Adam Gontier
Encyclopedia
Adam Wade Gontier is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter
of the rock band Three Days Grace
. He is regarded for his singing capabilities, and is known to have a voice range from high tenor to medium low bass.
In addition to his work with Three Days Grace, he has been involved in collaborations with other bands including Art of Dying
and Apocalyptica
.
in May 1978. He attended Norwood District High School. It was here that he met fellow band members Neil Sanderson
and Brad Walst. They formed a band under the name 'Groundswell', which later evolved into Three Days Grace
. Groundswell gained popularity in the local area, and a few years later the band decided to move to Toronto to pursue their music career.
, Alice in Chains
, Sunny Day Real Estate
, The Beatles
and Jeff Buckley
.
. Since signing to Jive Records
, the band has released three albums, Three Days Grace
, One-X
and Life Starts Now
.
, Gontier has contributed to a number of other albums. He contributed vocals on I Don't Care
on Apocalyptica's
album, Worlds Collide
in 2007.
He was also featured on the track 'Raining' by fellow Canadian band Art of Dying
on their self-titled album
.
In 2006 Gontier was a member of the rock supergroup Big Dirty Band
along with Geddy Lee
, Alex Lifeson
, Jeff Burrows
, Ian Thornley
and Care Failure.
In 2011, Gontier founded Sludge Factory Records, and has signed local band Before the Curtain.
", "Riot
", "Animal I Have Become
", "I Hate Everything About You" and "Never Too Late
".
His cousin, Cale Gontier, is the bassist for the Canadian band Art of Dying
.
In 2005, he went into rehabilitation for an addiction to OxyContin at the Toronto rehab center CAMH
(Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), where he wrote many of the songs for One-X, including "Pain
", "Animal I Have Become
", "Over and Over" and "Gone Forever". He is still sober, and a docu-drama about his addiction, Behind the Pain, was released in 2007.
Gontier has a large selection of tattoos. On his right forearm he has a solid black band and lyrics to his bands' song "Never Too Late
" from the album One-X
, and on his left arm he has a tattoo with special words made out to his grandmother. He also has 2 tattoos on his chest. He has a tattoo of the word "grace" tattooed on his knuckles on his right hand using the font from Jeff Buckley
's Grace album. In 2007 he had a tribal tattoo added to his right upper arm. He has a tattoo of a butterfly on his right wrist.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
of the rock band Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...
. He is regarded for his singing capabilities, and is known to have a voice range from high tenor to medium low bass.
In addition to his work with Three Days Grace, he has been involved in collaborations with other bands including Art of Dying
Art of Dying (band)
Art of Dying is a Canadian rock band fronted by Jonny Hetherington. The band has built an international following since 2006 touring with Seether and Disturbed as well as performing at international festivals such as Download and Virginfest alongside artists like Tool, Metallica and...
and Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica is a band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso and drummer Mikko Sirén...
.
Early life
Gontier was born in Peterborough, OntarioPeterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
in May 1978. He attended Norwood District High School. It was here that he met fellow band members Neil Sanderson
Neil Sanderson
Neil Christopher Sanderson is the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the Canadian band Three Days Grace. He cites his influences as John Bonham, Danny Carey and Stewart Copeland.-Early years:...
and Brad Walst. They formed a band under the name 'Groundswell', which later evolved into Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...
. Groundswell gained popularity in the local area, and a few years later the band decided to move to Toronto to pursue their music career.
Influences
Gontier cites his influences as Pearl JamPearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
, Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. In the 1990s, the group expanded upon the grunge style that was popular in the local scene to make a more melodic sound. While not the first band to be classified as emo, they were instrumental in establishing the genre. In...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
.
Three Days Grace
Gontier, Walst and Sanderson regrouped in 1997 under the name Three Days Grace. The band has since been based in San Diego. In 2003 the band recruited lead guitarist Barry StockBarry Stock
Barry Stock is the lead guitarist of the Canadian rock band Three Days Grace.-Biography:Barry James Stock is a Canadian guitarist, born in Belgium on April 24, 1974. He joined Three Days Grace in 2003, shortly after their first studio album. Barry uses Schecter,Ibanez and PRS guitars, but prefers...
. Since signing to Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
, the band has released three albums, Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace (album)
Three Days Grace is the self-titled debut album by Canadian rock band Three Days Grace, released on July 22, 2003.-Band name and background:...
, One-X
One-X
-Notes:* The songs, "Animal I Have Become", and "Riot", were both featured in the video game, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007-Personnel:*Adam Gontier – lead vocals, rhythm guitar*Barry Stock – lead guitar*Brad Walst – bass guitar, backing vocals...
and Life Starts Now
Life Starts Now
Life Starts Now is the third studio album by Canadian rock band Three Days Grace. The album was released on September 22, 2009. The album was produced by Howard Benson. This is the second time in a row the band has worked with him, after the commercially successful One-X...
.
Other works
Outside of Three Days GraceThree Days Grace
Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...
, Gontier has contributed to a number of other albums. He contributed vocals on I Don't Care
I Don't Care (Apocalyptica song)
"I Don't Care" is a song by Finnish rock band Apocalyptica, the song is released as the third and final single from their sixth album Worlds Collide. The song features Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace on lead vocals. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for one week...
on Apocalyptica's
Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica is a band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso and drummer Mikko Sirén...
album, Worlds Collide
Worlds Collide
Worlds Collide is the sixth studio album from Finnish metal band Apocalyptica, released on September 14, 2007. It includes special guests Till Lindemann, Corey Taylor, Adam Gontier, Dave Lombardo, Tomoyasu Hotei, and Cristina Scabbia...
in 2007.
