Graham Patrick Colton (born November 6, 1981) is the lead singer of the Graham Colton Band. He has toured with John Mayer, Counting Crows, Maroon 5, Dave Matthews Band, Guster, Kelly Clarkson and released first hit, "Don't Give Up on Me", in 2004. Now going solo, Graham Colton's newest CD, Here Right Now, was released on October 30, 2007.
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Early life
Colton graduated from Heritage Hall School, a small private K-12 school in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. While there, he was the quarterback of the football team. Together with his friend and teammate Wes Welker,[1] now a wide receiver for the New England Patriots, Colton led his team to a class 2A state championship in 1998 against the Tishomingo Indians. Colton also set a state playoff record for passing yards in a game. After leaving his hometown of Oklahoma City to attend Southern Methodist University, Colton began writing and performing songs in and around the Dallas pubs and coffee houses. It was there that fate and the internet took Graham and his music to new heights. “I would return to my college dorm room and have e-mails from kids across the country asking where to buy the album,” says Colton. Quickly Colton began recording songs for his ever-growing local fan-base and distant admirers. The self-titled demo became a local favorite and began making waves outside the Texas music scene. It wasn’t long before the CD fell into the hands of Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) who quickly asked Graham to support them on their ’02 fall tour. It would prove to be a friendship that would evolve over the next two years of touring and recording. The month long tour put Graham and his newly formed band in front of sold out audiences and fans they didn’t know they had. After the fall stint with Counting Crows and a signed record deal with Strummer Recordings/Universal, dates with John Mayer, Maroon 5, Train, Dave Matthews Band, Guster, and Kelly Clarkson followed proving the band had the ability to connect with all types of listeners.
Personal life
Colton dated singer/songwriter Kelly Clarkson, but they split because of time apart. The pair met while Clarkson was on tour in the United States. The two remain good friends. His band opened for her 2005 tours.
