Toby Gad
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| Toby Gad | |
|---|---|
Gad in 2013
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tobias Gad |
| Born | 12 April 1968 [1] Munich, Germany |
| Origin | German |
| Genres | Pop, rock, R&B, dance |
| Occupation(s) | producer, songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Piano, guitar, bass, programming |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Gad Songs/Kite Music |
Tobias “Toby” Gad (born 12 April 1968) is a Los Angeles-based German music producer/songwriter, best known for co-writing "All of Me" and for co-writing and producing "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie and "If I Were a Boy" by Beyonce.[2] Other notable works include Skyscraper for Demi Lovato, "Who You Are" for Jessie J, “Untouched” for The Veronicas, "A Year Without Rain" for Selena Gomez & the Scene, "Don't Hold Your Breath" for Nicole Scherzinger, "Love You More" for JLS, and "I Do" for Colbie Caillat.[citation needed]
In the 3rd quarter of 2014 Toby was ranked the #3 songwriter in America by Billboard (magazine), following up fellow hitmakers Ryan Tedder and Pharrell Williams.[3]
Contents
Biography
Childhood and early musical experience
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Born into a musical family in Munich in 1968, Toby was influenced by both parents who were established figures in the Munich music scene with their group, “The Jazz Kids”.[2] His Danish father is a clarinet player and a pilot. His German mother is a psychotherapist and composer/pianist who tours the UK and Europe with Brian Carrick's jazz band, the Algiers Stompers.
Gad was expected to study banjo and join the "Jazz Kids" but he took to playing the piano instead. At age 7 he and his brother Jens had formed their own band, the “Gad Rollers”, and played original rock'n roll compositions during intermissions of their parents' gigs.
Early career successes
Although too young to get into most clubs at age 13, Toby and Jens were no strangers to the live music scene in Munich. Weekly gigs in bars, concerts in open-air summer festivals and shows in legendary live clubs such as the "Domicile" spread the word, and Munich hit producer Tony Monn showed interest in the brothers. Tony handed over his state-of-the-art recording studio to Toby and Jens whenever he was out of town. Monn's generosity provided a learning environment for Toby and Jens to delve into songwriting and producing.
In 1986, when Frank Farian, a multi-platinum German producer (No Mercy, Boney M, Milli Vanilli,...) was looking for new talent, a mutual friend turned him on to the Gad brothers’ material. The next day the boys flew to Frankfurt and thus started a seven-year collaboration with Frank. One week later they found three of their songs on Milli Vanilli's debut album, which later went multi-platinum.[2]
Farian produced Toby and Jens’ first album Q' as artists', which was followed by a live tour. Funk legend George Clinton would later hear the record and invited Toby and Jens to perform two songs on stage with his P-funk band.[2]
Commercial breakthrough
In 1990, Toby met Mauritian singer Jacqueline Nemorin. This became the beginning of a 10-year collaboration between the two. Together with Farian, Toby produced Nemorin’s first album “The Creole Dance” on BMG.[2]
In 1994, Toby signed on with manager Klaus Frers (Daydream Music Supervizing) and produced Nemorin’s second album for EMI Europe. It was also Klaus who moved the duo into music production for dozens of successful TV shows, commercials and movie soundtracks. Toby and Jacqueline wrote and produced the title-song for the movie Neverending Story III, the music for two popular daily TV talk-shows that stayed on air for four years, and the single "The Magic of the Fall", which went on to win the BDA Gold Award in L.A. for best TV trailer concept. In 1998, Toby was hired by the Spanish producer Rafael Perez to work on Enrique Iglesias’ third album. That same year Toby signed a deal with Joost Van Os, former head of Polygram[2]
Move to New York City
Following much success in his home country, Gad relocated to New York, opening Strawberrybee studio in Midtown Manhattan.[2] The album title song and hit single "Unspoken" of Christian Platinum artist Jaci Velasquez, written by Toby, Madeline Stone and O.Hatch, managed to stay half a year in the Christian Billboard top 20 single charts and was re-released on the Billboard #2 album WOW Greatest Hits 2004.[citation needed]
Meanwhile Toby had several successes back overseas. “Damn I Think I Love You” stayed at #1 for seven weeks and became the most sold single 2001 in the Netherlands. The #1 StarMaker album with two of Toby's songs went triple platinum. Sita’s debut single “Happy" was at #1 for two weeks and remained in the top five for two months. The song was also released in the US on the Wild Thornberries soundtrack, followed by the #1 album of Sita.
Success in America
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. After 3 years in New York without any success, Toby was given the chance to work with MTV host Willa Ford. Their single "A Toast to Men" became a #40 radio single, appearing in the hit movie Barbershop 2.[4]
Gad, with David and William Derella from DAS, worked out a co-publishing deal with Cherrylane Music Publishing and record deals for several of Gad's artists. In August 2005, Interscope Records released Texan teen Kaci Brown's album Instigator, entirely developed, produced and co-written by Gad. R&B group Fatty Koo has an album on Columbia Records on which every song is produced and co-written by Toby. He produced and co-wrote songs on the album of the Australian twins The Veronicas, who scored the biggest US newcomer record deal of the year on Warner Bros. Records/Sire records and went double platinum in Australia.