He was also featured on the track 'Raining' by fellow Canadian band Art of Dying
Art of Dying (band)
Art of Dying is a Canadian rock band fronted by Jonny Hetherington. The band has built an international following since 2006 touring with Seether and Disturbed as well as performing at international festivals such as Download and Virginfest alongside artists like Tool, Metallica and...
on their self-titled album
Art of Dying (album)
Art of Dying is the self titled debut album from Canadian rock group Art of Dying, it was released in the UK on October 9, 2006, on their own label, Thorny Bleeder Records, via a licensing deal with Revolver/Universal...
.
In 2006 Gontier was a member of the rock supergroup Big Dirty Band
Big Dirty Band
The Big Dirty Band is a Canadian supergroup composed of Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson , Thornley's and Big Wreck's Ian Thornley , Three Days Grace's Adam Gontier , Die Mannequin's Care Failure and The Tea Party drummer Jeff Burrows.The Big Dirty Band was put together in support of the Trailer...
along with Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee
Gary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
, Alex Lifeson
Alex Lifeson
Aleksandar Živojinović, OC, better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is a second generation Serbian-Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist of the Canadian rock band Rush. In the summer of 1968, Lifeson founded the band that would become Rush with friend, drummer John Rutsey...
, Jeff Burrows
Jeff Burrows
Jeffrey John Burrows is the drummer and percussionist for Canadian rock band Crash Karma, and formerly for The Tea Party....
, Ian Thornley
Ian Thornley
Ian Thornley is a Canadian rock guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.Born and raised in Toronto, Thornley studied jazz music at Boston's Berklee College of Music in the 1990s, and formed the band Big Wreck in 1993 with classmates David Henning, Brian Doherty, and Forrest Williams. They soon...
and Care Failure.
In 2011, Gontier founded Sludge Factory Records, and has signed local band Before the Curtain.
Awards
Gontier has won two BMI pop awards and has been nominated for best music video, best rock video and best international video by a Canadian. He and the rest of Three Days Grace have made the top five rock songs list for, "BreakBreak (song)
"Break" is the first single from Three Days Grace's third album, Life Starts Now. The single was released on September 1, 2009 at 6:45 pm EST for radio play as well as on -Release and chart performance:...
", "Riot
Riot (song)
"Riot" is the fourth single from the album One-X by Three Days Grace. This song is about protesting against the negative things in life, and was inspired by vocalist Adam Gontier's anger when he was in rehab for OxyContin addiction. The song was also featured in the video game WWE SmackDown vs...
", "Animal I Have Become
Animal I Have Become
"Animal I Have Become" is the first single from Three Days Grace's second studio album, One-X. Unlike most singles, it was not released in stores, and only had one track. The song is featured on the video game WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, and song stayed on US mainstream rock for 7 weeks at #1 and...
", "I Hate Everything About You" and "Never Too Late
Never Too Late (Three Days Grace song)
"Never Too Late" is the third single from Three Days Grace off their second album One-X. It has received airplay at the Billy Talent tour and on several Canadian radio stations such as The Edge.-Popularity and censorship:...
".
Personal life
Adam has a god-daughter, Roo and a dog called Mabel. Gontier refers to Mabel as his 'first-born'. Some misinterpret this, and think that he is referring to a child.His cousin, Cale Gontier, is the bassist for the Canadian band Art of Dying
Art of Dying (band)
Art of Dying is a Canadian rock band fronted by Jonny Hetherington. The band has built an international following since 2006 touring with Seether and Disturbed as well as performing at international festivals such as Download and Virginfest alongside artists like Tool, Metallica and...
.
In 2005, he went into rehabilitation for an addiction to OxyContin at the Toronto rehab center CAMH
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is a consortium of mental health clinics at several sites in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its name in French is Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale...
(Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), where he wrote many of the songs for One-X, including "Pain
Pain (Three Days Grace song)
"Pain" is the second single from rock band Three Days Grace's 2006 album, One-X.According to vocalist Adam Gontier, "It's a song about feeling like you're constantly numb to things around you, thanks to your own actions, and it's about being sick of that feeling."-Chart performance:"Pain" has...
", "Animal I Have Become
Animal I Have Become
"Animal I Have Become" is the first single from Three Days Grace's second studio album, One-X. Unlike most singles, it was not released in stores, and only had one track. The song is featured on the video game WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, and song stayed on US mainstream rock for 7 weeks at #1 and...
", "Over and Over" and "Gone Forever". He is still sober, and a docu-drama about his addiction, Behind the Pain, was released in 2007.
Gontier has a large selection of tattoos. On his right forearm he has a solid black band and lyrics to his bands' song "Never Too Late
Never Too Late (Three Days Grace song)
"Never Too Late" is the third single from Three Days Grace off their second album One-X. It has received airplay at the Billy Talent tour and on several Canadian radio stations such as The Edge.-Popularity and censorship:...
" from the album One-X
One-X
-Notes:* The songs, "Animal I Have Become", and "Riot", were both featured in the video game, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007-Personnel:*Adam Gontier – lead vocals, rhythm guitar*Barry Stock – lead guitar*Brad Walst – bass guitar, backing vocals...
, and on his left arm he has a tattoo with special words made out to his grandmother. He also has 2 tattoos on his chest. He has a tattoo of the word "grace" tattooed on his knuckles on his right hand using the font from Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
's Grace album. In 2007 he had a tribal tattoo added to his right upper arm. He has a tattoo of a butterfly on his right wrist.