Chronicling a young superstar’s rise to fame, this account details how Texas teenager Austin Mahone went from anonymous high school student to Billboard charter. Readers learn about the early life of this budding singing sensation; how he got his start covering pop songs and posting them on YouTube, eventually receiving more than 100 million views; and his promising future with Chase Records, who recently signed him to a record deal worth more than $3 million. With full-color photographs and an intimate look at the life of the up-and-coming pop star, this book is the inside source for all self-proclaimed “Mahomies.”
Chronicling a young superstar’s rise to fame, this account details how Texas teenager Austin Mahone went from anonymous high school student to Billboard charter. Readers learn about the early life of this budding singing sensation; how he got his start covering pop songs and posting them on YouTube, eventually receiving more than 100 million views; and his promising future with Chase Records, who recently signed him to a record deal worth more than $3 million. With full-color photographs and an intimate look at the life of the up-and-coming pop star, this book is the inside source for all self-proclaimed “Mahomies.”
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Overview
Chronicling a young superstar’s rise to fame, this account details how Texas teenager Austin Mahone went from anonymous high school student to Billboard charter. Readers learn about the early life of this budding singing sensation; how he got his start covering pop songs and posting them on YouTube, eventually receiving more than 100 million views; and his promising future with Chase Records, who recently signed him to a record deal worth more than $3 million. With full-color photographs and an intimate look at the life of the up-and-coming pop star, this book is the inside source for all self-proclaimed “Mahomies.”
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781600789151 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Triumph Books |
| Publication date: | 07/01/2013 |
| Pages: | 112 |
| Product dimensions: | 8.52(w) x 10.76(h) x 0.32(d) |
| Age Range: | 8 - 12 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Austin Mahone
Startin' Something Spectacular
By Mary Boone
Triumph Books
Copyright © 2013 Triumph Books LLCAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-62368-706-9
CHAPTER 1
From Texas to YouTube and Beyond
He could have played a video game or read a book. Instead, Austin Mahone battled boredom by posting videos of himself online. He and his best friend, Alex Constancio, started posting videos in June 2010: silly skits, lip-synced music videos, ukulele-backed raps, even clips of them dancing to the hip-hop song "Teach Me How to Dougie."
"We started posting videos because we were bored," Austin told Just Jared in early 2013. "We had nothing better to do, so we started to do that as a hobby, and then it kind of just grew."
And grew and grew and grew.
Six months after posting his first videos, Austin began creating videos of himself singing covers of songs by artists including Justin Bieber, Adele, Bruno Mars and Drake. Thanks to social media, his legion of online fans swelled. His YouTube video covering Bieber's hit "Mistletoe" was posted in October 2011 and has since been viewed nearly 13 million times. In November 2011, even before landing a record deal, Austin debuted at No. 38 on Billboard's Social 50, a chart that combines Web presence and sales. He ranked higher than Demi Lovato, 50 Cent and Jennifer Lopez and just behind R&B diva Beyoncé.
Fast forward to spring 2013 – when Austin begins heading his own tour and joins Taylor Swift as the opening act on her RED tour – and it's clear that this Internet sensation has become a bona fide pop idol in less time than it takes some folks to spell S-U-P-E-R-S-T-A-R.
Austin Carter Mahone was born April 4, 1996, in San Antonio, Texas. His father, Carter Mahone, died when Austin was just 16 months old. An only child, he and his mother, Michele Mahone, moved to the tiny town of La Vernia, Texas (population 1,055), when she remarried.
It was during his La Vernia years that Austin started posting his videos – first comedy, then music. He admits music hasn't always been his thing. Austin had a drum set and messed around with it for a while when he was 6 years old; it wasn't until YouTube commenters offered encouragement that he really began to get interested in music. His grandfather gave him a guitar and he started taking lessons. His singing, once limited to the shower, improved as it gained a worldwide following.
Uploading music videos is one thing, but Austin wanted to drive traffic to them.
