Greyson Michael Chance is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His April 2010 performance of Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" at a sixth-grade music festival went viral on YouTube, gaining widespread attention and over 53 million views as of September 2014, as well as an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show shortly afterward. Two of his original compositions, "Stars" and "Broken Hearts", gained over six and eight million views respectively on his YouTube channel. His debut single, "Waiting Outside the Lines", was released in October 2010. Chance's debut album, Hold On 'Til the Night, was released on August 2, 2011. Two years after releasing his last single, Chance is set to release his second studio album, Planet X, in 2015. The debut single from the album, Thrilla in Manila was released on August 11, 2014. Chance was born on August 16, 1997 in Wichita Falls, Texas, and currently resides in Edmond, Oklahoma. He is the youngest child of Scott and Lisa Chance. Chance has an older sister, Alexa, and an older brother, Tanner, both of whom also make music. Chance began playing the piano at age 8 and had three years of piano lessons. He had no formal vocal training prior to his viral performance of "Paparazzi." He is of German, English, Polish and Czech ancestry. Of his inspiration, Chance said, "I love artists who are able to communicate their emotions through music and sing from the heart. That’s what I’m hoping to do with my songs." He was emboldened by Lady Gaga after seeing her performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. He stated, "I was awestruck by her performance. I love her sense of drama and theatricality. Plus, she’s an amazing singer and piano player." Chance was also inspired by the artists Christina Aguilera, Augustana, John Legend, Elton John.
