Gotye Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 6 ft 2 in |
Weight | 84 kg |
Date of Birth | May 21, 1980 |
Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
Eye Color |
Gray |
Gotye is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist, musician, singer, and songwriter who has achieved massive recognition with his 2011 track Somebody That I Used to Know (ft. Kimbra) which bagged 2 Grammy Awards for “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance” and “Record of the Year”. The song was a global success and peaked at number #1 on the charts in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as 25 other official charts, and also reached the top 10 in more than 30 countries around the world. It became one of the best-selling digital singles of all time. Gotye’s discography also consists of albums and songs like Like Drawing Blood, Boardface, Learnalilgivinanlovin, Making Mirrors, Eyes Wide Open, Coming Back, Quasimodo’s Dream (with Perfect Tripod), Hearts a Mess, I Feel Better, State of the Art, Save Me, Ghosts (with Yum Cha Sessions), and Easy Way Out.
Born Name
Wouter André De Backer
Nick Names
Wally, Gotye, Gaultier, Wally De Backer
Sun Sign
Gemini
Born Place
Bruges, Belgium
Nationality
Belgian, Australian
Education
Gotye got his school education from Parade College, which is an all-boys school in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
After the completion of his school education, he got enrolled at the University of Melbourne and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.
Occupation
Musician, singer, songwriter
Manager
Gotye has been managed by –
- Lunatic Entertainment
- Eleven: A Management Company Pty Ltd
Genre
Indie rock, alternative rock, indie pop, trip-hop
Instruments
Vocals, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion, synthesizer
Labels
Fairfax, Universal Republic Records, Independent, Samples ‘n’ Seconds, Inertia, Lucky Number, Eleven: A Music Company, Creative Vibes
Net Worth
His net worth had been $10 Million according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.
Build
Slim
Height
6 ft 2 in or 188 cm
Weight
84 kg or 185 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Gotye has dated –
- Tash Parker (2007-Present) – De Backer first met Tash Parker in 2006 at a local pub in Kununurra. Her parents owned a banana and mango plantation in the town, and they had come to the city to watch a touring girl group. However, it turned out that Gotye and his band The Basics were playing. They became friends and fell in love at the Tamworth Country Music Festival held in 2007, about a year after their first meeting. About six months later, he convinced her to move in with him to Melbourne. They have been in a steady relationship since then. However, as Parker is not fond of the public spotlight, she rarely attends red carpet events with her partner.
Race / Ethnicity
White
He has Flemish and German ancestry.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Gray
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Messy hairdo
- Tall and lanky body
Religion
Although his songs have elements of Christianity and he has even called his music vaguely Christian pop, on a personal level, he seems to be non-religious.
Best Known For
- The immense and worldwide popularity of his single, Somebody That I Used to Know, which went on to reign at the very top of the music charts and even helped him bag 3 accolades at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards Show, including a “Record of the Year”
- Being the founding member of the Australian band The Basics, who are well known for their energetic live performances
First Album
In 2003, Gotye released his solo debut studio album, Boardface, which went to achieve moderate success. He re-released it after the groundbreaking success of his breakthrough album, Like Drawing Blood.
His music group, The Basics, released their debut studio album, Get Back in 2003.
First Film
In 2009, he made his theatrical film debut in the comedy-horror movie, Re-Living Off the Land.
First TV Show
In 2007, Gotye made his first TV show appearance in the comedy game show, Spicks and Specks.
Gotye Favorite Things
- Item of Clothing – Puffy purple Uniqlo jacket
- Work of Art – Paul Klee’s work
- Book That Changed Him – Advanced Funk Studies, by Rick Latham
- Movie Heaven – Caché, directed by Michael Haneke
Source – Independent
Gotye Facts
- Gotye is pronounced as “go-ti-yeah”.
- When he was 2 years old, his family moved to Australia. They had initially landed in Sydney but decided to make Montmorency, which is a Melbourne suburb their home.
- While growing up, he went to learn and master multiple musical instruments including drums and piano. However, it was after coming in touch with electro music that he found his touch.
- While studying in high school, he went on to form a music band called the Downstares with his three high school friends. One of the Downstares members, Lucas Taranto still performs with Gotye in the live shows.
- The influential newspaper Australian included Gotye in their list of the top 50 most influential Australians in the arts.
- He derives his stage name Gotye from the word Gauthier, which is the French form of Wouter, his Flemish first name.
- He lost about $5 million in YouTube royalties due to his aversion to the advertisement as he refused to place an advertisement on the video of his single, Somebody I Used to Know, which went on to garner more than a billion views.
- He also gave half of the royalties from the single to the estate of Luiz Bonfa. He had sampled his track Seville in his chart-topping single and he didn’t want to be hung up on money and waste his time on courts and lawyers and instead wanted to focus on his creative work.
- His 2nd album Like Drawing Blood came out in 2006 and it included songs like Learnalilgivinanlovin, Night Drive, Thanks for Your Time, The Only Way, and Hearts a Mess. It was certified ‘Platinum’ by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
- On August 19, 2011, he released his 3rd studio album called Making Mirrors and it won the 2013 Grammy for “Best Alternative Music Album” as well as the 2012 ARIA Music Awards in categories like “Album of the Year”, “Best Pop Release”, “Best Australian Live Act”, and others. Also, the album was certified ‘2× Platinum’ in the United States and ‘Platinum’ in Belgium.
Featured Image by Eva Rinaldi / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0