• January 29, 1985
• Rag'n'Bone Man is the performing name of English singer-songwriter Rory Graham. His singing nom de plume was born out of an obsession with the British '60s sitcom Steptoe and Son, which was about a father and son rag-and-bone business. He loved the quirky sound of blues names like Big Mama Thornton and Muddy Waters and wanted a British version with the same slightly humorous edge.
• Graham first made his name as an MC at illegal jungle and drum 'n' bass raves and on pirate radio under the handle Rag 'N' Bonez. Asked by NME if he was a good MC, he admitted: "I've listened to tapes and some of it's pretty awful. You don't have much to say at 17, so it was just rhyming random words. A lot of kids I grew up with were really into jungle and we did our own crappy little pirate radio station things. That's how I got into it."
• After forming the hip-hop crew The Rum Committee, Graham went on to support hip hop acts at Brighton's Concorde 2, including heroes like De La Soul and Pharoahe Monch. He told The Sun:
  
  "De La Soul and Pharoahe Monch were so exciting to play with. I remember being in the flat beforehand and us all practicing for hours to try and make sure we were really good - and then getting really drunk and not being as good."
• Graham had retained a love for the blues as a result of his father's record collection. Around the age 19, encouraged by his dad and a stranger who told him he should sing more, he performed at a blues jam in a local pub. Graham then started getting booked for acoustic gigs and encouraged, started focusing on his own projects. He told NME:
  
  "I didn't have any musical training. I basically learnt to sing from listening to BB King and Muddy Waters. Then I'd play open-mic nights with people in their fifties and sixties. I think I gained a lot of respect for it."
• His big break came after his girlfriend sent promoters recordings of him practising covers in the toilet, leading to a support slot with Joan Armatrading.
• During his formative stages as a musician, Rory also worked as a carer for people with Asperger's syndrome. In 2013 Graham signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell which enabled him to give up his day job and pursue his music career full-time.
• Around this time Graham bumped into an old schoolfriend from Uckfield, Mark Crew, who'd been busy producing Bastille. Together, they began to hone his sound and developed the songs that would make up 2014's Wolves EP.
• Rag'N'Bone Man won the 2017 Brits Critics' Choice Award. Previous winners include Adele, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith and James Bay.
• Rag'n'Bone Man first began recording himself singing in his mum's bathroom using a digital camera while she filmed him. These early home videos were among the first clips he uploaded during the early days of YouTube.
• Graham created the name Rag'n'Bone Man partly to help manage stage fright. Offstage he considers himself shy and introverted, but stepping into the Rag'n'Bone Man persona flips a switch that lets him perform with confidence he doesn't naturally feel.

Comments: 1

• Aj from North Nottsthis is really handy just needs a little bit more info though

More Songfacts:

The Man Who Sold The WorldDavid Bowie

David Bowie was in a mystical state when he wrote "The Man Who Sold The World," which he said happened during his "15 minutes of Buddhism."

I Remember EverythingZach Bryan

Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves had both gone through divorces when they wrote and recorded the wrenching duet "I Remember Everything." It was the first #1 Hot 100 hit for each of them.

Thinking Out LoudEd Sheeran

Ed Sheeran wrote the 2014 love song "Thinking Out Loud" about his girlfriend at the time, Athina Andrelos. They split the following year, and Ed started seeing Cherry Seaborn, whom he married in 2019; songs like "Perfect" and "No Strings" are about her.

The Man Comes AroundJohnny Cash

The idea for "The Man Comes Around" came to Johnny Cash from a dream he had where he was in Buckingham Palace and the Queen said to him, "Johnny Cash, you're just like a thorn tree in a whirlwind."

Eyes Without A FaceBilly Idol

Billy Idol's "Eyes Without A Face" has a gruesome inspiration. It's based on a 1959 French movie about a surgeon who abducts young women and removes their facial features.

Kickstart My HeartMötley Crüe

"Kickstart My Heart" is about all the ways Motley Crue gets their blood flowing without drugs. It was inspired by their bass player Nikki Sixx, who claimed he had to be revived with a shot of adrenaline to the heart after an overdose.

Editor's Picks

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in RockSong Writing

We ring the Hell's Bells to see what songs and rockers are sincere in their Satanism, and how much of it is an act.

Brandi CarlileSongwriter Interviews

As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on.

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

Taylor DayneSongwriter Interviews

Taylor talks about "The Machine" - the hits, the videos and Clive Davis.