Kitt Wakeley

Last updated
Kitt Wakeley
Kitt Wakeley - Carnegie 1.jpg
Wakeley performing at Carnegie Hall in 2022
Born
Other namesAudioKaoz
Occupations
  • Composer
  • songwriter
  • musician
  • music producer
Years active1987–present
Awards Grammy
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)
  • Keyboards
  • guitar
  • bass
  • trumpet
Website kittwakeley.com

Kitt Wakeley is an American Grammy Award-winning composer, songwriter, musician, and music producer. [1] His album Symphony of Sinners & Saints (featuring Joe Satriani) peaked at #1 on Billboard 's Classical Crossover and Classical charts, and at #18 on Hot Hard Rock Songs. [2] Singles "Conflicted", "Forgive Me", and "Sinners and Saints" all peaked at #1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Digital Song Sales as well as charting on the Top-10 Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. [3] [4] He has released four studio albums that feature Nuno Bettencourt, Nita Strauss, Kenny Aronoff, Andy Timmons, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the London Voices. [5] [6] [3] [7]

Contents

In 2023, Wakeley's An Adoption Story won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium. [8]

Early life and education

Wakeley was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up in Holdenville, Oklahoma. He earned a bachelor's degree in Pre-Law and Sociology and a Masters in Public Administration from East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, where he was in the Gamma Xi Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau in 1987. [9] [10]

Music career

Wakeley is a composer, songwriter, musician, and music producer whose genres have been classified as rock, hard rock, EDM, and orchestral. His professional career began at age 16 when he was hired to write the intro for one of Oklahoma's top radio DJ's shows. [11] He wrote, produced, and recorded songs for the rock band Mydion. They released one album, Ashes and the Angel. [12]

His first rock and EDM solo album, Cinematic Chaos, was released in 2013 under his pseudonym, AudioKaoz. [11]

His third orchestral rock collection, Midnight in Macedonia (recorded in Skopje, Macedonia), featuring the Macedonian Choir and Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, was released in 2015.

Wakeley released his fourth solo studio album, Symphony of Sinners and Saints, [13] rwhich was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London with the Royal Philharmonic and London Voices. [14] [15] The album tour included shows at Carnegie Hall, [7] the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma, and South by Southwest. [16]

The first three singles from Symphony of Sinners & Saints hit number #1 on Billboard's Rock Charts, with the album itself hitting #1 on Billboard's Crossover Classical and Classical charts.

Throughout his career, Wakeley has received numerous awards for his music. At the 2019 Indie Music Awards he won awards in eight categories, including, Best New Male Artist of the Year, Best Special Live Performance, Best Instrumental Producer, Artist of The Year, and Best Instrumental Songwriter. He won, Song of the Year at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards and two Josie Music Awards in 2020 for, Songwriter of the Year and Producer of the Year. In 2021 he was inducted into the Indie Music Hall of Fame, along with winning Album of the Year for Symphony of Sinners and Saints. [7] [17]

In 2023, Wakeley's album, An Adoption Story, won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium. [1] The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and features Joe Satriani, the London Symphony Orchestra, and Wouter Kellerman. [18] [19]

Selected discography

Billboard charts

YearWorkCategory
Billboard US
2021 Symphony of Sinners & Saints (album) [22] Classical Crossover1
Symphony of Sinners & Saints (album) [23] Classical1
Symphony of Sinners & Saints (album) [24] Hard Rock Albums12
Kitt Wakeley [25] 2021 Year-End Classical Crossover Albums Artists10
"Conflicted" (featuring Joe Satriani (single) [26] Hard Rock Digital Sales1
"Conflicted" (featuring Joe Satriani (single) [27] Hot Hard Rock Songs18
"Forgive Me" (featuring Joe Satriani) (single) [28] Hard Rock Digital Sales1
"Sinners and Saints" (single) [29] Hard Rock Digital Sales1
2022 An Adoption Story (EP) [30] Classical Crossover1

Awards

YearNominated workCategoryAwardResult
2024Let Your Soul Be Your PilotBest Production/Producer [31] Hollywood Independent Music Awards Nominated
2024Let Your Soul Be Your PilotBest Music Production/Producer [32] Josie Music Award Nominated
2023 An Adoption Story Best Classical Compendium [8] Grammy Award Won
2023Best in Music GenreContemporary Classical [33] Hollywood Independent Music Award Nominated
2023 An Adoption Story EP of the Year (Male) [34] Josie Music Award Won
2023The StormBest Instrumental Song [35] Intercontinental Music AwardWon
2023 Stairway to Heaven Best Rock Song [35] Intercontinental Music AwardWon
2022Live and Recorded SoundOutstanding Musical Ensemble [36] Josie Music Award Won
2021You Gave Me WingsBest Instrumental Song [37] Hollywood Music in Media Award Won
2021 Symphony of Sinners & Saints Album of the Year [38] Josie Music Award Won
2021Indie Music Hall of Fame inductee [39] [40] Indie Music Hall of FameWon
2021Forgive MeInstrumental Song of the Year [41] Hollywood Music in Media Award Won
2021Outstanding Stage Production [42] Josie Music Award Won
2020Musician of the Year [43] Josie Music Award Won
2020You Gave Me Wings Best Instrumental [41] Hollywood Music in Media Award Won
2019End of my JourneyBest Gospel Song [41] Hollywood Music in Media Award Won
2019Midnight in MacedoniaAlbum of the Year [44] ISSA (Independent Singer-Songwriter Awards)Won
2019ClosureBest Instrumental Producer [45] Indie Music Channel AwardsWon
2018ClosureBest Instrumental Producer [45] Indie Music Channel AwardsWon
2019An Evening in GothamBest Instrumental Songwriter [45] Indie Music Channel AwardsWon
2019ClosureBest Male Instrumental Artist [45] Indie Music Channel AwardsWon

Personal life

Wakeley is married to Melissa Wakeley. They share four biological children together, and three adoptive children. [46]

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