Frank Ocean

He adopted the stage name Frank Ocean, getting the name from Frank Sinatra and the 1960s film Ocean's 11, which Sinatra starred in.

Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper.

His early works are credited by some music critics for pioneering the alternative R&B genre.

Ocean was born Christopher Edwin Breaux on October 28, 1987, in Long Beach, California.

His father is Calvin Edward Cooksey and was a singer and keyboardist, and his mother is Katonya Breaux Riley who later worked as a residential contractor.

He was raised by his mother after his parents divorced when he was six years old.

After graduating from John Ehret High School in Marrero, Louisiana in 2005, Ocean enrolled in the University of New Orleans to study English.

However, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in August 2005, destroying his home and personal recording facility and forcing him to transfer to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

He stayed there for a brief time before dropping out to focus on his music career.

In 2006, Ocean moved to Los Angeles to pursue his music career, working at various fast-food and service jobs to support himself.

In less than three years, he established himself as a songwriter under the name Lonny Breaux, getting the first name 'Lonny' after his grandfather named Lionel, whom Ocean hung out with often in his childhood.

After getting a songwriting deal, Ocean wrote songs for artists including Justin Bieber, Beyonce, John Legend, and Brandy.

Ocean later said of his work at the time, "There was a point where I was composing for other people, and it might have been comfy to continue to do that and enjoy that income stream and the anonymity. But that's not why I moved away from school and away from family."

Soon after, he joined Los Angeles-based hip hop collective Odd Future, whom he had met in 2009.

His friendship with Odd Future member Tyler, the Creator reinvigorated Ocean's songwriting.

In late 2009, he met Tricky Stewart, who helped him sign a writing contract with Def Jam Recordings.

Ocean felt neglected by the label, and began working on a mixtape on his own without their input.

Ocean began his musical career as a ghostwriter, prior to joining the hip hop collective Odd Future in 2010.

The following year, he released his first mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra, and subsequently secured a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings.

Blonde expanded on Ocean's experimental musical approach and ranked first on Pitchfork list of the best albums of the 2010s decade.

It was his first number-one album on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

He died in 2010 and Frank Ocean dedicated a song to him called "There Will Be Tears" on his mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra.

On February 16, 2011, Ocean self-released the resulting mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra online for free.

The mixtape received critical acclaim.

The mixtape focuses on interpersonal relationships, personal reflection and social commentary.

His first studio album, the eclectic Channel Orange (2012), incorporated R&B and soul styles.

At the 2013 Grammy Awards, Channel Orange was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Urban Contemporary Album; one of its singles, "Thinkin Bout You", was nominated for Record of the Year.

He was named by Time as one of the world's most influential people in 2013.

After a four-year hiatus, Ocean released a visual album titled Endless in 2016 to fulfill contractual obligations with Def Jam.

Ocean self-released his second studio album, Blonde, a day after Endless release.

From 2017 onwards, Ocean has released sporadic singles, worked as a photographer for magazines, launched the fashion brand Homer, and started Homer Radio.

Ocean has charted 14 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 over the course of his career.

He also mentioned him on his 2017 single "Lens".

Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist among other accolades, and his two studio albums have been listed on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (2020).

He also had a younger brother named Ryan Breaux who died in a car accident in 2020.

When he was five years old, he and his family relocated to the New Orleans area.

He was raised Christian, including a brief time as a practicing Catholic.

Ocean's grandfather Lionel McGruder Jr. was a father figure for Ocean after his father left the family.

Lionel was a recovering drug addict and later served as a mentor at Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

He would take Ocean to these meetings, which was the inspiration behind Ocean's song "Crack Rock" from Channel Orange. He also gave him the nickname Lonny, which Frank Ocean still uses today.