| Michael
Bublé's introduction to the music of
the swing era came to him through his
grandfather, who filled his grandson's
ears with the sounds of the Mills
Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank
Sinatra, and others. As Bublé eagerly
absorbed the recordings, he began to
realize that he wanted to be a singer
and that this style of music, virtually
foreign to his own generation, was what
he wanted to perform. With his
grandfather's assistance, Bublé soon
learned a whole catalog of tunes and
gained experience and exposure by
singing as a guest with several local
bands. While still in his teen years, he
won the Canadian Youth Talent Search,
released several independent albums, and
performed in a musical review titled
Swing that traveled across the U.S. It
wasn't long before Bublé was introduced
to Grammy-winning producer David Foster
and signed his first major recording
contract with Reprise Records.
The two Canadians began work on a
debut album that would incorporate
Bublé's aptitude for pop standards into
songs that spanned several decades. His
self-titled debut disc was released in
early 2003, and featured jazzy takes on
old standards like "Fever" and "The Way
You Look Tonight" as well as newer
classics like Van Morrison's "Moondance"
and the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend a
Broken Heart." Further exposure ensued
with a world tour and appearances on
several television programs like NBC's
Today Show, in which he sang a duet with
host Katie Couric. He finished off 2003
with an EP of holiday material, Let It
Snow, and began 2004 with the live
CD/DVD set Come Fly With Me. In 2005,
It's Time was a number one hit in
Canada, Japan, Italy, and Australia, and
made the top ten of both the UK and US. |
