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Greg Holden

Greg Holden is a New York-based British singer-songwriter.

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Greg Holden Biography

Greg Holden's second full-length album may be titled I Don't Believe You, but he's genuinely given listeners something to believe in.

Boasting unwavering honesty and unshakable melodies, the UK-born, New York-based singer and songwriter tells eleven vivid stories over the course of the record.

Some of them are heartbreaking, while others are uplifting. However, all of them are unforgettable.

He is best known for his hit charity single "The Lost Boy" and for co-writing "Home", the 2012 debut single for American Idol-winner Phillip Phillips.

In 2009, the Big Apple beckoned Holden. He'd just released his independent debut, A Word in Edgeways, and after visiting the city for some recording sessions, he knew he wanted to relocate.

He moved out of his London flat, sold most of his things, boarded a plane, and never looked back.

"For some reason, I was always drawn to New York," he admits. "Every one of my favorite musicians had gone there at some point. I remember reading about Bob Dylan's journeys through Greenwich Village, all the imagery of the city just taunted me. There's a mystery about the place, it just sucks you in."

For the next year, he immersed himself in that "mystery". Everything that he saw and experienced became fodder for his songwriting—whether it be interactions on the train or in the bars. The smell of alcohol and the overheard conversations lived on in his music. Simultaneously, he launched a Kickstarter page to fund the recording. Rallying support from his devout fan base, he raised 30,000 dollars in the span of month. Holden headed to Los Angeles and recorded the songs he'd been penning with none other than producer Tony Berg [Bob Dylan]. He emerged from the studio with I Don't Believe You.

"I'd call it English Americana," he says of the album. "I have real American influences, and I have to be proud of that, and not pretend as though I only listened to English music my whole life. I listen to Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen as well as the English icons such as Harrison & Lennon. I'll always have my English roots, but I live here right now."

I Don't Believe You saw an initial digital release in 2011, and it began to slowly build a buzz online. However, when Holden recorded the bonus track "The Lost Boy", the record made a giant splash internationally. A poignant, potent, and poetic rumination, he carried the song's unforgettable refrain and touching story.

Holden recalls, "I wrote that after reading a book by Dave Eggers called What is the What. It's a true story about a Sudanese refugee named Valentino Achak Deng. It was so emotional and powerful that I had to write the song, it felt like some sort of duty. I wanted to make a difference after reading the book. I recorded it in my apartment, and I sent it to a DJ that I knew in Holland because he does a lot of work for the Red Cross."

The song entered regular rotation during the Christmas period, and shot to #1 on iTunes in Holland. The radio station invited Holden to play a Christmas Eve benefit for the Red Cross in front of 10,000 people. A sold out tour of the country ensued, and the song ended up raising 80,000 dollars for the charity. Shortly after, "The Lost Boy" played over a key scene in a seminal episode of Sons of Anarchy. Within days, it had sold 20,000 copies on iTunes and charted on Billboard.

Elsewhere on I Don't Believe You, Holden confronts dishonesty on the shimmering and slick title track, while "Bar on A" paid homage to one his favorite haunts where "an English boy learned about the drinks and women of New York". Then, there's the powerful "American Dream"—another true story.

"I was riding home on the subway one night, and I was sitting by a homeless couple," he explains. The woman was crying and upset, and the guy had a big bag of stuff he'd claimed to have stolen. He was like, 'Don't worry, I'm going to sell all of this shit so we can eat tonight'. It was so ****ing real. I wrote the song on my phone right there and then. It's a classic example of the many people who aren't living the so-called American dream."

Holden, however, has tirelessly chased his dream. In the midst of releasing I Don't Believe You, he wrote the multiplatinum-selling smash hit "Home" for Phillip Phillips, and he contributed the stunning "I Need an Energy" to the Chasing Mavericks soundtrack. Now, he signed to Collective Sounds in 2013 and will re-release the album formally in stores and digitally.

Ultimately though, his goal remains the same. "I don't sing to make money," he concludes. "I want to be honest, whether people believe me or not. I want to tell stories that make people think and hopefully, feel. I want them to be inspired in some way. If they can connect to a song beyond a harmonic level, that's all I ever wanted."

FAQs
  • HOW TO BOOK Greg Holden?

    Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Greg Holden for both live and virtual events for over 15 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a booking request form for Greg Holden, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for Greg Holden or any other celebrity of your choice.
  • HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BOOK Greg Holden?

    Speaking fees for Greg Holden, or any other keynote speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The amount that Greg Holden charges to speak often varies according to the circumstances, including their schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The speaker fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Greg Holden, please fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.
  • WHO IS THE AGENT FOR Greg Holden?

    All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Greg Holden for clients worldwide for more than 15 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Greg Holden for your next private or corporate function.
  • WHAT IS A FULL-SERVICE TALENT BOOKING AGENCY?

    All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Greg Holden or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Greg Holden or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.
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This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

Greg Holden is a New York-based British singer-songwriter.