Meleni and Gad co-wrote the song "Drop it on me" on Ricky Martin's 2005 album Life. Another artist that Toby developed for years, Lola, released her single "No Strings" on Warner Bros. Records/Sobe, which spent 4 months on the Billboard Dance charts, peaking at #2.
In 2006, Gad opened a second studio with five interns, expanding his production company "Strawberrybee Music" and his publishing company "Gad Songs". Toby produced the entire Blue Note records album of Elizabeth Withers, who starred in Broadway musical The Color Purple, and contributed a song on Fergie's platinum selling album The Dutchess. He also collaborated with then 13-year-old Emmy nominated actress/singer Keke Palmer on her 2007 debut album on Atlantic Records and produced a song for the second season of hit Disney sitcom Hannah Montana.
In 2008, Gad and Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry" was Grammy nominated for best female vocal performance and won ASCAP "Song Of The Year". The song twice broke the record for most airplay on US radio and spent a total of 21 weeks in various Billboard US charts at #1, including one week #1 in the Hot 100. Over 87 worldwide compilation albums feature the song. Gad scored his second worldwide #1 hit with Beyoncé's "If I Were a Boy," which Toby produced and co-wrote. "If I Were A Boy" reached #1 in nine countries and hit top-ten in over 20 countries around the world. Toby's third platinum number one hit was the indie-electro pop anthem "Untouched" by Aussie duo The Veronicas. The song sold platinum in the US and reached #1 in Ireland and Mexico.
Move to Los Angeles
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. In summer 2009, Gad relocated his recording studio to Los Angeles. The new studio, located in the Hollywood Hills, features several music production rooms and a video editing room. In Los Angeles, Toby continued collaborating with stars such as American Idol finalists Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta and Jessica Sanchez
In 2009 Toby also launched his own record label, Kite Records, which is a collaboration between Toby, David Sonenberg/DAS Management, and Island Def Jam Music Group as well as Gad Films which features exclusive behind the scenes footage of Toby working in the studio with stars such as Miley Cyrus and The Veronicas. In 2011 Toby co-wrote "All Of Me" for John Legend, which, after three years of dormancy[clarification needed] made its way to #1 on the Top 100 for three weeks and was certified 8 times platinum.
In 2015 he executive produced and co-wrote much of Leona Lewis' fifth studio album, I Am.
Discography
| Year | Artist | Album/Singles | US & UK Album Charts | US & UK Single Charts | Single & Album Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Fancy | Contact
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— | — | — |
| Milli Vanilli | All or Nothing
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— | — | — | |
| 1989 | Q | Q-NRG
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— | — | — |
| 1991 | Los Reyes | "Tarot - Single" | — | — | — |
| 1992 | Nemorin | "The Creole Dance - Single" | — | — | — |
| 1995 | Nemorin | Neverending Story III
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— | — | — |
The Magic of the Fall
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— | — | — | ||
| 1999 | Scatman John | Take Your Time
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— | — | — |
| Bellissima | "Ohh La La - Single" | — | — | — | |
| Enrique Iglesias | Cosas del Amor
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— |
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| 2000 | AOC | "Maybe You're Right - Single" | — | — | — |
| 2001 | Starmaker | Bulletproof
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— | — |
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| 2002 | Sita | Wild Thornberries
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— | — | — |
| 2004 | Willa Ford | Sexysexobsessive | — |
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— |
| Sandy Mölling | "Unexpected" | — |
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— | |
| 2005 | Lola | Take it Like I Give It
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— |
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- |
| Jaci Velasquez | Unspoken
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— | — | |
| Ricky Martin | Life |
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| Nicole Wray | Lovechild
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— | — | — | |
| The Veronicas | The Secret Life Of...
