Biography

Along with his band Maroon 5, singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor Adam Levine became a global superstar, issuing a string of platinum-certified albums and number one singles centered around his distinctive tenor croon and occasional falsetto. In addition to the group's multi-platinum 2002 debut Songs About Jane and chart-topping sets such as 2007's It Won't Be Soon Before Long and 2014's V, Levine also made a mark as a solo vocalist, starting most notably with Kanye West on the rapper's 2005 single "Heard 'Em Say." He went on to secure hits with Gym Class Heroes (2011's "Stereo Hearts"), 50 Cent (2012's "My Life"), and R. City (2015's "Locked Away"). While Maroon 5 maintained their hold on the top of the U.S. charts through the 2010s and beyond, the multi-hyphenate also continued his solo ventures, famously beaming into living rooms across the U.S. on the television singing competition The Voice, where he served as a coach from 2011 to 2019. Born on March 18, 1979, in Los Angeles, he began playing music with junior-high friends guitarist Jesse Carmichael and bassist Mickey Madden under the influence of groups like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. After the final 1994 addition of Ryan Dusick on drums, the alternative rock band Kara's Flowers were born. The quartet scored a record deal with Reprise, released one lackluster effort, and was released from its contract all in a matter of years. Following the termination of its deal, the band went on hiatus and Levine headed to New York with Carmichael to attend Five Towns College on Long Island. While there, he was exposed to a whole new music scene and absorbed new influences like hip-hop, soul, gospel, and R&B that changed Levine's whole perspective on songwriting, even altering the way he sang, helping to push him from a deeper, grunge-inspired delivery to a higher and more expressive one. Levine and Carmichael dropped out of school after a semester and headed back to California rejuvenated and inspired to add a new groove-based element to their band's rock template. Hooking back up with the rest of the Kara's Flowers guys, Levine began writing a bunch of songs that were directly inspired by a recently failed relationship, which was imploding as the band was entering the studio to record. After adding new guitarist James Valentine (moving Carmichael over to keyboards) and scoring a new deal with Octone Records, the newly christened Maroon 5 were officially up and running; their debut album, the aptly titled Songs About Jane, was soon completed. Released in June 2002, the smash hit sold steadily over the next couple of years and was eventually certified multi-platinum in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. From there, Maroon 5 scored multiple global hit singles, won a handful of Grammy Awards, and became one of the most visible American acts overseas with the help of songs such as 2011's diamond-certified "Moves Like Jagger." The timing of that track's release coincided with the debut season of The Voice, uniting coaches Levine and Christina Aguilera on the blockbuster track. Away from Maroon 5, Levine's own star grew increasingly more visible than his bandmates and he balanced those duties with acting roles (American Horror Story, Popstar) and high-profile collaborations with artists such as Kanye West, Natasha Bedingfield, Gym Class Heroes, the Lonely Island, R. City, Laith Al-Saadi, Big Boi, Jason Derulo, and many more. He also recorded solo tracks such as "Lost Stars" from the film Begin Again and "Good Mood" from the Paw Patrol movie. ~ Neil Z. Yeung & Corey Apar, Rovi