Gary Jules
Gary Jules Aguirre Jr. (born March 19, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, known primarily for his cover version of the Tears for Fears song "Mad World", which he recorded with his friend Michael Andrews for the film Donnie Darko. It became the UK Christmas number-one single of 2003.
Gary Jules
Gary Jules Aguirre Jr.
March 19, 1969
Fresno, California, United States
Singer-songwriter, musician
1990–2015
A&M, Sanctuary, Down Up Down Music
Early life[edit]
Gary Jules was born in Fresno, California to Marie and Gary Aguirre. His family is descendant from Oklahoma, Ireland, France, Mexico and Spain. He attended The Bishop's School in La Jolla, California.[1]
Songs[edit]
Jules recorded a cover of the song "Mad World" by Tears for Fears for the 2001 film Donnie Darko and released it as a single in December 2003. This timing allowed it to become the Christmas Number One single in the UK for that year.
He sang the cover on stage as a guest in a duet with French singer composer Mylène Farmer during her "Timeless (Mylène Farmer)" 2013 tour.
The cover also featured as background music in various television programs such as drama General Hospital, as well as individual episodes of Without a Trace, The O.C., Smallville, Jericho, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, House and Riverdale.
The cover was used in the trailer for the 2010 film, The Crazies, and the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps' 2010 Production, "Mad World".
In 2016, the cover was used in a commercial for Lloyd's Bank, which featured a horse galloping through different stages in people's lives.
Adam Lambert sang a cover of "Mad World" that was heavily influenced by Jules's version at two different points in his American Idol competition, as well as during the American Idols Live! 2009 tour. Following its appearance on the popular television show, Jules's cover of the song rose to No. 11 on the iTunes Store.
Electronic music producer Phutureprimitive remixed the Gary Jules version of "Mad World" and released it as an mp3 in 2011 with an accompanying video.
The song "Something Else" was featured on the Season 5 episode "My Fallen Idol" of the NBC show Scrubs.
The song "Gone Daddy" is based upon an experience that led to Jules relocating his family from Southern California to North Carolina. A neighbor was gunned down one night in Los Angeles and while the police were investigating the shooting, Jules approached one of the officers, explained that his child was napping, and asked if the officer knew when they would be finished. The officer said he did not know, but that the family could leave Los Angeles if they didn't like it. Jules took the advice to heart and relocated shortly thereafter.
Jules's song "Wichita" was inspired by a class he took at UCLA regarding Native American history. During the class he read a story about Native Americans following herds of bison around the nation to survive.
Jules was a surprise guest on a series of Parisian concerts of French singer Mylène Farmer, called Timeless 2013 (September 2013). In all the performances that take place in the Palais omnisport de Bercy, Gary Jules sings his cover of Mad World joined by Mylène Farmer. They follow by the duet song "Les Mots" that Mylène Farmer originally released in 2001 with Seal. So far Gary Jules is also part of the tour, as he was also performing during the concerts in Lyon.