Gotye, Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter
Wouter André "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), better known by his stage name Gotye ( GOT-ee-ay), is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is a pronunciation respelling of "Gauthier", the French cognate of his Dutch given name "Wouter".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. Gotye achieved breakout success with his 2011 single "Somebody That I Used to Know", reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming 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). 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."
1980May, 21
Gotye
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Events on 1980
- 26Jan
Egypt
Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations. - 2Feb
United States Congress
Reports surface that the FBI is targeting allegedly corrupt Congressmen in the Abscam operation. - 10Jun
Nelson Mandela
The African National Congress in South Africa publishes a call to fight from their imprisoned leader Nelson Mandela. - 29Jul
Islamic Revolution
Iran adopts a new "holy" flag after the Islamic Revolution. - 9Oct
14th Dalai Lama
Pope John Paul II shakes hands with the Dalai Lama during a private audience in Vatican City.