Biography

Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and actor. Jonas began acting in theater at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002. He released his eponymous debut album in 2004 to little success, though it did catch the attention of Columbia Records. Jonas opted to form a band with his older brothers, Joe and Kevin, known as the Jonas Brothers. The group released their debut studio album It's About Time through Columbia Records. The record failed to achieve commercial success, thus the group parted ways with their label. Their self-titled second studio album was released through Hollywood Records in 2007, and became their breakthrough record. The band became prominent figures on the Disney Channel during this time, gaining a large following through the network. The band starred in the widely successful film Camp Rock (2008).

The release of the band's third studio album, A Little Bit Longer (2008), helped the band achieve further success; the album's lead single hit the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The release of their fourth studio album saw a decline in sales for the band, though was still fairly successful. Jonas and his brothers starred in the Disney Channel series JONAS in 2009 and 2010, though poor ratings led to its cancellation in 2010. It was later confirmed that the Jonas Brothers would be taking a hiatus, with Nick forming a new band known as Nick Jonas & the Administration. The band released one studio album in 2010, though it failed to achieve much commercial success. Following the release, Jonas opted to focus on work in theater, and also had a recurring role on the television series Smash. The Jonas Brothers briefly reunited in 2013, though officially parted ways due to creative differences.

Jonas decided to return to his solo music career following the band's disbandment, and began work on his second studio album. He signed with Island Records, releasing Nick Jonas (2014) through the label. The album entered the top ten of the Billboard 200, while both of the album's singles entered the top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100. The project was re-released as Nick Jonas X2 in 2015. The release helped provide Jonas with a new public image, earning him the title of a "sex symbol". Jonas later co-founded Safehouse Records, a record label in conjunction with Island Records and Hollywood Records. Jonas released his third studio album, Last Year Was Complicated (2016), through the label. The project became his highest peaking entry as a solo artist on the Billboard 200, while the lead single was a top twenty hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Life and career

1992–2006: Childhood and career beginnings

Jonas was born in Dallas, Texas, the son of Denise (née Miller) and Paul Kevin Jonas. Jonas' father is a songwriter, musician, and former ordained minister at an Assemblies of God church, while his mother is a former sign language teacher and singer. Nick has a younger brother, Frankie, and two older brothers - Joe and Kevin. Jonas was raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey and homeschooled by his mother. Jonas' career started when he was discovered at the age of six in a barber shop, while his mother was getting her hair cut and was referred to a professional show business manager. He began performing on Broadway at the age of seven, portraying characters such as Tiny Tim and Gavroche among other roles. Jonas wrote a song titled "Joy to the World (A Christmas Prayer)" with his father while performing in Beauty and the Beast (2002), featuring background vocals from Jonas' fellow cast members, which was featured on the compilation album Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, Vol. 4. The song was later released through INO Records to Christian Radio in 2003, serving as Jonas' debut single.

The single caught the attention of Columbia Records, leading to Jonas signing with Columbia and INO to release his debut studio effort. "Dear God" (2004) was released as the lead single from the project, followed by a re-recorded version of "Joy to the World (A Christmas Prayer)". Jonas co-wrote songs for the album with his two older brothers, who also provided background vocals for the release. Nicholas Jonas (2004) received a limited release on September 5, 2004. The project was scheduled for a wide release in December, though was pushed back before ultimately being cancelled altogether. The new president of Columbia Records, Steve Greenberg, liked Jonas' voice on the record despite his dislike for the album. Upon hearing the song "Please Be Mine" he decided to sign Jonas and his brothers as a group. After being signed to Columbia, the brothers considered naming their group Sons of Jonas before settling on the name Jonas Brothers.

While working on their debut studio album, the band toured throughout 2005 with artists such as Jump5, Kelly Clarkson, Jesse McCartney, the Backstreet Boys, and The Click Fiveamong others. The band's debut single, "Mandy", was released in December 2005. The album was initially scheduled for a February 2006 release date, though executive changes at Columbia's parent company Sony led to numerous delays on the project's release. It was during this time that the group began making appearances on various Disney Channel related soundtracks, and toured with Aly & AJ throughout 2006. The band's debut album, It's About Time (2006), was released on August 8, 2006. The album received little backing from the label, who had no further interest in promoting the band. During its initial run, the album only received a limited release of 50,000 copies. with how the release of the record was handled, the band hoped to depart from Columbia Records and find a new label; it was later confirmed in 2007 that the group had been dropped by the label. The album went on to sell a total of 1,750,000 copies.

