Singer songwriter David Gray was born in June 1968 in Sale, near Manchester. At the age of 9, he moved to the small coastal town of Solva, in Pembrokeshire, Wales, attended the Carmarthenshire College of Art, and then the University of Liverpool.

Gray released his first studio album, "A Century Ends" in 1993, and his second, "Flesh", in 1994 - with both entirely composed of acoustic folk music, they lead to an increasing popularity in the folk-rock genre, but didn't achieve notable commercial success. 1996's third album, "Sell, Sell, Sell" saw a change of direction, mixing folk with alternative rock and electronics. However, the album didn't chart, despite the single "Late Night Radio" receiving some UK radio airplay. It wasn't until 1998's "White Ladder" that worldwide fame arrived, his fourth album and one that included the songs "This Year's Love", "Please Forgive Me" and "Babylon (which got to number 5 in the UK in August 2000, and remains his biggest UK hit to date). In August 2001, "White Ladder" finally reached the top of the UK Album chart (helped by a remixed and edited version of "Babylon"), it had been selling steadily since its reissue the previous May, thus setting a new record for the longest uninterrupted climb to number 1. In Ireland, "White Ladder" remains the biggest-selling album ever, and in the US, it received a boost from jam band leader Dave Matthews, who made it the first release by ATO Records, the record company he co-founded.
2001 also saw the release of 2 compilations of Gray's early work, complete with some unreleased material, the EPs "1992-1994" and "Lost Songs 95-98", both of which followed "White Ladder" into the UK Album chart Top 20.

November 2002 saw the release of "A New Day at Midnight", which despite generating the popularity of it's predecessor, still went straight in at number 1, selling nearly 15,000 copies in its first week. It went on to reach platinum status within a year and was the second biggest selling album by a UK artist in 2002. It also produced 2 UK Top 30 hits, "The Other Side" and "Be Mine" and a minor US hit, "Dead in the Water".

After a 3 year break during which Gray decreased his recording and touring commitments due to exhaustion, seventh album "Life In Slow Motion" was offered in September 2005, another number 1 in the UK Album chart in its first week of release. Lead single "The One I Love" was a Top 10 hit in the UK, spending 3 months in the UK chart.

In March 2007, Gray released the compilation album "Shine: The Best of the Early Years", and in October 2007 he released a compilation CD of live covers entitled "A Thousand Miles Behind" exclusively through his official website via CD and digital download. Furthermore, a "Greatest Hits" album came out in November 2007, including 2 new songs, one of which being lead single "You're the World to Me."

The band "Venus in Furs" (named after the Velvet Underground song whose title and lyrics in turn reference a novel of that name by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch) was formed in 1998 for the film "Velvet Goldmine". Gray provided vocals in the band which also included Radioheads' Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, Andy Mackay of Roxy Music, Bernard Butler of Suede and Paul Kimble.