Who is Charlie Puth? 6 things you need to know
It was the biggest kiss of the night.
Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor heated things up at the American Music Awards on Sunday when they made out after singing their song "Marvin Gaye."
But who was the young man kissing Trainor on stage? Puth is about to become a household name; he's also behind the "Furious 7" theme song by Wiz Khalifa, "See You Again," that's been burning up the charts. Here's what you need to know about the young singer, songwriter and producer.
1. He got his start on YouTube. Like so many young music stars today, Puth, 23, got his start on YouTube. He posted acoustic videos of himself singing covers when he was a teenager. Puth has since deleted his early videos from his channel, but you can still find reposts of the videos by other users on YouTube.
2. Ellen DeGeneres signed him to her record label. Puth's YouTube video cover of Adele's "Someone Like You" made big waves and caught the eye of DeGeneres in 2011. The TV host signed Puth to her label, eleveneleven. Puth has since switched labels to Atlantic Records.
3. There's a reason for his unusual right eyebrow. Did you think Puth's right eyebrow, which is missing a few diagonal lines of hair, was a stylistic choice? The pop singer is no poser: There's a story behind the brow. Puth tweeted that when he was two years old, a dog bit him and left him nearly dead from head trauma. Puth survived, but the incident left his eyebrow permanently scarred.
4. He has formal musical training. Puth wasn't your typical teenager who goofed off at the mall. The singer spent his Saturdays going to the Manhattan School of Music when he was in high school; he was a jazz piano major and classical minor. After high school, Puth attended the acclaimed Berklee School of Music where he was on full scholarship as a music production and engineering major. Puth doesn't just sing; he also writes songs, like Wiz Khalifa's hit "See You Again."
5. He is "just friends" withMeghan Trainor. That kiss at the American Music Awards might have looked real, but Puth assured fans on Twitter that he and "Marvin Gaye" collaborator are just friends. After the awards show, he wrote, "Before it begins...we are just friends." His female fans must be relieved.
6. He's a Jersey boy. Puth is from Rumson, New Jersey, and he has some very talented neighbors. He told the Boston Globe that both Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi live down the street from his family. "My mom knows [Springsteen] pretty well," he said.
