Take It All Away

Background:

“But if you really want to do it (become a pop star), you've got to give it a shot at least and eventually God will lead you to what you're meant to do.” Ryan Cabrera

American singer, songwriter and guitarist Ryan Cabrera rose to fame in 2004 with the multiple platinum selling record “Take It All Away” (2004), his debut with Atlantic Records. The album went to the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. “Take It All Away” generated two of Cabrera's most successful singles, “On the Way Down” and “True,” both of which were Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Cabrera has since released two more studio albums, “You Stand Watching” (2005, #24 US) and “The Moon Under Water” (2008, #177 US). He has also appeared in several television shows, including MTV's “The Hills” (8 episodes, 2010) and the 2008 film “My Sexiest Year.”

Cabrera was in a relationship with singer and actress Ashlee Simpson (born October 3, 1984) from early 2004 to February 2005. During this time, he appeared in many episodes of Simpson's reality show “The Ashley Simpson Show.” Cabrera was also once romantically involved with Audrina Patridge (born May 9, 1985) from the MTV hit series “The Hills.” Currently, Cabrera is dating Lisa Origliasso (born December 25, 1984), who is half of the Australian duo The Veronicas.

Cabrera has a dog name Romeo. His favorite movies include “Good Will Hunting,” “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Dumb and Dumber” and “Dead Poet's Society.”

Dallas, Texas

Childhood and Family:

Ryan Frank Cabrera was born on July 18, 1982, in Dallas, Texas, to Marc and Debi Cabrera. He is of Colombian and Caucasian extraction. Ryan originally wanted to become an actor, but later turned his attention to music. He began teaching himself to play the guitar at age 13 and wrote his first song at age 15. After graduating from the Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas in 2000, he enrolled at The University of Texas in Dallas but quit after a year.

On the Way Down

Career:

In high school, Ryan Cabrera played in the punk rock band Caine, but subsequently left the band after hearing Dave Matthews. After, he picked up an acoustic guitar and formed a new group called Rubix Groove. The band went on to emerge as a popular act in Dallas and opened for artists like Third Eye Blind and Cheap Trick. Cabrera later left his band to start a career as a solo artist.

In 2001, Cabrera released his self produced debut album “Elm St.” on the AMP (American Music Productions) label. The album contained 10 tracks, including “I Will,” “Spanish Song,” “Yesterday's Gone,” “In My Life,” “Reasons” and “Last Winter.” Although the album did not make much of an impact, Cabrera caught the attention of Atlantic Records, who signed him in 2001.

On June 12, 2004, Cabrera released his first major single, “On the Way Down,” which he co-wrote with Curt Frasca and Sabelle Breer. The single, with backup vocals by John Rzeznik, rose to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on the Billboard Pop 100, and No. 4 on the Top 40 Mainstream, to mention a few charts. It also won a 2006 ASCAP Pop Award in the category of Most Performed Song of that Year and was certified gold by RIAA.

Cabrera's debut major label studio album, “Take It All Away,” followed on August 17, 2004. The album, which he co-produced with John Rzeznik, peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 66,000 copies during its first week or release. The album has since gone double platinum. “True,” which Cabrera co-wrote with Sheppard Solomon, was released as the second single from the album on November 8, 2004. The song peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Billboard Pop 100 and achieved gold status in the U.S. He commented, “'True' was about falling in love with a person and wanting to know how they feel about you. You don't really know and you are kind of vulnerable. It's like, 'Do you want me or what?'”

The third and final single, “40 Kinds of Sadness,” (2005), which he co-wrote with the same team as his hit “On the Way Down,” went to No. 37 on the Billboard Pop 100. All three singles were accompanied by music videos, which were directed by Dean Paraskevopoulos, Kevin Kerslake and Bill Fishman, respectively.

Cabrera's increasing popularity was reinforced with appearances in various television shows, including “The VIP,” “Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica,” “Big Time,” “Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee” and “Total Request Live” (all 2004). The same year, on June 30, 2004, he made his first of a series of appearances on his then-girlfriend Ashley Simpson's show “The Ashley Simpson Show.” In 2005, Cabrera served as a host on a reality dating television series on MTV called “Score” and was a presenter at the 2005 American Music Awards. He also appeared on the soundtrack of the motion picture “Son of the Mask” with the song “Inside Your Mind,” which he co-wrote and co-produced with Greg Wells, and the “Fantastic Four” soundtrack with the song “Always Come Back To You.”

“People will have their opinions of you and they don't even know what they're talking about. Just because of the way you look or who you're friends with, which is why I named my album ‘You Stand Watching.’ There are people who are so judgmental. People are so opinionated about things and they don't even know what they're talking about or can't even do it themselves.” Ryan Cabrera

The second studio album, “You Stand Watching,” was released on September 20, 2005. The album peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified gold by RIAA. Cabrera co-wrote all 11 tracks on the album and “You Stand Watching” produced the singles “Shine On” and “Photo.” Released on August 9, 2005, the lead single “Shine On,” which discussed his former relationship with Ashley Simpson, rose to No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 38 on the Billboard Pop 100 and No. 25 on the Billboard Top 40 Mainstream charts. “Photo” charted at No. 21 in the Philippines. Cabrera's current girlfriend, Lisa Origliasso, appeared in the song's music video, which was directed by Everado and Leopoldo Gout.

On May 26, 2006, Cabrera released a single called “I Will Remember You” on the Internet. The song was used in promos for the series finale of the NBC series “Will & Grace” and featured in the final episode of the series. The singer has made it clear that the song is not about his former girlfriend Ashlee. He stated, “Please remember that I have had more experiences in life than Ash. This song is about remembering someone or people who have had a huge influence in your life. It could be a time period of your life that you'll never forget. It's a song about being able to hold memories close and never forget those who influence you. It could be high school, college, work or where ever you find that special person that has changed your life and made you in turn a better person.”

In 2007, Cabrera made his feature film acting debut in “My Sexiest Year,” which was written and directed by Howard Himelstein. The film premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival on October 18, 2007, and also opened at the Miami International Film Festival on March 8, 2008. In the film, he played the role of Rickie. Costars of the film included Frankie Muniz, Harvey Keitel, Haylie Duff, Christopher McDonald and Amber Valletta.

Cabrera's next studio album, “The Moon Under Water,” was released on May 13, 2008, on Frolic Room Records/Papa Joe Records. The album debuted at No. 177 on the Billboard 200. The self written lead single “Say,” released in February 2008, received positive reviews from music critics but failed to chart on any of the Billboard charts. The second single, “Enemy,” followed on June 10, 2008. Unfortunately, the song enjoyed the same bad luck as its predecessor. “The Moon Under Water” also contained a previous single titled “I Will Remember You.”

In 2010, Cabrera appeared in eight episodes of MTV's “The Hills” during its sixth and final season. The episodes showcased his romance and eventual breakup with one of the show's leads, Audrina Patridge.

Awards:
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