Feb. 23: Holly Brook, AKA Skylar Grey is 25 today.



Born Holly Brook Hafermann in Mazomanie, Wisconsin, she is better known by her stage name Skylar Grey. Holly/Skylar is a Grammy-Award winning American multi-instrumental singer, songwriter and record producer.

Grey performed professionally as a child in a folk duo with her mother called Generations. Together, along with Randy Green, they independently produced three albums, Dream Maker, Lift Me, and Millennial Child/Waiting For You. Grey started her first band at the age of fifteen after "sneaking" into bars, working with jazz musicians including Jeff Eckles and Leo Sidran in Madison, Wisconsin.

Two years later, in 2003, Grey moved to Los Angeles and recorded a demo, which led to her being signed by Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson to the band's vanity label, Machine Shop Recordings.


Skylar's voice was featured on the Fort Minor song by Mike Shinoda "Where'd You Go." Working with producer Jonathan Ingoldsby, Skylar Grey released her debut album, Like Blood Like Honey, on June 6, 2006. She landed opening spots for tours with Jamie Cullum, KD Lang, Daniel Powter, Teddy Geiger and Duncan Sheik.

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Like Blood Like Honey


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In 2009, Grey lent both her song "It's Raining Again" and her image to a promotional campaign for Ciao Water. Prior to this, Grey has appeared on albums by other artists, including Brie Larson's Finally Out of P.E., Apathy's Wanna Snuggle?, and Fort Minor's The Rising Tied.

Grey has toured with as part of Duncan Sheik's band, and appears heavily on his 2009 album Whisper House. At the beginning in 2010 she also performed in the theatrical version of "Whisper House," playing one of the two lead ghost vocalists along with David Poe. Also in 2010, she self-released the seven-song ”O’Dark:Thirty EP,” produced by Duncan Sheik and Jon Ingoldsby.

She helped write sections of all three versions of "Love the Way You Lie" by rapper Eminem and Rihanna as well as performing the demo for the song. She is also a featured guest on "I Need a Doctor," in which she sang the chorus for Dr. Dre and Eminem.

She also co-wrote "Coming Home" with Jay-Z and J.Cole which is a single on the Last Train to Paris album by Diddy-Dirty Money, along with writing "Castle Walls" by T.I. and Christina Aguilera, which is a single on T.I.'s No Mercy album. G

rey earned a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year for her writing contributions to "Love the Way You Lie." Producer Alex da Kid has signed her to a production deal on his Wonderland Music imprint. Grey will also be featured on Lupe Fiasco's third studio album Lasers, on the second single, "Words I Never Said."






Grey made her live performance debut under her new alias during the 53rd Grammy Awards, performing "I Need A Doctor" alongside Eminem and Dr. Dre. She is also currently working on her own album with Alex Da Kid.

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