30 things you didn't know about George Ezra
Get to know the 'Green Green Grass' singer
'Budapest' singer George Ezra has one of the most distinctive voices in music. With songs such as 'Shotgun', and 'Paradise' all reaching the Top 10 of the UK charts, and three Number 1 albums, he's had a lot of success - from his debut album, all the way to his third, 'Gold Rush Kid'.
With 2024 marking 10 years since the release of his debut album 'Wanted On Voyage', his more recent hits include the wonderful 'Anyone For You', 'Green Green Grass' and 'Dance All Over Me'. Gifting us with the 'Gold Rush Edition', and performing at festivals in 2023, it's fair to say the singer had been busy. Here are 30 things you might not know about George Ezra...
1. How old is George Ezra?
He’s a 31-year-old Gemini (7th June, in case you want to send him a card) and is the son of two teachers from Hertfordshire.
2. What is George Ezra's real name?
George Ezra's real name is George Ezra Barnett.
3. He LOVES puzzles
Puzzles are one of his closet pastimes. In between writing songs and prepping for a tour, he discovered the hobby. "The first one was a wildlife night and day desert scene," he told DIY. "I’ve got a few friends locally who lived nearby and they dropped a few off from charity shops. That’s how I got my hands on them." Rock’n’roll baby, rock’n’roll!
4. His first US gig was at Madison Square Garden
George's US gig debut after the success of ‘Budapest’ was at Madison Square Garden in NYC with Sam Smith, so he’s kind of a big deal.
5. He banned himself from social media for TWO YEARS
George has a self-confessed social media problem. He’s all or nothing - which is why he imposed a ban on tweeting and Instagramming for TWO WHOLE YEARS so he could dedicate himself to the music. Don’t panic, he’s back now and you can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Despite returning to social media in 2023, George did take another break from summer of that year. The singer returned to his socials on 2nd July 2024, almost a year after his last post, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his debut album 'Wanted On Voyage'.
In April 2021, he documented a hiking trip with his friends on Instagram. He revealed he would be spending a few months playing guitar, sitting by campfires and doing lots of walking with friends - lovely!
Four weeks into his travels, George announced the exciting news on his Instagram that he would be performing on the Glastonbury global livestream! Sharing a peaceful pic of him, his tent and his guitar, the singer added into his caption: 'And! There is some very exciting Glastonbury news I can now share with you! I’ve been invited to give a guest performance for the Glastonbury global livestream 😍😳
'I’ll be performing a few songs live on the 22nd of May, if you can’t make the live performance there’ll be an encore screening on the 23rd of May!' (sic).
His adventures were then turned into a film called End to End. The film follows George and his friends as they walk the length of the country, starting at Land's End in Cornwall and ending at the most northern point in Scotland.
6. George likes the loungewear vibe
You wanna hang with him? Bring comfy clothes and a face mask. Apparently he loves the loungewear vibe and is a connoisseur in the latter. Cucumber for the eyes, George?
7. He did NOT get on with the dog in the music video for 'Don't Matter Now'
That dog in the music video for 'Don’t Matter Now' wasn’t his biggest fan. Sounds like the feeling was mutual. "The dog had a bloody agent!" George told NME. "The dog was getting more care than I was. And on the second day of filming, it bared its teeth at me! That put me on edge."
8. Who is George Ezra's tour companion?
George has a trusty tour companion to make sure he doesn’t get too diva. His big sis Jess. He told The Guardian: "She lets me do whatever I need to until it’s like, ‘Don’t be a d***.’" Ain’t that what siblings are for?! She also brings tea out to him (THAT'S what siblings are really for).
9. He once visited a nudist beach
The ‘Blame It On Me’ singer trotted down to the beach in Barcelona once to be confronted by a bunch of people trying to sell him tat, so he sought a quiet spot, only to realise he was slap bang in the middle of the nudist bit. "I was getting so many dirty looks, people going, ‘This is our turf.’" If you can’t beat ‘em…
10. What does George Ezra do for charity?
Not only is George Ezra crazy talented, he’s kind too. He dishes out £3 from every gig ticket to the charity MIND because he wants to give some good stuff back. Swoon.
11. What does George Ezra like to eat?
Thinking of taking George for dinner? Don’t bother with anything fancy pants. "(I was) being taken to fancy Asian restaurants where the lights aren’t really on, you can’t see what you’re ordering and it’s £20 for a spring roll!" he told The Guardian. "All I wanted was to catch the last train back to Bristol and get to the pub."
12. His musical abilities showed up early on in life
George sang in cover bands whilst he was at school!
13. Who is George Ezra influenced by?
His folk rock music was influenced by Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie.
14. When did he make his first appearance on stage?
George Ezra made his stage debut at the age of 13, singing the female part of the famous track ‘Teenage Dirtbag’!
15. When did he sign his record deal?
George Ezra signed a record deal with Columbia 12 days after his 19th birthday. That's pretty darn impressive!
