Ryan Frank Cabrera (/kəˈbrɛərə/ kə-BRAIR;[1] born July 18, 1982)[2] is an American musician. He began his career as a lead singer for the Dallas band Rubix Groove before pursuing his solo career. Following the 2001 release of independent album Elm St., he released his first major-label album, Take It All Away, on August 17, 2004. Earlier in the year, Cabrera had become known for his up-tempo pop-rock single "On the Way Down". It was then followed by Cabrera's second single, "True"; and his third single "40 Kinds of Sadness".

Ryan Cabrera
Cabrera in 2016
Cabrera in 2016
Background information
Birth nameRyan Frank Cabrera
Born (1982-07-18) July 18, 1982 (age 41)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
GenresPop rock, acoustic
Occupation(s)Singer, musician
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active2001–present
LabelsAtlantic, EMI
Spouse(s)
(m. 2022)
Websiteryancabrera.com

Early life edit

Cabrera was born in Dallas, Texas to Francisco "Frank" Cabrera and Debbie Cabrera. His father is Colombian and his mother is American. He was raised in Flower Mound, Texas, a suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He attended Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, graduating with the Class of 2000. During this time, he was the lead singer of a self-described "noisy punk band" called Caine which he described as being "as bad as our name suggested" in a 2007 interview with Billboard. After graduation he briefly attended The University of Texas at Dallas before dropping out to pursue music.

Career edit

After leaving school, Cabrera played in the band Rubix Groove, which opened for artists like Cheap Trick and Third Eye Blind. Cabrera composed three songs that impressed a studio engineer, who then let Cabrera record a full-length album, Elm St., for free at Deep Ellum Studios.[3]

Take It All Away edit

Cabrera was signed to Atlantic Records in 2002. His major debut single "On the Way Down" debuted on American radio in May 2004.[4] "On the Way Down" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[5]

Take It All Away was released on August 17, 2004, at number eight on the Billboard 200 album chart and sold over 66,000 copies in its first week[6] and eventually was certified Platinum.[7] John Rzeznik, lead singer of the Goo Goo Dolls, produced Take It All Away.[4] The second single was "True", whose music video featured Taylor Cole, an actress from the TV show Summerland.[8] The third single was "40 Kinds of Sadness". Cabrera appeared on the Son of the Mask soundtrack with the song "Inside Your Mind"[9] and the Fantastic Four soundtrack with the song "Always Come Back To You".[10] Cabrera has starred in a concert film, Live at the Wiltern, with him performing songs from his album Take It All Away.

2005–2008: You Stand Watching edit

Cabrera's second album, You Stand Watching, was released on September 20, 2005, and it included his singles "Shine On" and "Photo". Cabrera's relationship with Ashlee Simpson inspired "Photo".[11] Several songs were co-written with singer-songwriter Andrew Ripp. You Stand Watching debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 and sold around 37,000[12] in its first week.

In 2006, Cabrera released the single "I Will Remember You". The song was used soon thereafter as the closing montage for the series finale of Will & Grace. Soon after, the song was used to send off the female contestants on the 3rd season of So You Think You Can Dance.[13] He added a re-recorded version of the song at the end of his third album, The Moon Under Water.

The Moon Under Water was released on May 13, 2008, under Frolic Room Records/ Papa Joe Records and peaked at No. 177 on the Billboard 200. It released two singles, "Say" and "Enemies".

2012–present edit

 
Cabrera performing at Freedom Fest in 2011

On July 3, 2012, Cabrera released a new song called "Home". On August 2, he released another single called "I See Love" on iTunes, where it reached No. 83 on the top 100.[14] In January 2013, he went on a U.S. tour with Tyler Hilton and Teddy Geiger.[15]

In March 2013, Cabrera launched the web series Live From Ryan's Living Room. Joining Ryan were celebrities including Colbie Caillat, Tyler Hilton, Chord Overstreet and Mark Ballas. Each month Ryan chose a charity to benefit, one being City of Hope National Medical Center.[16] In September 2013, Ryan went on an Ireland and UK tour with Boyce Avenue.[17]

In 2014, Cabrera was the first artist signed to Dynamite Music, which was founded by Mitchell Davis and Marco Liuzzo in partnership with Caroline Records and Universal Music Group.[18] On October 7, 2014, Cabrera announced his single "House on Fire" with a video on his Facebook page.[19] The single was released to iTunes on October 22.[20] He released a lyric video for his single "House on Fire" on November 3, 2014, on Artist Direct's website.[21] "House on Fire" peaked at number one on the US dance chart.[22] Cabrera's EP, Wake Up Beautiful, was released on March 3, 2015.

