It's Greyson Chance, the Oklahoma Swooner
Greyson Michael Chance is
the quintessential overnight sensation. A day after a video showing the tween performing Lady Gaga's 'Paparazzi'
exploded on YouTube, Chance is jetting around the country, rubbing elbows with
Ellen DeGeneres (he'll be on her talker on Thursday) and fielding a flood of interview offers. Meredith Vieira's fingers must be tired from dialing all day.
You've seen the video and you know what his acrobatic voice does to tween girls. But who is Greyson?
PopEater spoke with the 12-year-old virtuoso's music teacher, Kelly Cheek, to get the skinny on the kid everyone's calling the next Justin Bieber.
First things first, Greyson is a sixth-grader at
Cheyenne Middle School in
Edmond, Oklahoma. The performance was part of a district-wide talent show at a nearby middle school. Cheek tells us that, amazingly, Greyson has only been in her choir class since January.
"I have to say, he has done pretty awesome [in class]!" she said, glowingly. "I have never seen anyone with his level or type of talent."
His unique gift -- think Tori Amos if she were a 12-year-old boy from Oklahoma -- has helped him rack up well over a million views for the video, and has inspired a
Facebook fan page, which currently has nearly 10,000 devotees screaming "WOW!" and "Sooooo Cool!" "It's amazing to see that level of comfort from such a young performer," Cheek said.
But Greyson isn't the only star of the clip, of course. Seated behind him on the risers, slack-jawed and staring, are a dozen or so young girls doing their best to not faint on each other.
"He put the video up himself, and the reaction at the concert alone was crazy," Cheek recalled of the scene. "All of the girls were screaming, they just loved it!"
Cheek, who it should be noted is NOT the woman near the end of the video, has high hopes for her pupil, but for now is just hoping he comes back to class before summer break.
"I am unsure of his plans after this," she tells us. "We really hope he comes back to school for the rest of the year, but after this video, who knows what his future holds!"
Cheek says there's been "constant excitement" at the school all day Wednesday and that "its been very hard to get any work done" with all the Greyson-fever going around. "We have a very long list of people who have called wanting to talk to Greyson!"
Greyson was Student of the Month last October. We're just gonna go out on a limb and predict he'll reprise that honor for May.
So, what about Greyson's other talents? On his YouTube page, the only other videos he's uploaded are self-penned and are a far cry from your normal 12-year-old pop fare. According to the child prodigy, one of the tracks, 'Stars,' is "about a wife who dies of cancer but then she goes to heaven ... Then the husband shortly after her." Watch:
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This kid has mad talent....unreal!!!!
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far better than the original, what an old soul.
Just wonderful.
Oklahoma is an amazing place. So much musical talent.
That kid is funaminal. He should be on American Idol when hes old enough. He is almost better than Lady Gaga, but not quite. I mean I love to sing and I'm good at it but have never told my parents.
I'm 9 years old and I want to be famous some day. That kid has a
voice and its great and he needs to use it.
Nice chatting with you
WOW, what a voice. Like his hair also,LOL!!!!
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He is fabulous!
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What a cutie. He is going places!
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i like haha niccceeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
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that is greet emily cute name
that was GREAT it made me get chills.What talent....
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Highly unusual, a gift and an honor to listen to.
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Justin who? haha This kid has more talent in his little finger than most who are on tour right now. He blows by Justin....someone needs to scoop this kid up now and NOT try to change him.
Lady GaGa should def contact him and sing a duo with him somewhere or record another version.
This kid's talent is vast and only beginning!
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Lady Gaga should just sit down. His voice has more range than hers.
Sign this kid up! He's a musical genius!
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This kid is GR8!!! atually gave me goose bumps lol listening to him AWESOME!!!!!!
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Wow amazing! love the piano his voice gave me chills , he has real talent not just studio magic! cant wait for more!
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amazing in so many ways. i'm looking forward to any new songs. I love "Stars" it's beautiful and i hope Greyson continues to inspire the world.
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love this song!
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when i watched this, my jaw literally dropped! this kids gonna be amazing! :D theres a prodigy rite there!
This kid is AMAZING! He is more than 50X better than Justin Beiber. Greyson Michael Chance should be a household name, not Justin Beiber. This kid is special, he's going to make it big.
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