Elliot John Gleave (born 20 June 1982), known professionally as Example, is an English singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He released his debut studio album, What We Made, in 2007, followed by the mixtape What We Almost Made in 2008. Example first found success in 2010 with the release of his second studio album, Won't Go Quietly, which peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK Dance Chart. The album had two top 10 singles, "Won't Go Quietly" and "Kickstarts".
Example's third studio album, Playing in the Shadows, was released in September 2011 and topped the charts with two number one singles, "Changed the Way You Kiss Me" and "Stay Awake". His fourth studio album, The Evolution of Man, was released in November 2012 and peaked at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK Dance Chart.
In 2013, Example released the lead single from his next album, entitled "All the Wrong Places", which peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. The following year, he released the single "Kids Again", which also peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. His fifth studio album, Live Life Living, was released in July 2014.
Example was born as Elliot John Gleave in West London Hospital in Hammersmith. In a 2012 interview with The Guardian, he was stated to have Asperger syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder. He said "I was diagnosed with Asperger's when I was younger. I was amazing with numbers, I had a photographic memory, and I hated reading fiction, preferring books on nature and history. All symptoms of mild autism." He referenced this in the opening track to his fourth album The Evolution of Man, "Come Taste the Rainbow". He has a younger sister, named Elise. He later went on to attend ADT College (now Ashcroft Technology Academy) in Putney. Example has claimed in interviews that the main reason he started rapping was due to his introduction to hip-hop through albums by Wu-Tang Clan and Snoop Dogg – the latter's album purchased primarily for "the cool cover art", and to the fact that he was not particularly good at any sports, so started rapping to fit in socially. His first experience of rapping was through a rap battle at a house party in Shepherd's Bush in 1994, when he was 12 years old. In that battle, he, in his own words, "completely destroyed a useless wanker and a fight broke out so (he) sprinted home". He got his stage name Example from a school friend, after his initials E. G.
Gleave went on to study BA Media Arts at Royal Holloway, University of London, graduating in 2004. It was during this period that he met Joseph Gardner, AKA Rusher, the producer whom he would go on to work with during his time releasing tracks independently through his All The Chats imprint, and later on Mike Skinner's label The Beats. Gleave and Gardner made a concept album in the audio booth of the university film department; this concept album contained the track which would go on to be Example's first white-label vinyl release, "A Pointless Song".
He returned to the UK and became a voiceover artist and editor for the Paramount Comedy Channel (now Comedy Central), also working as an editor at MTV Networks.
2004–2008: Record deal and What We Made
After releasing three singles through his own label "All The Chats", including the original 7" version of "I Don't Want To" in January 2006, Example received attention from Pete Tong, Zane Lowe and others at Radio 1.
After signing a deal in April 2006 with The Beats, Example put out a response to Lily Allen's number one hit "Smile" entitled "Vile" and received Radio 1 airplay from Zane Lowe, Jo Whiley and Chris Moyles. His first 'proper' release on The Beats was "What We Made" in November 2006, the video for which was filmed in Chernobyl, Ukraine (see below).
Example's second official Beats single entitled "You Can't Rap" was released in March 2007, followed by a re-release of "I Don't Want To" on 11 June 2007. "I Don't Want To" was followed by the single "So Many Roads" (famously sampling The Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun") which eventually turned out to be the opening track on Example's full-length studio debut. After the demise of The Beats label at the end of 2007 Example self-released his next single "Me + Mandy" on 10 March 2008 through his original imprint All The Chats. The video for "Me + Mandy" was shot over four days and nights in London, in over 30 locations with over 40 extras. This was done at a cost of just £1000. It was directed by Example's friend Henry Scholfield who also made the promos for "Who Needs Sunshine?", "Vile", "You Can't Rap" and "I Don't Want To".
In February 2008, Example also tried his hand at stand-up comedy as part of BBC2's The Culture Show. Mentored by English comic Richard Herring, Example spent six weeks writing and practicing his own stand-up routine which culminated in his first ever stand-up show in front of 60 paying customers in a Covent Garden pub. A week later he appeared on the bill under Richard Herring, Phill Jupitus and Harry Hill at the Lyric Hammersmith – Example had performed in the same venue ten years earlier whilst a student at ADT College.
2009–2010: Commercial breakout with Won't Go Quietly
Example made his first chart appearance in September 2009, when he released "Watch the Sun Come Up" as the lead single from his second album Won't Go Quietly through Data Records. The single debuted at number 20 on the UK singles chart, rising to number 19 the following week. The single was followed by a release of "Won't Go Quietly", released on 18 January 2010. The single debuted at number six in the United Kingdom, marking Example's first appearance within the top 10. It also peaked 36 in Ireland. The announcement was then made in April 2010 that the second album Won't Go Quietly would be released on 21 June 2010 and would be preceded by the single "Kickstarts". Receiving its radio debut on 13 April by then-BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, the song was produced by Sub Focus. "Kickstarts" was released on 20 June, where it debuted at number three. Released the following week, the album Won't Go Quietly debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart. On 12 September, Example released "Last Ones Standing" as the fourth cut from the album, where it reached a peak of number 27 in the United Kingdom and 37 in Ireland. On 14 November 2010, he released the final single off the album "Two Lives", though it only peaked at 84 on the UK Singles Chart. On the other hand, it was able to peak at number 10 position on the UK Dance Chart. In May 2010, he made a Collab with Ed Sheeran in a song about Nandos. The video gained 5.6 million views on YouTube and as a result of this Ed Sheeran got a Nando's black card.
2011–2012: Playing in the Shadows
In June 2011, Example released his first single from his third album, "Changed the Way You Kiss Me" where it debuted at number one in the UK. The song also charted in many European countries and Australia, where it was also certified Platinum. The second song of the album "Stay Awake", which was produced by Nero, was debuted on 1 July 2011 on BBC Radio 1 by Annie Mac. It was released in August, and also debuted at number one. His third single "Midnight Run" was released in December 2011 and reached number 30 in the UK Singles Chart.
In September 2011, his third studio album was released. Playing in the Shadows debuted at number one in the UK albums chart and also charted in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.
2012–2013: The Evolution of Man
Example confirmed he was to have a track he wrote for The Wanted to be featured on their debut US album, The Wanted. The song is called "Chasing The Sun". The track was released as a single in April 2012 in USA and May 2012 in the United Kingdom, featuring remixes from Hardwell and Tantrum Desire and peaking at number two in the UK Singles Chart, and receiving worldwide recognition.