basille (in horn section).
• Liner notes for Caught in the Act, Let it Snow and With Love include Frank Basille and Randy Napoleon's names. Jason Goldman is noted as an arranger or performer on most albums.

References

1. ^ Singer Bublé Tours Italy as New Citizen
2. ^ http://www.michaelbuble.com/biography
3. ^ TheFlorentine.net, "Singer Bublé Tours Italy as New Citizen"
4. ^ UT Erwin Center website (from an Applause magazine article), "Michael Bublé is Irresistible!"
5. ^ Hayes, David. "The Making of Pop Sensation Michael Bublé", Saturday Night Magazine, April 2005. 
6. ^ "In the mood for jazz joy", North Shore News, 1998-11-16. 
7. ^ Armstrong, Denis. "Swinging to great heights", Ottawa Sun, 2001-02-01. 
8. ^ Adams, Cameron. "Cameron Adams discovers singer Michael Bublé really enjoys bad reviews", Q&A, Herald Sun HiT, p.3, 2005-04-28. 
9. ^ MacQueen, Ken. "Break Out the Bublé", Macleans, 2005-02-04. 
10. ^ "The Voice of Jazz", FACES Spotlight, 2007-June-01. 
11. ^ Perusse, Bernard. "Michael Buble does it his way", Edmonton Journal, 2007-April-30. 
12. ^ http://www.pr-inside.com/rss/buble-thought-blunt-was-tv-producer-r113625.htm
13. ^ Adams, Cameron. "Buble rapt", Herald Sun, 2007-May-03. 
14. ^ ^{a b c} CRIA website: Gold and Platinum homepage. Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
15. ^ ^{a b} ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2006 Albums. ARIA. Retrieved on 2008-03-22..
16. ^ IFPI Platinum Europe Awards - 2004. IFPI. Retrieved on 2008-03-22..
17. ^ CRIA website: Gold and Platinum homepage. Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
18. ^ ^{a b} ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2007 Albums. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved on 2008-03-22..
19. ^ IFPI Platinum Europe Awards - 2005. IFPI. Retrieved on 2008-03-22..
20. ^ CRIA website: Gold and Platinum homepage. Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
21. ^ IFPI Platinum Europe Awards - 2007. IFPI. Retrieved on 2008-03-22..
22. ^ CRIA website: Gold and Platinum homepage. Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
23. ^ ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2005 Albums. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved on 2008-03-22..

External links

• Official Michael Bublé site
• Michael Bublé at the Internet Movie Database
• Michael Bublé at Northern Stars
• Michael Bublé at Last.fm
• VH1 Michael Bublé artist page
• Michael Bublé now on rehearsals.com and Comcast On Demand Music - rehearsals TV
• CTV article
• Michael Bublé's Exclusive performance on AOL Sessions
• Michael Bublé on The Hour
• Michael Bublé UK Tribute Band - Going Home
• Tribute Act with Big Band singer Shane Hampsheir
• Michael Bublé profile on CBS Sunday Morning - April 20, 2008