Former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres certainly had an eye for talent! Before the comedian’s talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, met its untimely end, Ellen had taken several child prodigies under her wing, providing resources and a platform for them to showcase and grow their incredible talents. One such prodigy was Greyson Chance, who became an internet sensation at the tender age of twelve after his stellar rendition of Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi was captured on video and posted online.
Barely a week later, Chance’s mom received the call that would have her son make his first ever appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. So, what really happened to the 12-year-old musical prodigy after his debut appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show?
8 Greyson Chance Signed With Ellen DeGeneres’ Recording Label
Greyson Chance’s debut appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended with Ellen gifting him $10,000 and a new piano. The 64-year-old talk show host also signed Chance to her record label, Eleveneleven, granting him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to realize his dreams of stardom.
“We just couldn’t believe what was happening,” Chance disclosed in a recent interview with RollingStone. “We were so unsure of what we were getting into, and the person that helped cure all of that skepticism and chaotic energy was Ellen.”
7 Greyson Chance Released His Debut Album Shortly After Appearing On Ellen
After signing with her record label, Ellen equipped Greyson Chance with high-profile managers, a publicist, and a brand agent. The 64-year-old comedian also helped Chance secure a booking agent deal with WME.
Under Ellen’s keen tutelage, Chance released a mini EP and was touring in Canada, Paris, London, and across the United States in less than a year.
6 Greyson Chance Had A Terrible Experience Working With Ellen
Despite believing in his talent enough to sign him to her record label, Ellen was allegedly anything but kind to Greyson Chance. In his interview with RollingStone, Chance claimed that he had “never met someone more manipulative, more self-centered, and more blatantly opportunistic than [Ellen].”
“She would come in and look at a rack, yell at stylists, berate people in front of me,” he revealed. “She was just degrading to people.”
5 Greyson Chance’s Debut Album Underperformed
After a particularly impressive two-year run, Greyson Chance’s career hit the rocks in 2012. Despite Ellen's domineering influence, the tween’s debut album, Truth Be Told: Part One, performed below expectations.
According to a US Weekly source, Ellen’s menacing mentorship style had nothing to do with this development. “Ellen and the team went above and beyond and sometimes careers just don’t take off.”
4 Greyson Chance Felt Completely Abandoned By Ellen
Following Truth Be Told: Part One’s dismal performance, Chance was dropped from Ellen’s recording label and his team disbanded. Although Chance continued to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the years that followed, the once domineering Ellen seemingly lost all interest in him.
“I couldn’t get ahold of her. Couldn’t talk to her,” Chance revealed to RollingStone. “Whenever I would come on the show, it was such a fake smile. She wouldn’t even ask, ‘How are you doing? How are you holding up?’ It was just like, ‘Here’s what we’re going to talk about. We’ll see you on there.’”
3 Greyson Chance Briefly Retired From Music
After his time at Eleveneleven came to an unprecedented end, Greyson Chance decided to return to Oklahoma, where he continued to work on his music. However, after releasing the EP Somewhere Over My Head in 2016, Chance decided to retire from music and pursue a college education.
In his interview with RollingStone, Chance confessed, “[Retiring from music] was me going, ‘You could have had an amazing artist on your hands, but f*ck this. I’m not going to do this anymore. I’m quitting.’“
2 Greyson Chance Revived His Music Career After Joining College
Despite his decision to retire, Greyson Chance’s love for music persisted. The 25-year-old ultimately found himself unable to resist making music once again.
“It was only through that retirement process where I realized that it’s not on them anymore,” he told RollingStone. “‘This is on you. This is your life. This is your career. What do you want to do with it?”
1 Greyson Chance Has Released Two Albums Since Parting Ways With Ellen DeGeneres
After a three-year hiatus, Greyson Chance released his second album, Portraits, which went on to become a monumental success. The 25-year-old recently released his third album, Palladium, which he claims is centered on “protecting your instinct, your heart, [and] your soul.”
Chance reflected on these post-Ellen successes in his interview with RollingStone. “As much as I would like to say that I could’ve made this album without my past, I just don’t think that’s true," he said. "I just need to be more honest with myself moving forward because I think that’s how I become better from all of this.”