Joe King (musician)
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{short description|American guitarist (born 1980)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Other people||Joseph King (disambiguation){{!}}Joseph King}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Joe King
| image = Joe King (guitarist).JPG
| caption = King performing the national anthem at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in December 2013
| birth_name = Joseph Aaron King{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/workID/892024248|title = ACE Repertory}}
| birth_date = {{bda|1980|5|25}}
| birth_place = Cortez, Colorado, U.S.
| instrument = {{hlist|Guitar|vocals|bass}}
| genre = {{hlist|Pop rock|alternative rock}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter|guitarist}}
| years_active = 1999–present
| current_member_of = The Fray
{{infobox person
| child = yes
| children = 4
| spouse = {{ubl
|{{marriage|Julie King|1999|2011|reason=divorced}}
|{{marriage|Candice Accola|2014|2022|reason=divorced}}
}}
| website =
}}}}
Joseph Aaron King (born May 25, 1980) is an American singer and songwriter from Cortez, Colorado. He is a vocalist, songwriter and guitarist for Denver-based rock band the Fray, which he formed with schoolmate and fellow musician Isaac Slade in 2002.{{cite web |url=http://top40.about.com/od/artistsdk/p/thefray.htm |title=The Fray |publisher=Top40.about.com |date=June 19, 2010 |access-date=November 6, 2011 |archive-date=February 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218230933/http://top40.about.com/od/artistsdk/p/thefray.htm |url-status=dead }}
Early life
Joe King was born on May 25, 1980, in Colorado. He attended Faith Christian Academy in Arvada, Colorado.{{cite web|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/2006/thefray-0706.html|title= Into the Fray|work= Christian Music Today|last= Friedman|first= Stan|date= July 16, 2006|publisher= www.ChristianityToday.com|access-date=May 26, 2008 }}
Before his success with the Fray, King attended school while he worked as an auto damage appraiser.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}
He learned to play the piano at an early age, but later dropped it and started playing the guitar instead. He states that it was because "the coolest guys in my eighth grade class all played guitar. I wanted to fit in."{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/fray/bio.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027171012/http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/fray/bio.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 27, 2005 |title=The Fray | New Music And Songs | MTV |publisher=Vh1.com |date=February 7, 2012 |access-date=November 21, 2012}}
Career
= Mainstream success =
The Fray released Movement EP in 2002. King sang lead on two songs on the EP: "It's for You" and "Where You Want To".{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}
The band released Reason EP in 2003, to some local acclaim in Denver. This prompted Epic Records to sign the band in 2004.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}
The band's first album, How to Save a Life, released in 2005, brought the band mainstream success. Apart from playing guitar, King sang lead on the song, "Heaven Forbid", which was about his sister.{{cite web|url=http://isaacsladelover.webs.com/joeking.htm|title=Gotta love The Fray!|access-date=October 16, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021195640/http://isaacsladelover.webs.com/joeking.htm|archive-date=October 21, 2014}} He also gave backing vocals on "How to Save a Life", "Look After You" and "Trust Me".{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}
The band released their second album, The Fray, in 2009. The second single from the album, "Never Say Never", was written primarily by King from his perspective of his marriage.[http://isaacsladelover.webs.com/quickfactssongfacts.htm]{{dead link|date=November 2011}} Apart from guitar, the second album also saw King singing a lot more: he supplied lead vocals on the song "Ungodly Hour" and on the bonus track "Uncertainty", and backing vocals on "Syndicate" and "Absolute".{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}
The band released Scars & Stories in 2012, with King singing lead on "Rainy Zurich".{{Cite web|url=https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Concert-Review-It-s-all-about-the-music-for-The-11529191.php|title=Concert Review: It's all about the music for The Fray and Kelly Clarkson at DTE|last=Dennis|first=Damien|date=August 11, 2012|website=New Haven Register|access-date=January 17, 2020}}
= Vocal characteristics and songwriting =
While the Fray has been lyrically spearheaded by Slade, King co-writes almost all of the songs. In an interview, King stated that his lyrics were mainly inspired by his experiences with the band: "With success, you have a lot more drama. For me, it was extreme highs in career and extreme lows in a relationship. There were really obvious things to write about."{{cite web |url=http://www.sonybmg.com.au/artist/artistBiography.do?artistId=107128 |title=Archived copy |access-date=March 15, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080728165406/http://www.sonybmg.com.au/artist/artistBiography.do?artistId=107128 |archive-date=July 28, 2008 }}
Commenting on the lyrics on the second album, King said: "A lot of really big realizations about ourselves are on this record. We're singing about real things that we've experienced. I'm not really comfortable talking about it, but I'm a lot more comfortable singing about it. It's a different side of me."