16. What was George Ezra's debut album called?
His debut album ‘Wanted on Voyage’ was the third best-selling album of 2014 in the UK. He also hit the Number 1 spot in the UK, as well as a Top 10 in another seven countries.
On 2nd July, George took to Instagram to celebrate the album turning 10-years-old that week.
17. What was his second album called?
George Ezra's second album 'Staying At Tamara's' was named after his Airbnb host. He told us in an interview in 2018 that he is still in touch with his old roomy.
18. Musical talent runs in the family
George’s brother, Ethan Barnett, is also a singer-songwriter and goes by the name ‘Ten Tonnes’.
19. What does 'Petan' mean?
Before his rise to fame, George created the word ‘Petan’, which he used to help him bond with his fans. We've got no idea what it means mind, and it turns out - neither does he. "It's a word I made up, me and my friends," he explained in 2015. "It could be good or bad or anything, it was just a word that... we were 18, we were idiots – but it's kind of lived on."
20. He hosts a successful podcast
George Ezra launched his very own podcast in February 2018. The podcast is called ‘George Ezra & Friends’ and features the likes of Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Elton John and Rag ’n’ Bone Man.
He recorded two series of the podcast and has welcomed guests such as Tom Jones, Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis and One Direction's Niall Horan.
George's podcast has gone from strength to strength since it was launched. In July 2020 it was awarded a Silver British Podcast Award in the Best Entertainment Podcast category, missing out on the Gold to Something Rhymes with Purple.
21. Does George Ezra have any famous fans?
OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder is massive fan of George Ezra's!
22. Where was George Ezra born?
George is originally from Hertford in Hertfordshire, before moving to Bristol in 2011 to study at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM).
23. Is George Ezra married?
No, George Ezra isn't married. According to a source speaking to a national newspaper, George and his long-term girlfriend Florrie - real name Florence Arnold - separated in early 2020.
The pair, who had been dating for three years, first went public with their relationship at the BRIT Awards in February 2019.
24. George Ezra: Awards
George Ezra picked up the award for British Male Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards 2019, he was also nominated for British Album of the Year for 'Staying at Tamara's', and British Single of the Year for 'Shotgun'.
George also won Live Act of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards 2019.
More recently, 2023 saw George nominated for two BRIT Awards (Artist of the Year and Song Of The Year), as well as him taking home the Brits Billion Award from the BPI.
25. What are George Ezra's most popular songs?
George has had a number of very successful songs over the years. His debut hit 'Budapest' reached Number 3 in the UK, whilst in 2018, 'Paradise' reached Number 2. However, it was later that year that 'Shotgun' reached the top spot for the singer.
Check out George Ezra's biggest and most successful songs right here.
26. When did George Ezra release new music?
George released his comeback singles 'Anyone For You', and 'Green Green Grass' in 2022 along with his third album 'Gold Rush Kid' in June of that year.
27. What is George Ezra's net worth?
In November 2022, George was included in heat Rich List. Thanks to his successful albums and a number of tours, George is reportedly worth £15.5 million, up from £14.2 million the year before.
28. Does he have his own documentary?
Yes, George is in a documentary called End to End. The documentary is from the producers of An Idiot Abroad and Oasis:Supersonic and follows George as he makes his way across the UK. The singer walks 1,200 miles in 95 days from Land's End to John O'Groats.
The documentary is available on Prime Video.
29. He changed the lyrics to his song at the Platinum Jubilee
George Ezra was the first artist announced from the incredible line-up of musicians scheduled to perform at the concert for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee on 4th June 2022.
The news was announced in February, with the full line-up announced in May, and at the time George said: "I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to be part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee concert, what an incredible honour to be asked."
At the show, he played his incredible songs 'Shotgun', and 'Green Green Grass', which he omitted the line "on the day that I die" from. It's thought this was done as a mark of respect and he instead just sang: "Green green grass, blue blue sky, you better throw a party" during the chorus.
30. He loves it when people sing along to his songs
George opened up about the biggest 'pinch me' moments of his career backstage at Isle of Wight Festival. In an interview with sister station Absolute Radio, he said: "I remember really clearly the first time playing at a festival and people (were) singing ‘Budapest’ along (with me).
“Things like that you can't put a price on them, and you can't then recreate them - there can only be the first time that happens. Everything that happens between now and then is exciting for different reasons, but it's that first record (2014’s ‘Wanted on Voyage’), I think they're the things that stand out.”
Now take a look through George Ezra's career so far:
Early life
George moved to Bristol in 2011 to study at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. George wasn't the only musical one in his family, his elder sister Jessica accompanies him on tour and his younger brother, Ethan, is a talented singer and songwriter under the stage name Ten Tonnes.
2013: First appearance at Glastonbury
George's music was first played on radio stations in 2012 - and as a result, George got his big moment; he was asked to play the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury 2013.