Formed in late 2015, Beyond the Sky is a musical conglomerate consisting of players, producers and vocalists from a multitude of genres. Cabrera took lead in this collaborative project, whose first single "Right on the Money" was released on February 12, 2016.

Television appearances edit

In 2004, Cabrera appeared in several episodes of the first season of singer Ashlee Simpson's reality show, The Ashlee Simpson Show. Simpson appeared in Cabrera's music video for "On the Way Down".[23] Cabrera later opened for Simpson's older sister Jessica's tour.[24]

In 2005, Cabrera hosted the MTV series Score, in which contestants write and perform songs to vie for the heart of a guest on the show.[25]

In 2010, he appeared in several episodes of The Hills during its sixth and final season. The episodes chronicled his romance and eventual break-up with Audrina Patridge. In 2010 he also appeared in the E! television show, Pretty Wild.[23] He has appeared as himself in episodes of the USA Network television show, Miz & Mrs. He also made an appearance in 2019 on The Hills: New Beginnings, again alongside Patridge.

Personal life edit

At the end of 2019, Cabrera began dating professional wrestler Alexis Kaufman, better known as Alexa Bliss. They got engaged on November 14, 2020.[26] The couple were married on April 9, 2022, in Palm Desert, California.[27][28] On November 27, 2023, they had a daughter, Hendrix Rouge Cabrera.[29]

Philanthropy edit

Cabrera arranged and hosted the livestream Camp Fire Concert Special benefiting Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times on July 30, 2020.[30] Nicholas Petricca, Joey Fatone, Jaret Reddick, Ryan Key, Secondhand Serenade, Jay Buchanan, Fabian Manzano, Debbie Gibson, Shawn Hook, Chris August, and Tyler Ward performed songs for the concert in addition to Cabrera himself. Cabrera's wife Alexa Bliss, Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass, Michael Strahan, and The Miz also appeared to voice support. The event successfully raised over $30,000.[31]

Discography edit

Studio albums edit

List of studio albums, with selected details, peak chart positions and certifications shown
Title Details Peak positions Certifications
(sales threshold)
US
[32]
Elm St.
  • Release date: October 12, 2001
  • Label: AMP
  • Formats: CD
Take It All Away 8
You Stand Watching
  • Release date: September 20, 2005
  • Label: Atlantic Records
  • Formats: CD, music download
24
The Moon Under Water
  • Release date: May 13, 2008
  • Label: EMI America
  • Formats: CD, music download
177
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

EPs edit

List of EPs, with selected details
Title Details
Wake Up Beautiful
  • Release date: March 3, 2015
  • Label: Dynamite Music
  • Formats: CD, music download

Singles edit

List of singles, with selected peak chart positions and certifications shown
Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold)
Album
US
[34]
US AC
[35]
US Adult
[36]
US Pop
[37]
AUS
[38]
NZ
[39]
2004 "On the Way Down" 15 35 6 4 48 26 Take It All Away
"True" 18 9 13 8
2005 "40 Kinds of Sadness"
"Shine On" 86 25 You Stand Watching
"Photo"
2006 "I Will Remember You" The Moon Under Water
2008 "Say"
"Enemies"
2012 "Home" Non-album single
"I See Love" Wake Up Beautiful EP
2015 "House on Fire"
2016 "Right on the Money" Non-album singles
2019 "Inside Your Mind"[42]
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos edit

Year Title Director(s)
2004 "On the Way Down" Dean Paraskevopoulos[43]
"True" Kevin Kerslake[44]
2005 "40 Kinds of Sadness" Bill Fishman[45]
"Shine On" Kevin Kerslake[46]
2006 "Photo" Everado and Leopoldo Gout[47]
2008 "Say" Kenny Hoppus
"Enemies" Evan Kaufmann
2015 "House on Fire" Christian Lamb[48]