2007–2011: Breakthrough with Jonas Brothers and other projects

Shortly following their departure from Columbia Records, it was confirmed that the Jonas Brothers had signed with Hollywood Records. While working on their new album, the group continued to gain popularity due to soundtrack appearances and promotional appearances. The group released their self-titled second studio album through Hollywood Records on August 7, 2007. The album entered the top five of the Billboard 200 in the United States, going on to sell over two million copies in the country. The group's single "S.O.S" became their first top twenty hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and has sold over 1.5 million copies in the country. Nick and his brothers made their acting debut on an August 17 episode of the Disney series Hannah Montana titled "Me and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas". The band performed the collaboration "We Got the Party" with lead actress Miley Cyrus, with the episode gaining over ten million viewers and became basic cable's most watched series telecast ever. In May 2008, he and the band began starring in their own Disney series Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream.

Jonas made his film debut along with his brothers in the Disney Channel film Camp Rock (2008), starring alongside Demi Lovato. The film's soundtrack was released on July 17, 2008 and sold 188,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States. The movie went on to become a major hit for the network, receiving 8.86 million viewers. The band achieved further success with their third studio album, A Little Bit Longer(2008), which became their first to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart; the project sold over 525,000 in its first week of release. The album went on to sell over two million copies in the United States, making it their second multi-platinum album. A Little Bit Longer remains the band's highest selling effort to date. "Burnin' Up" (2008) served as the album's lead single, becoming the band's first top five hit in the United States. During this time, Jonas was involved in a relationship with Selena Gomez, who appeared in the song's music video. He also dated Miley Cyrus as well, with a rumored "love triangle" among the three gaining media attention.

The band starred in the 3D biopic Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, which received a theatrical release on February 27, 2009. The film was a financial success, and is the sixth highest-grossing concert film. Jonas starred with all three of his brothers their second Disney Channel series, JONAS, which made its debut on May 2, 2009. The show's sophomore season aired under the name Jonas L.A.. The band released their fourth studio album, titled Lines, Vines and Trying Times, on June 16, 2009. The project debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200, boasting first week sales of 247,000 copies. The album failed to match the heights of their previous efforts, failing to sell one million copies in the United States.

Following the release of their fourth studio album, the Jonas Brothers confirmed that they would be taking a hiatus to focus on solo projects. While Joe chose to record a solo record, Nick opted to form the band Nick Jonas & the Administration, signing with Hollywood Records to release the project. The band's debut single achieved minor success in the United States, though their first studio album was seen as a commercial failure. On June 21, Jonas made his West End debut performing in Les Misérables for the second time, this time as the role of Marius Pontmercy. Jonas was originally supposed to play the role for only three weeks, but was able to extend his run until July 24, 2010, because of changes in the Jonas Brothers touring schedule. He also appeared in the 25th Anniversary Concert at The O2 Arena on October 3, 2010, again playing the role of Marius Pontmercy. From August 5–7, Jonas performed in the musical Hairspray as Link Larkin at the Hollywood Bowl. Jonas starred in the sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam(2010), which was a commercial success. Jonas later appeared in the 2011 series Mr. Sunshine; he played Eli White, an up-and-coming singer who wants everything his way before he performs at the Sunshine Center. He also plays the role of Ryan on the sitcom Last Man Standing.

2012–2015: Jonas Brothers split and return to solo career

Jonas guest starred on an episode of Smash as Lyle West, a young musician and television star backing a promising Broadway musical; Jonas would later reprise the role in the show's season finale on May 14. Nick had a cameo appearance in the last episode of the second season of the comedy web series Submissions Only. Jonas was to perform in the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as J. Pierrepont Finch from January 24 to July 1, 2012. Despite this, the musical ended its run on May 20. Jonas recorded five songs for the project, which was released as an extended play in 2012. The Jonas Brothers confirmed in March that work had begun on their fifth studio album. The band officially parted ways with Hollywood Records in May 2012; they purchased the rights to all of their music from the label. Despite claims that Jonas would be signing on as a judge for the twelfth season of the singing competition American Idol, Jonas opted to appear as a mentor with Demi Lovato on The X Factor. Jonas made guest appearances on the television series Married to Jonas, starring his older brother Kevin and his wife. The television show also documented their return to music, and the process of working on their fifth album.

The Jonas Brothers released their new single, "Pom Poms" (2013), on April 2 through their own record label. The music video for the song was filmed in February 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana and premiered on E! on April 2, 2013. Nick was the co-host of the Miss USA 2013 competition on NBC; Jonas and his brothers performed during the event. The band released "First Time" as the second single from their forthcoming album. The band cancelled their highly anticipated tour in October only days before it was set to begin, citing a "deep rift within the band" over "creative differences", leading to speculation that the band would be parting ways. The brothers officially confirmed on October 29 that the band had split up for good. The split led to the cancellation of their comeback album, though Nick confirmed that some of the songs recorded for the project would become available for fans through an upcoming release; the band released a live album featuring five songs from their unreleased fifth studio album. Jonas guest starred as a computer hacker on an episode of Hawaii Five-0.