"I promoted myself on Twitter and Facebook as hard as possible, nonstop," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "People started realizing that if they commented on my videos, I'd reply to their comment, so I started getting a lot more views and comments."
Gurj Bassi, digital director at Universal Music's Republic label, says the fact that Austin has taken the time to respond to fans has likely made a difference in his burgeoning career. "I always try to emphasize this to artists because fans love to have direct contact with the person they idolize, and the Internet makes that possible," said Bassi.
For Austin, that persistence and personal attention has paid off in a big way.
By January 2011, he had 2,000 YouTube fans; a month later, he had attracted 20,000 fans. In March 2011, he was invited to perform at a Playlist.com live concert in Orlando. By May 2013, his YouTube music channel had 802,000 subscribers and his 100-plus videos had attracted a combined 121 million views.
When his mom divorced her second husband, Austin moved back to San Antonio and briefly attended Lady Bird Johnson High School. He'd led a fairly ordinary life up to that point, but it was soon obvious he'd become famous enough that traditional school wasn't going to work any longer. Girls congregated at his locker, students began taking photos of him during class, and boys became resentful and started hassling him. Within five days, Austin and his mother realized that taking online classes at home would be a better option for him.
Austin's Internet fame didn't immediately translate to high-paying record deals and sold out arenas. At first, he played at parties – charging as much as $400 for a 45-minute set – and Skyped with fans for a fee. He sold his own merchandise and performed at PlayList Live, a convention featuring YouTube stars. In late 2012, a Chicago family paid Austin $2,000 to fly in and play at a party. After the performance, the teen singer announced – on very short notice – that he'd meet fans at Chicago's Millennium Park. In what Michelle refers to as a "watershed moment," nearly 1,000 Mahomies (the name he's given his fans) showed up and police had to be summoned to whisk Michelle and Austin away from the riotous crowd.
"That was a turning point," Michelle told The Hollywood Reporter, "when I started to realize that things were getting crazy."
In the fall of 2012, Austin's mom quit her job as a mortgage loan officer to focus on her son's career.
"We've been through a lot, and we've had a lot of faith that we'd get through it," Michelle said. "I always tell Austin not to take any of it for granted because the minute you do, it could be gone. We always talk about that – feeling blessed, because he is blessed."
Michelle read books and learned what she could about the music industry. Before long, though, she realized she needed help – things were simply happening too fast.
Michelle and Austin met with dozens of record label executives, producers, managers and songwriters before finally settling on the Miami-based management team at Chase Entertainment. In September 2012, Chase Records announced a deal with Universal Music to conduct distribution, marketing and radio promotions through Universal Republic. The first artist with an album release on the new imprint? None other than Austin!
A statement by Chase Records founders Rocco Valdes, Michael Blumstein and David Abram said: "We are so excited to join the Universal family. Their resources are second to none, their stable of artists is top notch, and their team of executives, A&R and radio reps are the strongest in the industry. We couldn't have asked for a better support system and are excited to have their resources and support to launch Chase Records and the career of teen phenom, Austin Mahone."
That Austin's star is rising doesn't seem to be much of a surprise to industry insiders.
Former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi told The Hollywood Reporter that, in addition to musical talent, fans are drawn to Austin because of his sincerity and openness. "He knows how to connect," she said. "I think people feel attached to him because he's so genuine. He lets (fans) into his bedroom and talks to them in his videos. He's got their notes on the wall ... It's very much what they're going through at that age. When you see him perform, it's like he's singing to you."
An authentic guy who's not putting on airs, who looks you in the eye when he talks to you, who's funny and cute and can sing – not Auto-tune singing, but real, from-the-heart singing? What's not to like about a guy like that? It appears music fans around the world are about to find out for themselves.
Music's Alive in San Antonio
Austin Mahone's hometown of San Antonio, Texas, is widely noted for its impressive live music scene and vibrant mix of subcultures.
The city plays host to a wide array of musical acts in small neighborhood bars, outdoor pavilions and entertainment complexes. In addition to the Alamodome, the major concert venues in town include the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater and, when the Spurs aren't playing there, downtown's AT&T Center.
