Ryan Star
Star performing in 2013
Star performing in 2013
Background information
Also known asr. star, Ryan Stahr, Master K
Born (1978-01-07) January 7, 1978 (age 46)
OriginDix Hills, New York
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, piano, drums, bass guitar
Years active1992–present
LabelsMaverick, Stone Crow, Burnett, Atlantic, Island
Websitewww.rstar.net

Ryan Stahr Kulchinsky (born January 7, 1978),[1] known professionally as Ryan Star, is an American rock singer-songwriter from Long Island, New York, currently signed on Island Records. His first major label record 11:59, released via Atlantic in 2010, reached No. 31 on Billboard 200 and No. 10 on Billboard Rock albums chart.[2] Star became known to a wider audience as contestant on the CBS reality TV show Rock Star: Supernova in 2006. His songs have featured on several TV shows and promotion. His song "Brand New Day", featured as the main theme to Fox TV series Lie to Me, earned him a BMI TV Music Award in May 2009.[3]

His first single for Island Records, "Stay Awhile" reached No. 28 on Billboard Adult Pop Songs, and its music video has logged over 1 million views on YouTube to date.[4]

"Stay Awhile" was released on iTunes August 14, 2012.[5][6]

Early life

Star was born in Huntington, New York on Long Island, and grew up in nearby Dix Hills. He was 14 years old when he formed his first band called Stage. They released four EPs – "Black" in 1997, "Blue" in 1999, "White" in 2000 and "The Final" in 2004, and in 1995 studio album "Historical Underdosing" and a self-titled album on Maverick Records in 2003. While still in high school, the band played CBGB's and the Mercury Lounge.

When the band parted ways, Star became the solo artist R.Star and released his independently produced debut solo album Songs from the Eye of an Elephant on Stone Crow Records in 2005, some songs of Stage was re-recorded for the album (Perfect, Perfect Time Of Night (Back Of Your Car), "O", Sink Or Swim).[7]

Television

Star was a contestant on the second season of CBS' reality show Rock Star where Tommy Lee's band Supernova was looking for a lead singer to front the supergroup. On the show, Ryan consistently showed his diverse style from melodic and moving piano to rocking, and was nicknamed Ryan "The Darkhorse" Star by show commentator Dave Navarro. He was eventually eliminated, and days later, Mark Burnett, the show's producer, set up Ryan and the show's House Band to record a live album, to help Ryan jump start his career.[8] He returned to the show on week 11 with the help of his fans through SMS voting, to perform an encore performance of "Back of Your Car", and was awarded a Honda CR-V.

Ryan Star appeared on the Rachael Ray show and performed "Breathe" and "Start a Fire" (aired October 6, 2010).[9]

Ryan Star appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and performed "Stay Awhile" (aired August 14, 2012)[10]

Ryan Star and band performed "Stay Awhile" on VH1 Big Morning Buzz (aired September 7, 2012)

Career

Atlantic Records released Last Train Home EP on June 16, 2009, of four songs to appear on Star's album.

The music video for "Breathe", premiered on CNN.com October 21, 2009, highlighted 18 unemployed people in various occupations and the website Ryan Star established breathe4jobs.com to allow potential employers to contact those appearing in the video.[11] VH-1 interviewed Ryan Star on its VH-1 Top 20 show where he spoke of the positive effects of the video for his song "Breathe." One of the people in the video successfully found a job because of the video.[12]

Star's first major label studio album, titled 11:59, was released on August 3, 2010, with a sold-out performance that night at New York City's famed Irving Plaza. The album debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Rock Albums chart, and at No. 31 on Billboard.com.[2]

Ryan Star released a free EP to his fans in January 2012, titled The America EP via Twitter and Facebook. The songs "Orphans" and "Somebody's Son" were initially meant to be released on 11:59. The EP is dedicated to Star's grandfather who fought in World War II.[13]

As Atlantic showed no interest to support his new song,[5] Ryan Star recorded and self-released a music video for "Stay Awhile" in February 2012, getting attention from MTV Buzzworthy as a breakthrough hit.[14] The video has reached over 1 million views on YouTube as of August 2012. The song also charted on Hot AC and Adult Pop Songs charts based on radioplay. Eventually, on August 6, 2012, Star and his management announced via Twitter that he had signed on with a new record label Island Records.[15] Ryan Star said that he made his decision after consulting with Jon Bon Jovi, whose band has been on Island for 30 years. The label's reaction to his song meant a lot to him as well.[5]

His single "Stay Awhile" was released via Island Records August 14, 2012. Ryan and his band made their late night television debut on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on the same day.[5]

Star will release a 5-song EP Animals, recorded with his touring band in Rhinebeck, New York, on August 5, 2013. The single from the EP, "Impossible" is currently streaming exclusively at Billboard.com.[6]

Touring

Ryan has been on the road in support of "Stay Awhile". Recently opening for Andy Grammer, Ryan has previously toured with Parlotones, Bon Jovi, Train, The Script, Rob Thomas, Collective Soul, O.A.R. and David Cook.

Star opened for Bon Jovi on three dates of their Bon Jovi Live tour in March 2011, and for the Goo Goo Dolls during the October–November 2011 stretch of their Something for the Rest of Us Tour.[16][17]

Songwriting

"Last Train Home" was featured on the soundtrack for the movie P.S. I Love You (premiered December 21, 2007)
"This Could Be The Year" was featured on the WWE Survivor Series (aired November 23, 2008)
"Losing Your Memory" was featured on the episode 2x13 "Daddy Issues" of the Vampire Diaries (aired February 3, 2011)
"Brand New Day" was the theme song for the TV series Lie to Me (aired January 21, 2009 – January 31, 2011)
Besides his own music, Ryan Star has songwriting credits[18] on other artists' releases, such as:

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album Peak chart positions
US
[19] 		US Rock[19]
2005 Songs from the Eye of an Elephant 
  • Released: 2005
 — —
2006 Dark Horse – A Live Collection
  • Released: 2006
 — —
2010 11:59
  • Released: August 3, 2010
 31 10
2014 Angels + Animals
  • Released: January 13, 2014
 — —
2015 After the Elephant
  • Released: TBA
 — —
"—" denotes the album did not chart.