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— |
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| 2006 | Jane Zhang | Jane.Love EP
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— | — |
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| Meleni Smith | Meet Me In the Bathroom
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— | — | — | |
| Kaci Brown | Instigator
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— |
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— | |
| Elisabeth Withers | It Can Happen to Anyone
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— | — | — | |
| Fergie | The Dutchess |
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| 2007 | Keke Palmer | DisneyMania 5
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— | — |
So Uncool
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— | — | ||
| The Veronicas | Hook Me Up
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| Hannah Montana | Original Soundtrack
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"Rockstar"
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| 2008 | Donna Summer | Crayons
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— |
| Beyoncé | I Am... Sasha Fierce |
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| Natasha Bedingfield | Pocket Full of Sunshine
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— |
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| Brandy | Human
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— | — | |
| Camp Rock | Camp Rock soundtrack
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– |
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| Keke Palmer | True Jackson, VP
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— | — | — | |
| 2009 | Ashley Tisdale | Guilty Pleasure
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— | — |
| Sandra | Back To Life
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| Jordin Sparks | Battlefield
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— |
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| Demi Lovato | Here We Go Again
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— |
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| Hannah Montana | Hannah Montana 3
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— |
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| Pixie Lott | Turn It Up
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- |
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| Jessie James | Jessie James
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— | — | |
| Esmee Denters | Outta Here
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— | — | |
| Jessica Jarrell | Armageddon Single
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— | — | — | |
| Allison Iraheta | Just Like You
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— | — | |
| Selena Gomez & the Scene | Kiss & Tell
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— |
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| Kris Allen | Kris Allen
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| Alicia Keys | The Element of Freedom
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— |
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| Robin Thicke | Sex Therapy
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— |
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| BoA | BoA
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| 2010 | Monrose | Ladylike
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| Lee DeWyze | Live It Up
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— | — | |
| Selena Gomez & the Scene | A Year Without Rain
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| Pixie Lott | Turn It Up Louder |
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| Emily Osment | Fight or Flight |
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| Hannah Montana | Hannah Montana Forever
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— | |
| Drake Bell | Unreleased
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| Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam | Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam soundtrack
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— |
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| JLS | Outta This World |
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| Tarja | What Lies Beneath |
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| Jazmine Sullivan | Love Me Back
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| Nadine Coyle | Insatiable
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| Alesha | The Entertainer
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| 2011 | Nicole Scherzinger | Killer Love |
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| Selena Gomez & the Scene | When the Sun Goes Down
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| James Morrison | The Awakening
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One Life
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| Jessie J | Who You Are
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| Ashley Tisdale | Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure
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| Colbie Caillat | All of You
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| Demi Lovato | Unbroken
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Skyscraper
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| Kelly Clarkson | Stronger
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— |
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| Cher Lloyd | Sticks + Stones
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— |
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| One Direction | Up All Night
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— |
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| Pixie Lott | Young Foolish Happy
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— |
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| Big Time Rush (band) | Elevate
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— |
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| Dia Frampton | Red
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| 2012 | Colbie Caillat | Christmas In The Sand
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— | — |
| Kumi Koda | Japonesque
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— | — |
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| Paloma Faith | Fall to Grace
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— |
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| Carly Rae Jepsen | Kiss
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Beautiful (feat. Justin Bieber)
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| One Direction | Take Me Home
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— |
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| JLS | Evolution
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— | — | |
| Casey Abrams | Casey Abrams
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| Kris Allen | Thank You Camellia
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| Tulisa Contostavlos | The Female Boss
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— | — | |
| Bridgit Mendler | Hello My Name Is...
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| Victoria Justice | Girl Up
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| Mandy Capristo | Grace
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| Robin Stjernberg | My Versions
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| 2013 | Marco Mengoni | #prontoacorrere | — | — | — |
| Koda Kumi | Summer Trip
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— | — | — | |
| John Legend | Love in the Future |
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— | |
| Jessica Sanchez | Me, You & the Music
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| Selena Gomez | Stars Dance
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— |
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| Cody Simpson | Surfer's Paradise
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— | — | |
| 2014 | Alex & Sierra | It's About Us
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— | — | — |
| Natalia Jiménez | Creo En Mi (Single)
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— | — | — | |
| Tessanne Chin | Count On My Love
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— | — | — | |
| Foxes | Glorious | — | — | — | |
| Arty | Keep Me Up (Single)
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— | — | — | |
| Heffron Drive | Parallel (single)
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— | — | — | |
| Hilary Duff | Breathe In. Breathe Out.
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— | — | — | |
| The Veronicas | The Veronicas
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— | — | — | |
| 2015 | Leona Lewis | I Am (Also executive producer)
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— | — | — |
| Madonna | Rebel Heart
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— | — | — |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toby Gad. |
Sources
- Official website
- Profile, discogs.com
- Profile, atlasmusicgroup.com
- Profile, idolator.com
- Profile, complex.com
- Profile, imdb.com
- Profile, ascap.com
- Profile, observer.com
- Speaker, ascap2012.sched.org
- Atlantic Music Signs Grammy Award winner Toby Gad, broadwayworld.com
- Toby Gad discography, board.thenext2shine.com
- Toby Gad with new top releases, bmg.com
- Toby Ga/John Legend interview, songwriteruniverse.com
References
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- ↑ Gad V-Blog 12 April 2008 (Veronicas, Sinai, RobFusari, G.Chamb) YouTube; accessed 11 May 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Moore, Jayne "Writer/Producer Toby Gad Has Breakthrough Success, Co-Writing #1 Hit "Big Girls Don't Cry" With Fergie'", 'Songwriters Universe'.
- ↑ Profile, billboard.com; accessed 9 May 2015.
- ↑ "Barbershop 2: Back in Business'", imdb.com; accessed 11 May 2015.
- Pages with reference errors
- Articles with hCards
- Pages using Template:Infobox musical artist with unknown parameters
- Articles with unsourced statements from May 2015
- Wikipedia articles needing clarification from May 2015
- Commons category link is defined as the pagename
- Official website not in Wikidata
- Living people
- 1968 births
- German songwriters
- German emigrants to the United States
- People from Munich