Latin American music and dancing is king in San Antonio's Southtown Arts and Entertainment District. Several clubs there swing to a Cuban, Argentinean, Mexican, or Brazilian beat. First Fridays of the month are the main event in Southtown, when shops, restaurants and clubs stay open late, and special arts events are held.
Hang out in San Antonio for any period of time, and you're likely to hear Conjunto and Tejano music.
Conjunto evolved at the end of the 19th century, when South Texas was swept by a wave of German immigrants who brought with them popular polkas and waltzes. These sounds were easily blended into Mexican folk music. Conjunto music often features the accordion and bajo sexto, a 12-string instrument used for rhythmic bass accompaniment.
Tejano (Spanish for "Texan") is a more modern version of conjunto. The accordion and the bajo sexton are prominent instruments in Tejano, but the music also draws from genres including pop, jazz and country. Conjunto and Tejano gained widespread recognition when Hispanic superstar Selena – who was well on her way to crossover success – was murdered in 1995.
Texas' largest single-day arts event, Luminaria, is held each March in San Antonio's historic downtown. The free showcase features all art forms including dance, literature, media, music, performance and visual arts. More than 315,000 people attended performances at eight stages during Luminaria 2013.
"This annual celebration of the arts has become a hallmark event, showcasing San Antonio as a creative and contemporary hub," San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro said in a news release about the festivities.
San Antonio's nurturing arts environment has yielded dozens of nationally known musicians over the years. A few of the most notable:
Christopher Cross This singer-songwriter, born Christopher Charles Geppert, first played with a San Antonio-based cover band named Flash before signing a record deal with Warner Bros. He released his debut album, Christopher Cross, in 1979; it helped him make Grammy history by winning all four general Grammy awards (Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist) in the same year. That album also won a Grammy for best musical arrangement for the single "Sailing." Among Cross' biggest hits are the songs "Ride Like the Wind," "Arthur's Theme" (which won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1981) and "Think of Laura."
Holly Dunn A country artist, Dunn first found fame with her 1986 Top-10 hit "Daddy's Hands." She had more than a dozen singles land on the country music charts, including two No. 1 hits: "Are You Ever Gonna Love Me" and "You Really Had Me Going." Dunn retired from music in 2003 and now works as a painter whose work is exhibited and sold in the southwestern United States.
Emilio Navaira An American musician of Mexican descent, Emilio Navaira III (often referred to simply as "Emilio") performs both country and Tejano music. He has charted 10 singles on Billboard Hot Latin Tracks charts and six singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. Emilio has been called the "Garth Brooks of Tejano." The San Antonio-based singer was awarded a 2008 Latin Grammy award for his album De Nuevo.
George Strait This singer and music producer is often referred to as the "King of Country." He rocketed to success after his first single "Unwound" was a hit in 1981 and quickly became known for his unique blend of western swing and honky-tonk. Strait holds the world record for more No. 1 singles than any other artist in the history of music on any chart or in any genre, having recorded 59 number-one hit singles as of 2012. Strait has sold more than 70 million albums in the United States and his certifications from the RIAA include 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum and 38 gold albums. In the 2000s, he was named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music and was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Ernest Tubb Nicknamed the "Texas Troubadour," Tubb was one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You," helped launch the honky tonk style of music. He recorded duets with the then up-and-coming Loretta Lynn in the early 1960s, including their hit "Sweet Thang." Tubb is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Music, Fame and the Internet
When Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim founded YouTube in 2005, they envisioned it as a simple way to upload and share videos with friends. They hoped others would find the website useful, but they couldn't have imagined how incredibly popular it would become. Consider:
• As of April 2013, more than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month.
• More than 4 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube.
• 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
• In 2011, YouTube had more than 1 trillion views – equal to approximately 140 views for every person on Earth.
The "discovery" of musician Austin Mahone can be attributed to viral YouTube videos of his performances – a story that's led critics and industry insiders to draw comparisons between him and Justin Bieber.
