Greyson Chance

Greyson Chance
Singer, 14

Growing up in suburban Oklahoma, 14-year-old “adult contemporary” pop singer-songwriter Greyson Chance was a self-taught vocalist, self-described artsy oddball, and perhaps most relevantly, a very early, very vocal Lady Gaga fan. In fact, until quite recently, he was best known for his sweet, soulful YouTube rendition of the fame monster’s runaway 2009 hit “Paparazzi.” (“I was so inspired by Gaga at the time!” recalls Chance excitedly. “She was doing the disco stick and the tight leather pants and all that stuff.”) The video caught the attention of Ellen DeGeneres just two weeks after Chance uploaded it. It also earned the teenager a personal meeting with his idol, more than a few comparisons to the Biebs, and a record deal with Jimmy Iovine through Interscope. “I had no idea how much my life would change after meeting with Ellen,” admits Chance, who put out his debut album of melody-driven songs, Hold On ’Til the Night (eleveneleven), earlier this year and is currently on tour in Southeast Asia with his mom. “Some people never get to go oversees their entire lives,” says Chance. “Just to go there is completely bonkers! That I get to play music—that’s something else.”

Photo: Greyson Chance in New York, October 2011. Shirt: Calvin Klein Jeans. Jeans: Joe Fresh. Bracelet: Natalia Brilli.