Sam Ryder
Sam Ryder Robinson (born 25 June 1989) is an English singer, songwriter, producer, composer and social media personality.[1] He rose to prominence in 2020, after posting music covers on TikTok, during the first UK lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic and signed to Parlophone Records before parting ways with them in 2023. His music has since incorporated various genres including rock music, pop, alternative rock, and metalcore, while his vocal range, and use of vibrato and falsetto, has garnered critical acclaim.[2]
For the American golfer, see Sam Ryder (golfer). For the English businessman and donator of the Ryder Cup trophy, see Samuel Ryder.
Sam Ryder
Sam Ryder Robinson
- Singer
- songwriter
- social media personality
- Vocals
- guitar
2009–present
- The Morning After
- Blessed by a Broken Heart
- Close Your Eyes
Lois Gaskin-Barber
14.5 million
135.4 million
Ryder's breakthrough came after he represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with "Space Man". He became the highest scoring UK entrant with 466 points, won the jury vote and came in second place in the contest.[3][4] He became the first British act to win a Marcel Bezençon Award, and scored the UK their best result since 1998 and its first top three since 2002. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the highest-charting UK Eurovision entry since 1996. His participation has been credited for helping to change how the British public and press view the Contest.[5] It was preceded by the release of his debut album There's Nothing but Space, Man! (2022), which debuted atop of the UK Albums Chart.
In 2023, he was nominated for Best New Artist at the Brit Awards, becoming the first Eurovision act to be nominated in this category.[6] As part of his career, he has released a string of singles including the Emmy nominated song "Fought & Lost," featuring Brian May, "Mountain" and "You're Christmas to Me" which also peaked at number two in the UK. His other accolades include five TikTok awards, a Big Top 40 award, and a Hollywood Music in Media Award. He has been nominated for a Los 40 Music Award, Global Award, Edinburgh International Television Festival and a MTV Video Music Award.
Early life[edit]
Sam Ryder Robinson[7][8][9] was born on 25 June 1989[10] in Maldon, Essex,[11][12] the youngest child of Keith Robinson, a carpenter, and his wife, Geraldine (née Costelloe), a dental assistant from Hackney, London. He has two elder sisters, Katie Joan and Natalie Ann, both born in Newham, east London, three years and one year before him respectively.[13] As of 2022, one of his sisters was resident in Sydney, Australia.[14] Ryder was raised in Chelmsford, Essex and attended the local St John Payne Catholic School.[15] His first job was delivering papers for The Essex Chronicle as a child.[16]
Ryder was inspired to pursue a career in music after seeing the Canadian rock band Sum 41 in concert when he was 11.[17] Ryder is a "big fan" of Eurovision and cites Finnish rock band Lordi as being the inspiration for him learning how to play guitar, after the rock band won the Eurovision Song Contest 2006.[18][19][20]
Career[edit]
2006–2019: Beginnings[edit]
Ryder made his debut as a singer and guitarist at age 16 when he co-founded the band The Morning After,[21] with whom he released two studio albums.[22][23] Following The Morning After split he joined as a guitarist and new lead vocalist for the Canadian Rock band Blessed by a Broken Heart and contributed to their album Feel the Power. He parted ways with the band in 2013, and auditioned to become the new lead vocalist for the American Rock band Close Your Eyes, and contributed to their album Line in the Sand and left in 2014.[24][25][26]
After his departure from Close Your Eyes, Ryder returned to Britain and spent time working in construction with his father, including helping to build the Wembley Stadium.[27] In 2016, Ryder recorded an album with producer Bryan Wilson in Nashville, Tennessee, although it was never released.[28] He later opened up a vegan café with his partner in Coggeshall, England, before its closure in 2019.[27][29] He was a wedding singer in the south-east of England until the COVID-19 pandemic.[30]
Personal life[edit]
Ryder started making music at age 13 and has spent most of his adult life touring, writing, and performing for other bands and once resided in Hawaii. In 2018, he was involved in a surfing accident, which pushed him to put more effort into his music career.[74] He is a vegan and once owned a vegan café in Coggeshall, England.[75] He likes to surf the coast of Great Britain in his free time, meditate, travel, snowboard, drive around race tracks and skate.[76][77]
Ryder is in a long-term relationship with his partner Lois Gaskin-Barber.[30] He cites David Bowie, Elton John, Freddie Mercury, and Queen among his music influences.[16][78] Ryder believes in aliens, and once wanted to pursue a career as an astronaut and claims to have seen a UFO while in Hawaii as a child.[79]