Austin and JB are definitely YouTube success stories, but they're hardly the first celebs to gain fame via online videos. A few others you may want to check out include:
Psy
Park Jae-Sang, the South Korean rapper better known as Psy, had released six albums before gaining international fame thanks to his catchy hit single "Gangnam Style."
Within the first nine months of its July 15, 2012, release on YouTube, "Gangnam Style" had been viewed more than 1.5 billion times. The song reached No. 1 on the iTunes sales chart and is the most viewed video in the history of YouTube. In 2012, Psy signed with Bieber's manager Scooter Braun and his Schoolboy Records.
Alex Day
Described as "one of Britain's most popular YouTubers," Alex Day created his first YouTube channel as a teenager, intent on producing a video podcast to entertain family and friends. He later produced a popular series of humorous videos entitled "Alex Reads Twilight," in which he would read and critically analyze the popular young-adult novel Twilight; those videos have received 14 million views.
A talented musician, Day has since released two studio albums, two EPs and had three UK Top 40 hits. As of April 2013, his YouTube channel, nerimon, had nearly 700,000 subscribers; the official video for his single "Good Morning Sunshine" had been watched almost 1.7 million times.
Ashkon
Born to Iranian immigrants in Northern California, Ashkon is a rapper, singer/songwriter and actor. In 2006, Ashkon jumped onto the Bay Area hip-hop scene with his debut record The Final Breakthrough.
Two years later, he generated a great deal of buzz with his single "Hot Tubbin' (On the Late Night)." The video for the song became a viral sensation on YouTube, receiving approximately 700,000 views to date, thrusting Ashkon into the national spotlight. Ashkon had another huge Internet hit in 2010, when his San Francisco Giants-related "Don't Stop Believing" YouTube video became the official playoff anthem of the San Francisco Giants and to date has nearly 3 million views.
Christina Grimmie
Christina Grimmie was sitting in math class when she got an unusual text from her brother; he said Selena Gomez's stepfather was trying to contact her. Like thousands of other viewers, Brian Teefey saw her cover of Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A." on YouTube. It was only her second video on the site (the first was another Cyrus cover, "I Don't Wanna Be Torn"). But believe it or not, becoming the next big thing wasn't her intention. She told ClevverTV: "It's shocking. I didn't go on YouTube for that. I went on YouTube just to see what would happen and then suddenly things blew up."
And she wasn't exaggerating. With more than 1.5 million subscribers, she became the fourth most subscribed musician on YouTube in May 2012 (as of May 2013, she's closing in on 2 million). She released her debut EP, Find Me, in 2011 along with the hit singles "Advice" and "Liar Liar." She's also toured with Selena Gomez, performed at the American Music Awards and has appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and the Disney Channel's So Random!. She even started her own web series called Power Up: with Christina Grimmie.
Although she still doesn't know how she became so popular, Christina has some simple words of advice for anyone trying to be a YouTube star: be unique and ignore the haters.
breaking onto the music scene
You've got a decent voice, so why haven't you landed a record deal, become a recording artist and headlined your own cross-country concert tour? Why aren't you right there with Austin Mahone, ready to take on the music world?
Because it takes more than just good pipes to make it big.
Singer Joey McIntyre says no recording artist can be successful unless he or she breaks a few rules along the way.
"As a member of the New Kids on the Block, I helped sell 75 million records," he told the Boston Herald. "When I branched out as a solo artist, at first I had to finance my own efforts, because the record companies weren't telling me what I wanted to hear. There are so many levels of bureaucracy you have to navigate through in order to achieve any level of success in the recording industry."
Being at the top of your game is crucial and the way to get there is practice. Alicia Keys is a great example of an artist who made this rule work. She sang backup in numerous bands until she made her breakthrough with her Grammy Award-winning song "Fallin'."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Austin Mahone by Mary Boone. Copyright © 2013 Triumph Books LLC. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
1. From Texas to YouTube and Beyond,2. Making Music,
3. Heir to the Pop Throne?,
4. Are you a Mahomie?,
5. What Does the Future Hold?,