Internationally renowned DJ, Calvin Harris, has built an incredible career for himself. Because he altered the significance of DJ sets and elevated them to travelling performing stature, he is regarded as an industry unto himself. Even though he had early professional difficulties, his music eventually peaked at the top of the charts.
He started out by sharing his own songs online which enabled him to gain confidence and the required set of skills to produce number-one hits with Rihanna.
Under his own name, he has sold millions of dollars’ worth of music. His skills as a remixer and DJ have led to MTV and Grammy honours, and in 2013 he ranked as the highest-earning DJ according to Forbes.
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Who is Calvin Harris?
The real name of Calvin Harris is Adam Richard Wiles. His mother was a housewife, and his father worked as a biochemist. He was born in Los Angeles, owns a recording studio in London, and was raised in Dumfries, Scotland.
He is one of the wealthiest musicians in Britain, coming in at number 30 on the millionaire’s list. His net worth is thought to be $105 million.
In his teens, Harris became interested in electronic music, and by 1999, he was making bedroom recordings.
Under an alias named ‘Stouffer’, two of these songs — Brighter Days and Da Bongos were released on the Prima Facie label in early 2002 as a 12″ club single and an EP.
As he gained popularity on Myspace, talent agent Mark Gillespie became aware of him and signed Harris to his own recently established organisation.
During his time in London back in 2004, one of Harris’ songs was released named ‘Let Me Know,’ with vocalist Ayah on the Unabombers’ 2004 live-mix CD Electric Soul, Vol. 2. With that hit in his pocket, Harris, who was a Scottish teenager, desired to move to London.
However, he had a lot to do and cover. He initially struggled to make his name in one of the biggest and most cutthroat industries, he struggled.
Where is Calvin Harris From?
Calvin Harris is a renowned singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was raised and born in Scotland’s Dumfries. Early in his adolescence, he developed an interest in electronic music, creating his first bedroom demo before the age of 15.
He began working at the fish factory as soon as he graduated from school. On his birthday, he was fired, and soon after, he was hired by Safeway. He claimed that Safeway was less obnoxious, but the job was not very much rewarding monetarily.
He moved to London after saving nearly $4000 in an effort to get notoriety. He eventually created his MySpace account after returning to his native Scotland.
His music eventually took off when he added everyone he believed might have connections to the music business. He earned $66 million in 2013.
Calvin Harris DJ Career
Scottish DJ Calvin Harris is also a record producer, vocalist, and composer in addition to being well-known for his music. We Found Love, This Is What You Came For, Summer, Feel So Close, Feels, and One Kiss are among his best-known hit tracks.
We Found Love is a song he wrote with Rihanna which became his first number one record and a global hit. With the release of his third studio album, “18 Months,” which reached the top of the UK charts and charted there, the DJ gained immense popularity in the industry.
In the UK and the US, his fourth album debuted at numbers two and five, respectively. By placing three songs in the top ten of the Billboard Dance/Electronic charts in 2014, Calvin Harris set new records.
With nine songs, Harris surpassed Michael Jackson in terms of the number of top 10 singles from a single studio album on the UK Singles Chart.
He made history in October 2014 when he became the first artist to have three songs in the top 10 of the Dance/Electronic Songs chart at the same time. Additionally, he made history by being the first British solo artist to surpass one billion Spotify streams.
This is not it!
Harris has won a Grammy for Best Music Video in 2013 and has been nominated for seven Brit Awards, including two for Best British Male.
In 2013, he won the Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy for Songwriter of the Year, and in 2015, he won the Top Dance/Electronic Artist honour at the Billboard Music Awards. He also runs his own record label Fly Eye Records.
How Did Calvin Harris Become So Popular?
Calvin Harris, a Scottish producer and DJ, moved from self-releasing his music online to making millions of dollars selling radio-friendly, electronic dance crossover songs in the 2000s and 2010.
After releasing his first two albums, I Created Disco in 2007 and Ready for the Weekend in 2009, he made his mainstream debut with 18 Months in 2012.