Travels From:
New York, NY, USA
Speaking Fee:

Greg Holden Biography

Greg Holden's second full-length album may be titled I Don't Believe You, but he's genuinely given listeners something to believe in.

Boasting unwavering honesty and unshakable melodies, the UK-born, New York-based singer and songwriter tells eleven vivid stories over the course of the record.

Some of them are heartbreaking, while others are uplifting. However, all of them are unforgettable.

He is best known for his hit charity single "The Lost Boy" and for co-writing "Home", the 2012 debut single for American Idol-winner Phillip Phillips.

In 2009, the Big Apple beckoned Holden. He'd just released his independent debut, A Word in Edgeways, and after visiting the city for some recording sessions, he knew he wanted to relocate.

He moved out of his London flat, sold most of his things, boarded a plane, and never looked back.

"For some reason, I was always drawn to New York," he admits. "Every one of my favorite musicians had gone there at some point. I remember reading about Bob Dylan's journeys through Greenwich Village, all the imagery of the city just taunted me. There's a mystery about the place, it just sucks you in."

For the next year, he immersed himself in that "mystery". Everything that he saw and experienced became fodder for his songwriting—whether it be interactions on the train or in the bars. The smell of alcohol and the overheard conversations lived on in his music. Simultaneously, he launched a Kickstarter page to fund the recording. Rallying support from his devout fan base, he raised 30,000 dollars in the span of month. Holden headed to Los Angeles and recorded the songs he'd been penning with none other than producer Tony Berg [Bob Dylan]. He emerged from the studio with I Don't Believe You.

"I'd call it English Americana," he says of the album. "I have real American influences, and I have to be proud of that, and not pretend as though I only listened to English music my whole life. I listen to Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen as well as the English icons such as Harrison & Lennon. I'll always have my English roots, but I live here right now."

I Don't Believe You saw an initial digital release in 2011, and it began to slowly build a buzz online. However, when Holden recorded the bonus track "The Lost Boy", the record made a giant splash internationally. A poignant, potent, and poetic rumination, he carried the song's unforgettable refrain and touching story.

Holden recalls, "I wrote that after reading a book by Dave Eggers called What is the What. It's a true story about a Sudanese refugee named Valentino Achak Deng. It was so emotional and powerful that I had to write the song, it felt like some sort of duty. I wanted to make a difference after reading the book. I recorded it in my apartment, and I sent it to a DJ that I knew in Holland because he does a lot of work for the Red Cross."

The song entered regular rotation during the Christmas period, and shot to #1 on iTunes in Holland. The radio station invited Holden to play a Christmas Eve benefit for the Red Cross in front of 10,000 people. A sold out tour of the country ensued, and the song ended up raising 80,000 dollars for the charity. Shortly after, "The Lost Boy" played over a key scene in a seminal episode of Sons of Anarchy. Within days, it had sold 20,000 copies on iTunes and charted on Billboard.

Elsewhere on I Don't Believe You, Holden confronts dishonesty on the shimmering and slick title track, while "Bar on A" paid homage to one his favorite haunts where "an English boy learned about the drinks and women of New York". Then, there's the powerful "American Dream"—another true story.

"I was riding home on the subway one night, and I was sitting by a homeless couple," he explains. The woman was crying and upset, and the guy had a big bag of stuff he'd claimed to have stolen. He was like, 'Don't worry, I'm going to sell all of this shit so we can eat tonight'. It was so ****ing real. I wrote the song on my phone right there and then. It's a classic example of the many people who aren't living the so-called American dream."

Holden, however, has tirelessly chased his dream. In the midst of releasing I Don't Believe You, he wrote the multiplatinum-selling smash hit "Home" for Phillip Phillips, and he contributed the stunning "I Need an Energy" to the Chasing Mavericks soundtrack. Now, he signed to Collective Sounds in 2013 and will re-release the album formally in stores and digitally.

Ultimately though, his goal remains the same. "I don't sing to make money," he concludes. "I want to be honest, whether people believe me or not. I want to tell stories that make people think and hopefully, feel. I want them to be inspired in some way. If they can connect to a song beyond a harmonic level, that's all I ever wanted."

FAQs on booking Greg Holden

  • How to book Greg Holden?

    Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Greg Holden for both live and virtual events for over 20 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a booking request form for Greg Holden, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for Greg Holden or any other celebrity of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Greg Holden?

    Speaking fees for Greg Holden, or any other keynote speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The amount that Greg Holden charges to speak often varies according to the circumstances, including their schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The speaker fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Greg Holden, please fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.
  • Who is the agent for Greg Holden?

    All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Greg Holden for clients worldwide for more than 20 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Greg Holden for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service talent booking agency?

    All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Greg Holden or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Greg Holden or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.

Greg Holden is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Greg Holden for your event is available upon request. Greg Holden generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Colin Meloy, Sasha, Adam Ockelford, Billy Gaus and Calvin Harris. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Greg Holden for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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Speakers Similar to Greg Holden

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

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