EPs

Year Album Peak chart positions
US
Heat
[19] 		US
[19] 		US Rock
[19]
2009 Last Train Home EP
  • Released: June 16, 2009
  • Label: Atlantic
 42 — —
2012 The America EP
  • Released: January 13, 2012 
  • Label: self-released
 — — —
2013 Animals
  • Released: August 5, 2013 
  • Label: self-released
 — — —
"—" denotes the album did not chart.

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions    Album   
US
Adult Top40
[19] 		US
Hot Dance
[19]
2009 "Last Train Home"
  • Released: February 3, 2009
 — — 11:59
"Breathe"
  • Released: August 3, 2009
 15 41
2010 "Start a Fire"
  • Released: September 14, 2010   
 17 —
2012 "Stay Awhile"
  • Released: August 14, 2012 
 28 — Non-album single
2013 "Impossible"
  • Released: July 23, 2013
 — — Angels + Animals
2017 "Don't Give Up"[20]
  • Released: July 25, 2017
 — — Non-album single
"—" denotes the single did not chart.

Music videos

Year Video Album
2008 "Right Now" Last Train Home EP  
2009 "Last Train Home"   
"Breathe" 11:59
2010 "Start a Fire"
2012 "Stay Awhile"

Other appearances

These songs have been released on albums that were not a studio album released by Star.

Year Song Album
2007 "Last Train Home"[21] P.S. I Love You Soundtrack
2009 "Brand New Day"[21] Lie to Me Soundtrack

On December 3, 2010, Ryan Star performed for the 101.9 FM Miracle on State Street in Chicago Illinois, along with Ingrid Michaelson, and Maroon 5.

Songs in other media

Year Title Type Song
2008 Survivor Series (2008) TV pay-per-view special theme song "This Could Be The Year"[22]
2009 CCTV5 News Show: Total Soccer TV new program closing credits "Brand New Day"[23]
Lie to Me TV series theme song "Brand New Day"[24]
Major League Baseball TV sports program: 2009 Playoffs "Breathe"
One Life to Live TV series episode: "No One Ever Said It Would Be This Hard" "We Might Fall"[25]
The Philanthropist TV series promos "Right Now"[26]
2010 All My Children Episode airing July 28, 2010 "Breathe"
The Biggest Loser: Pay It Forward TV series: Week 10 "Breathe"
2011 The Vampire Diaries Episode 2–13 "Daddy Issues" airing March 2, 2011 "Losing Your Memory"
The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business TV series promos "This Could Be The Year"

References

  1. ^ "Ryan Star". Facebook.com.
  2. ^ a b "Billboard Album & Song Chart History, Billboard 200".
  3. ^ "BMI Film & Television Awards Tout Composers of Year's Top Film, Television, & Cable Music" BMI.com. May 21, 2009.
  4. ^ "Billboard Album & Song Chart History, Adult Pop Songs".
  5. ^ a b c d Gamboa, Glenn (August 7, 2012). "Ryan Star signs to Island Records". Newsday. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Ryan Star, 'Impossible': Exclusive Single Premiere". Billboard. July 24, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  7. ^ "2005 Songs from the Eye of an Elephant" Blog entry from June 11, 2010, at rstar.net. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  8. ^ Gamboa, Glenn: "Since 'Supernova', Star's rise is meteoric" Newsday. September 7, 2006.
  9. ^ "Rachael Ray, on the show Oct 6, 2010". October 6, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  10. ^ "Ryan Star on the Tonight Show". The Audio Perv. August 15, 2012.
  11. ^ "Rysn Star's video debut: Breathe premiere on CNN". CNN. October 21, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  12. ^ Nocera, Kate: "Rocker Ryan Star's music video puts jobless in the spotlight" New York Daily News. November 10, 2009.
  13. ^ "The America EP: Ryan Star Determined and Inspired". January 18, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  14. ^ "The Buzz On: Ryan Star". MTV Buzzworthy. March 30, 2012.
  15. ^ "Ryan Star Twitter status". August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  16. ^ Fuoco-Karasinski, Christina (March 14, 2011). "Ryan Star gets a second boost from Bon Jovi". Soundspike.com. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  17. ^ "Goo Goo Dolls Announce Dates With Ryan Star". RockAccess.net. September 24, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  18. ^ "BMI". Archived from the original on January 18, 2013.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g "Billboard Album & Song Chart History for Ryan Star". Billboard.
  20. ^ "Don't Give Up - Single by Ryan Star on Apple Music".
  21. ^ a b "Ryan Star at IMDb.com" IMDb.com Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  22. ^ "Survivor Series 2008 (TV) – Soundtrack" IMDB.com. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  23. ^ "【天下足球十年音乐典藏】【MUSIC OF TOTAL SOCCER IN THE PAST 10 YEARS】 - 影音分享 - AC米兰中文官方网站 - Powered by Discuz!". acmilan.titan24.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  24. ^ "Ryan Star on "Lie To Me"". Atlantic Records. January 28, 2009.
  25. ^ "Ryan Star Track on One Life To Live". Atlantic Records. March 23, 2009.
  26. ^ Nagy, Evie (July 24, 2009). "Exclusive Song: Ryan Star's "Breathe"". Billboard.

External links

Ryan Star
Rock Star: Supernova
Authority control databases: Artists
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