"Growing up shy and self-conscious of her raspy voice, the thought of becoming a national R&B star was not on Macy Gray's mind as a girl. But a few twists of luck would introduce her to the R&B community as an accomplished vocalist and songwriter, and inspire legions of fans looking for something outside of the usual Top 40 artists in the genre.Gray was born Natalie Renee McIntyre in Canton, Ohio in 1967. She was frequently targeted for teasing by her peers, but found self-esteem by pursuing music and learning classical piano. As she grew older, black soul artists and hip-hop would begin to influence her as well. But it wasn't music she pursued when she finally got to college--it was film. While working on her screenwriting degree at USC, she was asked to write lyrics for a friend's demo tape. She showed up to the recording, but the singer didn't, prompting Gray to fill in (much to her chagrin). She identified herself on the tape as ""Macy Gray,"" an elderly neighbor from her hometown.While most of the songs were eventually overdubbed, one was left with Gray's original vocals, and created a flurry of interest in the local music scene when the song got around. In short time, a jazz and pop covers band offered her an opening as a vocalist, which kicked off her unexpected musical career.Despite some hiccups, she would go on to record and release her 1998 debut, On How Life Is. Her unique voice would stun critics and rocket sales of the album to a peak position of number four on the Billboard 200. Gray would continue to record and produce original music, attracting attention for her soul-baring lyrics and colorful, flashy fashion-sense."