Biography
Who is Gotye?
Early life and education
Wouter André De Backer was born in Bruges, Belgium. His family moved to Australia when he was two years old. They initially lived in Sydney before moving to the Melbourne suburb of Montmorency.
His mother gave him the nickname Gotye, which comes from Gauthier, the French version of his Flemish name. For school purposes, his parents used the English name Walter. He attended Parade College and served as the school captain during his final year of secondary education.
After finishing high school, he studied at the University of Melbourne. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. During this time, he lived in a house with friends that they called The Frat House.
Musical beginnings
He developed an interest in various instruments, including the piano and drums. During his teenage years, he formed a band called Downstares with friends from high school. One of his former bandmates, Lucas Taranto, later joined his live performances.
In 2001, he began recording tracks using samples. He produced a four-track CD titled Gotye and distributed copies to radio stations and industry contacts. This project helped him gain attention from the Australian radio station Triple J.
He also became a founding member of the Melbourne indie-pop group The Basics. He started performing with them alongside Kris Schroeder. This group has released five studio albums since 2002.
Career highlights
His first album, Boardface, was released in late 2003 under the Creative Vibes label. Following this, he released the album Like Drawing Blood. This record was certified Platinum in Australia after selling over 70,000 copies. It also won the iTunes album of the year in the UK in 2008.
The single Somebody That I Used to Know, featuring Kimbra, was released in 2011. This track reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and became a major international success. The song earned Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
His third studio album, Making Mirrors, was released in 2011. This project won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. Throughout his career, he has received several ARIA Awards for his work as a singer, producer, and artist.
Birthday and age
Gotye was born on May 21, 1980, which makes Gotye 46 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Gotye shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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