With the Jonas Brothers officially broken up, Jonas began working on material for his second studio album. He worked as the musical and creative director on Demi Lovato's Neon Lights Tour (2014), overseeing video content, wardrobe, lighting and staging, and song arrangement. He joined Lovato on stage for select shows of the concert, performing three of her songs with her. Jonas went on to appear in two more episodes of Hawaii Five-O, and was cast in a starring role as Nate Henderson in the drama series Kingdom. The series premiered on DirecTV's Audience Network, and was renewed for two more seasons only two weeks later. Jonas made his return to music with the release of "Chains" (2014), the lead single to his second studio album. The single failed to achieve success after its release. "Jealous" (2014) was later released as the album's second single, going on to become Jonas' first top ten hit as a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100.

Jonas released his second studio album, Nick Jonas (2014), though Island Records on November 10. The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, selling over 37,000 copies in its first week of release. Following the success of "Jealous" and the album, "Chains" was re-released as the next single from the album. The single achieved commercial success, reaching the top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming his second multi platinum single. Jonas served as a guest mentor for Christina Aguilera on the eighth season of The Voice. He also starred in the film Careful What You Wish For (2015), which he filmed in 2013. Jonas formed the "artist-centric" Safehouse Records alongside Demi Lovato and Phil McIntyre, in conjunction with Island and Hollywood Records. Jonas released a new single, "Levels" (2015), through the label as the lead single to the re-released version of his debut album, Nick Jonas X2 (2015). Jonas had a recurring role as Boone Clemens in the comedy horror series Scream Queens; he is credited for five episodes of the first season.

2016–present: Continued solo success

Work on Jonas' third studio album began as early as 2014, prior to the release of Nick Jonas (2014). The album was initially set to be titled Unhinged, though was changed to Last Year Was Complicated prior to its release. "Close" (2016), a collaboration with Tove Lo, was released as the album's lead single. The project was a commercial success, reaching the top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming his third top ten hit on the Mainstream Top 40 chart. Last Year Was Complicated was released on June 10 to a generally positive reception. The album sold a total of 66,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, entering the Billboard 200 chart at number two. This marks his highest peaking effort as a solo artist to date. "Bacon" (2016) has been serviced as the second single from the album. Nick's contributions as a songwriter led to him receiving the honor of the Hal David Starlight Award in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Jonas embarked on the co-headlining Future Now Tour (2016) alongside Demi Lovato on June 29, and continued on the tour until the tour's final concert on September 17. Jonas also starred in the drama film Goat (2016) alongside James Franco; released on September 23. He participated in rap battle with Kevin Hart on October 27.

Jonas announced the release of a new single entitled "Remember I Told You" on Instagram, which was released on May 26, 2017. It features British singer-songwriter Anne-Marieand American singer and producer Mike Posner.

Public image

During the early stages of their career, the Jonas Brothers were seen as role models and teen idols by their fans, and drew much media attention when they made the decision to begin wearing purity rings during their time on the Disney Channel. Though he has stated that the rings helped "shape view of sex", Nick felt his faith became more about his personal relationship with God. He claimed in 2016 that all of the youth at their church had been asked to wear them, thus he didn't have a "full understanding" of what the ring meant. Jonas has more recently earned the title of a sex symbol following a string of provocative photo shoots. Jonas has often rejected the title, claiming "I don't really consider myself . If someone wants to give me that title, that's fine, but I don't say these words about myself. I just try to be humble, make sexy music and push the envelope a little bit."

Jonas was featured on OK!'s list of 2014's Sexiest Men Alive, while his photo shoot for Flaunt was listed on their Most Memorable Naked Moments list. He was ranked at number ten on People's Sexiest Men Alive list in 2015. He was ranked in sixth place on Capital FM's list of Sexist Men in Pop during 2016. Jonas' new public image has led to him receiving a large fan following in the LGBT community, a fact he claims to be "thrilled" about. Some of Jonas' interviews and comments have drew criticism as being "gay pandering", though Jonas had denied these claims.

Jonas was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of thirteen and uses an insulin pump to help him manage his condition. He has developed the Change for the Children Foundation. Partnering with five different charities, their goal is to raise money and awareness for diabetes. He also developed a public service announcement with the Washington Nationals to support diabetes care at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Since August 6, 2008, Bayer Diabetes Care has partnered with Jonas as a diabetes ambassador to promote the idea for young people to manage their diabetes. Jonas testified in the U.S. Senate to promote more research funding for the condition. In 2010, Nick further volunteered his efforts for Do Something by offering his time as a prize to teens who donated jeans to Do Something and Aeropostale's "Teens for Jeans" campaign. Further, Nick filmed another PSA, this one in support of Do Something's "Battle of the Bands" campaign, for the advancement of music education in schools. Nick is also a member of the National Youth Leadership Committee for the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration, along with Jordin Sparks, Genevieve Ryan, and Brodi Conover.

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