Van Hunt

American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Van Hunt Jr. was born in Dayton, Ohio. His interest in music started at an early age, and he started playing the drums at age 7, later on learning the saxophone, the guitar, bass and keyboards. He first started producing demos for Atlanta rappers to pay for his bills once he left college, but went on to play his own music as well. The song "Hopeless", co-produced by Hunt, made it to the soundtrack of the movie "Love Jones" (1999), and it opened the doors for further opportunities as he wrote and produced for other artists. Hunt's first album, "Van Hunt" (2004) was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. He went on to tour and worked with artists such as Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Seal, Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band and Kanye. His first Grammy victory came in 2007, for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, for a collaboration with John Legend and Joss Stone. Hunt has continued to work and release new music, and went on to perform the theme song for the film "Hurricane Season" (2009).