Biography
Who is Damien Rice?
Early life and education
Damien Rice George Rice was born on December 7, 1973, in Dublin, Ireland. He spent his childhood in Celbridge, County Kildare, where he attended Salesian College. Within his family, he shares connections with the music industry as the second cousin of English composer David Arnold and Irish singer Stevie Mann.
The rock band Juniper
In 1991, Rice formed a rock band called Juniper alongside friends Paul Noonan, Dominic Philips, David Geraghty, and Brian Crosby. The group met as schoolmates in Celbridge. They toured extensively across Ireland and released their debut EP, Manna, in 1995. Based in Straffan, the ensemble signed a six-album recording contract with PolyGram.
They produced the tracks Weatherman and The World is Dead, which received positive reviews. The group also wrote the song Volcano, which was not released during their time together. Rice eventually left the band in 1998 because he felt frustrated by the artistic compromises required by the label. The remaining members later continued to perform under the name Bell X1.
Travels and the path to solo success
After leaving the band, Rice moved to Tuscany, Italy, where he worked as a farmer. He later traveled throughout Europe as a busker. Upon his return to Ireland, he eventually sent a demo recording to his cousin, David Arnold, who provided him with a mobile studio setup.
In 2001, his song The Blower's Daughter entered the top-40 chart. He spent the following year recording his debut album with a group of musicians, including guitarist Mark Kelly, drummer Tom Osander, pianist Jean Meunier, bassist Shane Fitzsimons, and cellist Vyvienne Long.
Solo career and later projects
His first solo album, O, was released in 2002. It reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart and stayed on the chart for 97 weeks. The record sold 650,000 copies in the United States and won the Shortlist Music Prize. The singles Cannonball and Volcano became top 30 hits in the UK.
He followed this with his second album, 9, in 2006. In 2011, he collaborated with French actress and singer Melanie Laurent, appearing on two tracks of her debut album. He also contributed to charitable efforts like the Enough Project and the Iceland Inspires concert. After many years of collaborations, he released his third studio album, My Favourite Faded Fantasy, in 2014. In 2020, he contributed a cover of Sia's Chandelier to the Songs for Australia benefit album.
Birthday and age
Damien Rice was born on December 7, 1973, which makes Damien 52 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Damien shares the date with 25 other famous people.
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