Gotye
Wouter André "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), known professionally as Gotye (/ˈɡɒtiːeɪ/ GOT-ee-ay), is an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His 2011 single "Somebody That I Used to Know", reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the best-selling song of 2012. This made him the fifth Australian-based artist to top the chart and the second born in Belgium (after The Singing Nun in 1963).
Gotye | |
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Gotye at the 2012 APRA Music Awards | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wouter André De Backer |
| Also known as | Wally De Backer |
| Born | 21 May 1980 Bruges, Belgium |
| Origin | Melbourne, Australia |
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| Years active | 2001–present |
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| Member of | The Basics |
| Website | gotye |
He has won five ARIA Awards and received a nomination for an MTV EMA for Best Asia and Pacific Act. On 10 February 2013, he won three Grammy Awards at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards Show: Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Somebody That I Used to Know" and Best Alternative Music Album for Making Mirrors. Gotye has said he sometimes feels "less of a musician, more of a tinkerer."
Gotye has released three studio albums independently and one album featuring remixes of tracks from his first two albums. He is a founding member of the Melbourne indie-pop trio The Basics, who have independently released four studio albums and numerous other titles since 2002. His voice has been compared to those of Peter Gabriel and Sting.