Macy Gray coming to Kent: What to know about Grammy winner's December concert on new tour
Canton area native and Grammy winner Macy Gray will be playing both old and new songs when she performs at Kent Stage on Dec. 16.
The venue announced the concert this week. Tickets, listed at $50 and $65, go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday at https://kentstage.org/ and through https://www.etix.com/ticket/online/.
Presale tickets will be available starting at 10 a.m. Thursday to members of Kent Stage. Doors open one hour before the 7:30 p.m. concert.
What's Macy been up to? Get the scoop on Macy Gray: New music, new film, national anthem, meeting Michael Jordan
No Canton show on this tour
During a phone interview this past spring, the 55-year-old Gray told The Canton Repository that she had hoped to schedule a Canton gig, but Kent is apparently the closest she'll be coming to Stark County on the tour.
"I would love to play Canton," said the 1986 Canton South graduate who now lives Tarzana, California, a suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles. "We just haven't done it yet. I don't know why."
Asked about her Stark County roots, she said: "I think Canton has a lot to do with the things that I'm proud of about myself. ... I realize now that I'm older, how substantial that was, to have a simple life."
Macy will be playing new songs
Gray will be performing with The California Jet Club.
Earlier this year, Gray and the band released the new album, "The Reset," a varied and stylized mix of neo-soul, polished pop and hip-hop, alternating from upbeat club jams to mid-tempo songs and ballads.
Songs include "Mercy," "Every Night," "Bottom to the Top," "The Disco Song," "Alien," "Undone" and "You Got Away."
Socially-conscious tracks include "PTSD (Intro)," "Mr. Policeman," "America" and a cover of "Cop Killer," the controversial protest song by Body Count in 1992 featuring rapper Ice-T.
"I want people to hear it so bad because it's so refreshing and it's different than what I've done before," Gray said of her latest album. "And it does lift me up and it does make me feel better."
What made Macy Gray famous?
Roughly two decades ago, Gray went from obscurity to famous with the release of her smash, "I'll Try."
The pop gem anchored her 1999 album, "On How Life Is," which sold 7 million copies worldwide and reached No. 5 on the Billboard charts. Gray also won a Grammy for "I Try."
Known back home by her real name Natalie McIntyre, she drew rave reviews for a distinctive voice that is soulful, emotive and rasp-tinged.
She also won the MTV Video Music Award in 2000 for best new artist, and twice appeared as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
What has Macy been up to lately?
Gray still makes celebrity news, including when she was among the stars who walked the red carpet at May's Kentucky Derby.
Gray sang the national anthem at the 2022 NBA All-Star game in Cleveland.
"It was really wild, but I think we did great," Gray said during the interview in March. "I was very proud of it, and when it was over, I let out the biggest sigh."
Meeting Michael Jordan was a thrill.
"I still get excited when people know who I am," she said. "So when Michael Jordan said, 'Hey, girl,' and gave me a hug, that was really cool."
Gray also said she had plans to appear in a new movie.
"I'm not supposed to talk about (the movie)," said Gray, whose screen credits include "Training Day," "Scary Movie 3," "The Paper Boy" and "Cardboard Boxer." "It has a very eclectic cast."
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton native and Grammy winner Macy Gray announces Kent show for tour
