Gracia
Encyclopedia
Gracia Arabella Baur mostly known as Gracia is a German
singer.
on November 18, 1982 to Roman and Rosemary Baur and was named after Princess Grace (Gracia Patricia)
of Monaco
, who had died a few weeks earlier. Gracia's identical twin sister was called Patricia after the princess.
During her teenage years she took vocal lessons to strengthen her voice. To fulfill her dreams of a career as a professional singer, she started recording demos and passed several auditions. In 2000 she even made it through the first round of Popstars
, but was forced out when she forgot the words of her song.
In 2002/2003 she took part in Deutschland sucht den Superstar
, the German version of Pop Idol
, and eventually reached #5. Pushed by the publicity she released her first album Intoxicated, which peaked at #10 on the German album charts and spawned the hit singles "I Don't Think So" and "I Believe In Miracles". Afterwards, she teamed up with fellow DSDS
runners-up Daniel Küblböck
, Nektarios Bamiatzis, and Stephanie Brauckmeyer, releasing the charity single "Don't Close Your Eyes" under the name 4 United.
Gracia was selected to represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest
with the song "Run & Hide", produced and composed by David Brandes
. After the German national pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest it was revealed that Brandes had bought thousands of his own CDs to ensure chart placement, a requirement of the ESC (the single had actually hit the top 30 on the German charts). In contrast to the Swiss entry Vanilla Ninja
, who had also had their entry produced by Brandes, Gracia opted to continue her association with the newly controversial figure.
However, "Run & Hide", a modern pop-rock song with heavy use of synthesizers, failed to catch the audience's imagination in the Eurovision Song Contest and ignominiously placed last (24th), with just four points awarded from Moldova
and Monaco
. Gracia, however, was not deterred ("Well, somebody has to finish last" was her laconic comment after the show), and went on with her second solo album Passion, released in November 2005.
2004 she recorded Götter der Ewigkeit, part of the German soundtrack of the Walt Disney Feature Animation
Brother Bear
.
In December 2006 Gracia released the Song "Cos I believe" together with Marvin Broadie under the name "Xantoo". It charted at #39.
, Nektarios Bamiatzis and Stephanie Bruckmeyer)
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
singer.
Biography
Gracia was born in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
on November 18, 1982 to Roman and Rosemary Baur and was named after Princess Grace (Gracia Patricia)
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
of Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, who had died a few weeks earlier. Gracia's identical twin sister was called Patricia after the princess.
During her teenage years she took vocal lessons to strengthen her voice. To fulfill her dreams of a career as a professional singer, she started recording demos and passed several auditions. In 2000 she even made it through the first round of Popstars
Popstars
Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
, but was forced out when she forgot the words of her song.
Deutschland sucht den Superstar
Deutschland sucht den Superstar is a German reality talent show, also commonly known by its initials DSDS. Part of the Idol franchise, it was created by English media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show Pop Idol, of which two series were broadcast between the years of 2001 and...
, the German version of Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
, and eventually reached #5. Pushed by the publicity she released her first album Intoxicated, which peaked at #10 on the German album charts and spawned the hit singles "I Don't Think So" and "I Believe In Miracles". Afterwards, she teamed up with fellow DSDS
Deutschland sucht den Superstar
Deutschland sucht den Superstar is a German reality talent show, also commonly known by its initials DSDS. Part of the Idol franchise, it was created by English media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show Pop Idol, of which two series were broadcast between the years of 2001 and...
runners-up Daniel Küblböck
Daniel Küblböck
Daniel Küblböck is a German pop-singer and actor who achieved short-lived celebrity in 2003, in the media-circus that surrounded the first season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar , the German version of Pop Idol, in which he came third...
, Nektarios Bamiatzis, and Stephanie Brauckmeyer, releasing the charity single "Don't Close Your Eyes" under the name 4 United.
Gracia was selected to represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
with the song "Run & Hide", produced and composed by David Brandes
David Brandes
David Brandes is a Swiss-born German songwriter and producer. Brandes has written and produced for many artists, including E-Rotic, Bad Boys Blue, Chris Norman, Indiggo, Lemon Ice and Vanilla Ninja...
. After the German national pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest it was revealed that Brandes had bought thousands of his own CDs to ensure chart placement, a requirement of the ESC (the single had actually hit the top 30 on the German charts). In contrast to the Swiss entry Vanilla Ninja
Vanilla Ninja
Vanilla Ninja is a three-piece Estonian girl band which has enjoyed chart success in a number of countries across Europe, especially in Estonia, Germany and Austria....
, who had also had their entry produced by Brandes, Gracia opted to continue her association with the newly controversial figure.
However, "Run & Hide", a modern pop-rock song with heavy use of synthesizers, failed to catch the audience's imagination in the Eurovision Song Contest and ignominiously placed last (24th), with just four points awarded from Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
and Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. Gracia, however, was not deterred ("Well, somebody has to finish last" was her laconic comment after the show), and went on with her second solo album Passion, released in November 2005.
2004 she recorded Götter der Ewigkeit, part of the German soundtrack of the Walt Disney Feature Animation
Walt Disney Feature Animation
Walt Disney Animation Studios is an American animation studio headquartered in Burbank, California. The studio, founded in 1923 as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio by brothers Walt and Roy Disney, is the oldest subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
Brother Bear
Brother Bear
Brother Bear is a 2003 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures, the forty-fourth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics. In the film, an Inuit boy pursues a bear in revenge for a battle that he provoked in which...
.
In December 2006 Gracia released the Song "Cos I believe" together with Marvin Broadie under the name "Xantoo". It charted at #39.
Solo singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
AUT Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
SWI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
|||
| 2003 | "I Don't Think So" | 3 (11 weeks) |
20 (9 weeks) |
12 (10 weeks) |
Intoxicated |
| 2003 | "I Believe In Miracles" | 12 (9 weeks) |
42 (4 weeks) |
56 (5 weeks) |
Intoxicated |
| 2005 | "Run & Hide Run & Hide Run & Hide was the German entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, performed in English by Gracia.As Germany is a member of the "Big Four" , the song had pre-qualified for the final of that year's Contest - Germany had also finished in the top ten at the previous Contest, had that been required... " |
20 (9 weeks) |
57 (2 weeks) |
- | Passion |
| 2005 | "When The Last Tear's Been Dried" | 32 (9 weeks) |
- | - | Passion |
| 2006 | "Never Been" | 39 (6 weeks) |
- | - | Passion |
| 2006 | "Cos I believe" (with Martin Broadie as Xantoo) |
39 (6 weeks) |
- | - | - |
- 2009: "Christmas Is Calling"
4 United
(project with Daniel KüblböckDaniel Küblböck
Daniel Küblböck is a German pop-singer and actor who achieved short-lived celebrity in 2003, in the media-circus that surrounded the first season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar , the German version of Pop Idol, in which he came third...
, Nektarios Bamiatzis and Stephanie Bruckmeyer)
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
AUT Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
||
| 2004 | "Don't Close Your Eyes" | 18 (9 weeks) |
50 (6 weeks) |