2014: 'Budapest'
Following the release of George's hit single, 'Budapest' his career really started to take off. The iconic track reached Number 1 in several countries and was nominated for 'British Single of the Year' at the Brit Awards and the MTV VMA's.
2014: Debut album ‘Wanted on Voyage’
George's debut album included hits such as, 'Budapest', 'Blame it on Me' and 'Cassy O' and reached Number 1 in the UK charts.
2015: BRIT Award Nominations
At the 2015 BRIT Awards, George was nominated in four categories: Best British Album, Best British Male Solo Artist, Best British Single, and British Breakthrough Artist as a result of the success of his first album 'Wanted On Voyage.'
2017: Touring and Festivals
After a busy and successful few years George took some time off in 2016, returning to the charts in 2017 with single 'Don't Matter Now' as well as some live performances on a 'secret' tour through April, May and June.
George also went on tour and played a number of festivals in the summer of 2017 including, Sziget, V Festival, Way Out Festival and Lollapalooza.
2018: Second album and 'Shotgun'
George released follow-up album 'Staying at Tamara's' in 2018, featuring singles 'Paradise', 'Pretty Shining People' and 'Hold My Girl' which were all hugely popular among George's fans.
George then dropped 'Shotgun' which went on to become his first Number one song in the UK, Irish and Australian charts and was later awarded platinum certification here in the UK.
Following the success of 'Shotgun' George's second album 'Staying at Tamara's' reached Number One in the UK album charts in May 2018.
George then went on to tour the album and played a number of festivals including headlining the Neighbourhood Weekender.
2019: BRIT Awards and headlining Glastonbury
In 2019, George won 'British Male Solo Artist' at the BRIT Awards following the success of his first two albums and huge hits such as 'Shotgun' and 'Paradise' which dominated radio playlists and became two of the biggest tracks of the year.
George also launched his own podcast series 'George Ezra and Friends', which features conversations between George and his guests. He's previously interviewed the likes of Nile Rodgers, Lewis Capaldi and Ed Sheeran.
George also returned to play Glastonbury Festival in 2019, but this time he played the world-famous Pyramid stage on the Friday evening.
2021: George announces he's performing on the Glastonbury global livestream
In 2021, George announced on his Instagram that he was going on a hiking trip with his friends for a couple of months. Four weeks in, the singer revealed the exciting news that he was going to be performing at Glastonbury's global livestream on Saturday 22nd May.
2022: New single 'Anyone For You'
In January 2022, George revealed that he was making his grand return with a brand new single called 'Anyone For You'.
He released 'Anyone For You' on 28th January.
2022: George Ezra announces third album 'Gold Rush Kid'
On the day George Ezra released his comeback single he also announced his third album 'Gold Rush Kid' would be released in June.
2022: George Ezra performs at Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee concert
George Ezra was one of the many talented artists to perform at the Platinum Party at the Palace in celebration of Her Majesty's 70 year reign.
He took to the stage on 4th June to perform some of his biggest hits including his new song 'Green Green Grass'. He later wrote on Instagram: 'Here's that time we played at Buckingham Palace… won't forget that in a hurry 🎉 What an incredible honour to play at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, thank you for having me x' (sic).
2022: George Ezra headlines at Finsbury Park
George Ezra played the biggest headline show of his career at Finsbury Park in London on Sunday 17th June. He closed the show after performances from the London International Gospel Choir, Mychelle, The Big Moon, Holly Humberstone, Mimi Webb, and Blossoms, with songs from his latest album as well as some of his biggest hits.
2022: George Ezra announces film End to End
George Ezra announced a film called End to End that was shown in cinemas. The film follows the singer's adventure as he walked the length of the country with his best friends to meet musicians and battle the elements.
2023: George Ezra is nominated for two BRIT Awards
George Ezra was nominated for two BRIT Awards in January 2023 - Artist of The Year and Song of The Year for 'Green Green Grass'. Sadly, he lost out on both to Harry Styles!
2024: 10-year anniversary of George's debut album 'Wanted On Voyage'
After staying rather quiet on his socials for over a year, George made his return in July 2024 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his debut album 'Wanted On Voyage'. The album was released on 30th June 2014, and sharing a post on 2nd July 2024, a post on George's Instagram read: 'George's debut album 'Wanted On Voyage' is 10 years old this week! Thank you for the memories.'
Over a decade after the album's release, it is now certified 5x Platinum in the UK, having spawned hit singles such as the 2x Platinum track 'Blame It On Me', and the 5x Platinum certified 'Budapest'. The album hit the Number 1 spot in the UK chart after its release, staying there for an impressive four weeks.
You can hear George Ezra's songs on Clyde 1.
Now read:
Everything you need to know about George Ezra's third studio album 'Gold Rush Kid'
George Ezra drops comeback single 'Anyone For You'
George Ezra's career story so far 🎸