= Work outside The Fray =
King sang in the song "Undertow" off the Timbaland album Shock Value 2. He also co-wrote and co-produced the song "Alright With Me", which was included on American Idol winner Kris Allen's debut album, Kris Allen. Commenting on his working with Allen, King said that there was "a good vibe in the studio".{{cite web|last=Anderson |first=Kyle |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1614457/20090622/allen_kris_american_idol_.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625033550/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1614457/20090622/allen_kris_american_idol_.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 25, 2009 |title=Fray's Joe King Says There's 'A Good Vibe In The Studio' With Kris Allen – Music, Celebrity, Artist News |publisher=MTV |date=June 22, 2009 |access-date=November 6, 2011}}
In April 2013, King released a six-song EP, Breaking, under the name "King." His single "Need a Woman by Friday" features Trombone Shorty.Graham, Mark (March 5, 2013). [https://www.vh1.com/news/2dji7e/the-frays-joe-king-goes-solo-with-breaking "The Fray's Joe King is Breaking Away from the Group for His First Solo Release"]. VH1.
In September 2017, King released five songs in a project titled "Union Moon".{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}
Personal life
King married for the first time when he was 19 years old.{{Cite news |url=http://www.hitfix.com/immaculate-noise/the-frays-joe-king-stepping-out-solo-with-king-exclusive-interview|title=The Fray's Joe King stepping out solo with KING: Exclusive Interview|work=HitFix|last=Hasty|first=Katie|date=February 1, 2013|access-date=October 18, 2014}} He and his first wife, Julie, had two daughters together.{{Cite news|date=October 18, 2014|title=Candice Accola Marries Joe King|work=People|url=http://www.people.com/article/candice-accola-marries-joe-king}}
King began dating actress Candice Accola after they met at a Super Bowl event in February 2012.{{Cite news|date=June 21, 2013|title=The Vampire Diaries's Candice Accola Is 'So Excited and Grateful' to Be Engaged|work=People|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20711106,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623034517/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20711106,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 23, 2013}} They became engaged in May 2013,{{Cite news|date=May 29, 2013|title=Candice Accola Engaged to Joseph King: See Her Diamond Ring!|work=Us Weekly|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/candice-accola-engaged-2013295}} and married on October 18, 2014, in New Orleans, Louisiana. In August 2015, they announced that they were expecting their first child together.{{Cite news|date=August 31, 2015|title=Candice Accola of 'Vampire Diaries' is expecting first child with the Fray's Joe King|work=Los Angeles Times|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-candice-accola-joe-king-baby-pregnant-20150831-htmlstory.html}} They had a daughter born in 2016.{{cite web|date=January 25, 2016|title=Joe and Candice Accola Welcome Daughter Florence May|url=http://celebritybabies.people.com/2016/01/25/candice-accola-joe-king-welcome-daughter-florence-may/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530191744/http://celebritybabies.people.com/2016/01/25/candice-accola-joe-king-welcome-daughter-florence-may/|archive-date=May 30, 2016|magazine=People}} In August 2020, they announced that they were expecting their second child together.{{Cite web|date=August 18, 2020|title=Vampire Diaries's Candice Accola King Is Pregnant with Her Second Baby: 'I've Got a Bun in the Oven'|url=https://people.com/parents/vampire-diaries-actress-candice-accola-king-announces-shes-pregnant-ive-got-a-bun-in-the-oven/|website=People|language=EN}} Candice gave birth to their second daughter in 2020.{{Cite web|date=December 11, 2020|title=Vampire Diaries' Candice Accola King Welcomes Second Child with Husband Joe King|url=https://people.com/parents/candice-accola-king-welcomes-second-child-with-husband-joe-king/|website=People|language=EN}} In May 2022, it was announced that Accola and King have split.{{Cite web |title=Candice Accola Files for Divorce from Joe King After 7 Years of Marriage |url=https://people.com/tv/candice-accola-joe-king-divorce/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100214155057/http://www.thefray.net/ The Fray's website]}} (archived)
{{The Fray}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Joe}}
Category:American rock guitarists
Category:American male guitarists
Category:American rock singers
Category:Guitarists from Colorado
Category:21st-century American male singers
Category:21st-century American singers