This album featured high-profile guest vocalists like Rihanna, Kelis, Ellie Goulding, and Florence Welch, and it was certified platinum. 18 Months also produced numerous chart hits.
He released the U.S. Top Five Motion in 2014 using this effective electronic-pop crossover formula before achieving a chart top in 2017 with the hip-hop and retro-R&B summers smash Funk Wav Bounces, Vol. 1.
Published in 2012, 18 Months was nominated for Best British Male Solo Artist at the 2013 Brit Awards. The singer served as the house DJ at the Los Angeles-based 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, where he also took up the Best Electronic Video award for his song “Feels So Close.”
He released the song “Summer” in 2014, and it debuted at the top of the UK charts. He performed on the Coachella main stage in April 2014, drawing the second-largest audience in the festival’s history, only behind Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.
He garnered nominations for Best British Single and British Artist Video of the Year at the 2015 Brit Awards after the release of his fourth album, “Motion,” in 2014. He released “How Deep Is Your Love” in 2015, and it reached its top position at number two on the UK singles chart.
He and Rihanna collaborated on the 2016 single “This Is What You Came For,” which reached its US peak at number three. He worked with PartyNextDoor, Dua Lipa, and Sam Smith in 2018.
He released two EPs in 2020, “Love Regenerator 1” and “Love Regenerator 2,” and “Love Generator 3” in March.
Why is Calvin Harris Named Calvin Harris?
As already mentioned, the artist’s real name is Adam Richard Wiles, despite the fact that he performs under the stage name Calvin Harris.
His first single release was a soul track, therefore he claimed he wanted to adopt a name that sounded more ‘ambiguous,’ so that people would not know if he was ‘black or not.’
The media has criticised his decision to use his stage name as being racially offensive.
What is Calvin Harris’ Most Successful Song?
Calvin Harris has an impressive portfolio – when we talk about his success and hits. It all comes down to preference; some people love I’m Not Alone from his second studio album whereas others are fond of the new Calvin Harris style which features Dua Lipa’s vocals.
He has produced bangers after bangers and we know people who are huge fans of all the tracks he has worked on.
Whether you are looking to party, a chill out track, or something big room – Harris probably has produced it. And, he’s been doing it consistently for more than a decade.
Still confused about his success?
Calvin performed at the 2011 Sydney Mardi Gras celebration and supported Rihanna on her Loud tour in 2011. He also appeared on the song “Reminds Me of You” from LMFAO’s album “Sorry for Party Rocking.”
The singer’s single “Bounce” debuted at number two in the UK when it was released in 2011. “Feels so Close,” the second single, peaked at number twelve in the US and number two in the UK.
He worked on the songs “We Found Love” and “Where Have You Been” by Rihanna. His third UK number one, “We Found Love” was at the top of the charts in 27 different nations.
He collaborated with the Scissor Sisters on “Only the Horses” and helped write and produce Mary J. Blige’s song “One Life.” He also composed Cheryl Cole’s song “Call My Name.”
What Happened to Calvin Harris?
Calvin Harris’ estimated net worth in 2021 was about $300 million, placing him among the highest-paid DJs in the world.
It should come as no surprise that the singer has a plethora of honours under his belt, including numerous BRITs, AMAs, a Billboard Music Award, AND a Grammy.
After all, FIVE of his albums were in the UK Top 10 after their releases, with two of them reaching the Number 1 slot.
He announced a collaboration with Tom Grennan on “By Your Side” on May 21, 2021, and it was released in June.
Final Remarks
Calvin Harris is a staple to the electronic music industry – and, there are no doubts about it. His music and productions have inspired so many people.
It takes perseverance and resilience to keep doing what he’s doing for more than a decade at the top most level.
Nate’s first ever major EDM event was Hard Summer in 2016. After hearing Porter Robinson close out the festival, he’s been attending live shows on a consistent basis. His favorite EDM genres are currently trance, drum and bass, and house.