References edit

  1. ^ "Ryan Cabrera talks Avril Lavigne's New Single, Spotify and How He Was Discovered". LipRoll. April 3, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2021 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Ryan Cabrera Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  3. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Ryan Cabrera > Biography". Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  4. ^ a b Rashbaum, Alyssa (August 11, 2004). "Ryan Cabrera, Ashlee's Ex, Sets Sights on Album, Sorority Tour". MTV News. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  5. ^ "Ryan Cabrera > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". allmusic. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  6. ^ D'Angelo, Joe (August 25, 2004). "Now Takes Down Ashlee; 213 Stomps in At No. 4 on Albums Chart". MTV News. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  7. ^ "Ryan Cabrera Biography". IMDb.com. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  8. ^ Vineyard, Jessica. "Ryan Cabrera Finds Dream Girl in New Video: Taylor Cole From 'Summerland'". MTV News. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  9. ^ "For The Record: Quick News On Jesse McCartney, New Found Glory, Ryan Cabrera, Bone Thugs, Jared Leto, Eels & More". MTV News. January 26, 2005. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  10. ^ "Ryan Cabrera". IMDb.com. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  11. ^ Tecson, Brandee J. (November 8, 2005). "Still-Single Ryan Cabrera Looks Back at Ex In 'Photo'". MTV News. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  12. ^ Harris, Chris (September 28, 2005). "Disturbed Pummel Billboard Competition With No. 1 Fists". MTV News. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  13. ^ Cabrera, Ryan (September 18, 2008). "Ryan Cabrera France". Ryan Cabrera France. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  14. ^ "Ryan Cabrera Music Chart Performance Summary". Archived from the original on August 17, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  15. ^ "Ryan Cabrera teams with Teddy Geiger, Tyler Hilton for Stockton show". PressofAtlanticCity.com. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  16. ^ TV News Desk. "Chord "Chord Overstreet to Appear on Ryan Cabrera's Live Web Series". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  17. ^ Gubbins, Teresa (January 23, 2015). "Dallas-born Ryan Cabrera returns to studio with new Dynamite Music – CultureMap Dallas". Dallas.culturemap.com. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  18. ^ "Ryan Cabrera First Signing to Mitch Davis and Marco Liuzzo's Dynamite Music via Caroline". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  19. ^ "Ryan Cabrera". Facebook. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  20. ^ "iTunes – Music – House on Fire – Single by Ryan Cabrera". Itunes.apple.com. October 22, 2014. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  21. ^ "Exclusive Lyric Video Premiere: Ryan Cabrera, "House on Fire"". ARTISTdirect.
  22. ^ "Hot Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  23. ^ a b Krause, Katie (February 2, 2015). "Ryan Cabrera on Ashlee Simpson's Wedding and His First New Album in 7 Years (Exclusive)". etonline.com. Retrieved July 31, 2015.[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ "Picking up the pieces?". Chicago Tribune. August 11, 2004. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  25. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (August 24, 2005). "Ryan Cabrera's Love-Song LP Isn't All About Ashlee". MTV News. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  26. ^ "Alexa Bliss and boyfriend Ryan Cabrera announce engagement". WWE. November 15, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  27. ^ Tracy, Brianne (April 9, 2022). "Ryan Cabrera and Alexa Bliss Are Married! Inside Their 'Non-Traditional' Rockstar-Themed Wedding". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  28. ^ Wells, Adam. "WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss, Singer Ryan Cabrera Get Married in California". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  29. ^ "Alexa Bliss & Ryan Cabrera Welcome Baby Girl Hendrix Into the World". Sescoops.com. November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  30. ^ "Camp Fire Concerts Special Birthday Edition". YouTube. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  31. ^ "Tiltify - Camp Fire Concerts". Tiltify. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  32. ^ "Ryan Cabrera Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  33. ^ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – January 30, 2011: Ryan Cabrera certified albums". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  34. ^ "Ryan Cabrera Album & Song Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  35. ^ "Ryan Cabrera Album & Song Chart History – Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  36. ^ "Ryan Cabrera Album & Song Chart History – Adult Pop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  37. ^ "Ryan Cabrera Album & Song Chart History – Pop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  38. ^ "australian-charts.com – Australian charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  39. ^ "charts.nz – New Zealand charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  40. ^ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – January 30, 2011: "On the Way Down" certified awards". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  41. ^ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – January 30, 2011: "True" certified awards". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  42. ^ "Inside Your Mind – Single by Ryan Cabrera". Apple Music. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  43. ^ Ryan Cabrera (performer), Dean Paraskevopoulos (director) (June 29, 2004). On the Way Down (Flash). Atlantic Records.
  44. ^ Ryan Cabrera (performer), Kevin Kerslake (director) (November 23, 2004). True (Flash). Atlantic Records.
  45. ^ Ryan Cabrera (performer), Bill Fishman (director) (April 19, 2005). 40 Kinds of Sadness (Flash). Atlantic Records.
  46. ^ [1] Archived October 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  47. ^ Ryan Cabrera (performer), Everado and Leopoldo Gout (directors) (January 11, 2006). Photo (Flash). Atlantic Records.
  48. ^ Sheetz, Janelle (February 7, 2015). "Ryan Cabrera releases video for "House on Fire"". AXS.com. Retrieved May 22, 2015.