Happy 52nd Birthday to Chad Gray! We all know Chad as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal bands Mudvayne and Hellyeah.
He was born on October 16, 1971 in Latham, Illinois. Fans know him for his powerful and versatile vocal range, which includes both melodic singing and aggressive screams and growls. Gray also has an incredibly energetic and theatrical stage presence. It often involves wearing face paint and costumes.
Chad quit his factory job and moved to Peoria, Illinois, and formed Mudvayne in 1996. The band released five studio albums between 2000 and 2009. They were all commercially successful and critically acclaimed. The band received a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance in 2006 for their song “Determined.” It appeared on their 2005 album Lost and Found.
Hellyeah’s beginnings can be traced back to the year 2000, and the “Tattoo the Earth Tour.” It featured Mudvayne, Nothingface, Slayer, Slipknot, and Sevendust. Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell and Chad Gray became friends and discussed the possibility of forming a supergroup together.
With the addition of Vinnie Paul Abbott on Drums, Greg Tribbett from Mudvayne on lead guitar, and Jerry Montano from Nothingface on bass, Hellyeah came together in 2006. Hellyeah has released six studio albums, including their most recent album Welcome Home, which was released after the passing of Vinnie Paul Abbott. However, it featured Abbott on drums throughout the record. Since the passing of Vinnie Paul Abbott and the release of that album, the band has gone on an indefinite hiatus.
In addition to his work with Mudvayne and Hellyeah, Gray has also made guest appearances with a number of other bands, including V Shape Mind, Bloodsimple, Nonpoint, and Suicide Silence.
My Experience Seeing Chad Gray
Chad’s intensity on stage is second to none. The first time I saw him perform live was on Metallica’s “Summer Sanitarium” Tour in 2003 at Veterans Stadium in South Philadelphia with Mudvayne. Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and Deftones were also on that stacked bill. The most recent time I saw him live was with Mudvayne a few years ago on the “Freaks on Parade” tour with Rob Zombie, Static-X, and Powerman 5000 in Camden,NJ.
I have seen Chad several times with Hellyeah over the years, including their first tour ever, which made a stop at the old Crocodile Rock in Allentown, PA. Last time I saw Hellyeah live was at Shaun Morgan of Seether’s “Rise Above Fest” in Bangor, ME. Check out a few pictures from those shows below.
Go crank up some Hellyeah & Mudvayne in the meantime as we celebrate Chadness on his 52nd Birthday today!
