Biography - Kina Grannis

Who is Kina Grannis?

Kina Grannis is a soulful singer with a voice that gives you Goosebumps! and In a good way! The artist has struggled to make her passion and dream come true. Read on to know the days before she shot to fame.

Kina Grannis – Age, Parents, Siblings

Kina Grannis was born on August 4, 1985, in Mission Viejo, California, United States. Her full name/birth name is Kina Kasuya Grannis. Her father’s name is Gordon Grannis and her mother’s name is Trish Grannis. Gordon worked as a chiropractor and Trish worked as a graphic designer.

Her mother is of Japanese descent while her father has French, English, Irish, Scottish, Dutch, Welsh, German, and Swiss-German ancestry. She is one of the 3 siblings. Her two sisters are Misa and Emi Grannis.

Education, Ethnicity

Grannis attended Viejo Elementary School, and Newhart Middle School, and graduated from Capistrano Valley High School in 2003. She then enrolled at the University Of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. She graduated from the same in the year 2007 summa cum laude in social science with an emphasis on psychology.

When she was a student at the University of Southern California, she was offered to produce an album in Thornton School of Music’s music and music industry departments.

Her ethnicity includes Japanese, French, English, Irish, Scottish, Dutch, Welsh, German, and Swiss.

Kina Grannis – Boyfriend, Husband, Children, Divorce

Kina Grannis and Jesse Epstein, a musical collaborator were high school sweethearts and had met in Capistrano Valley High School and had begun their relationship in 2011. After years of dating, Epstein proposed to her on Valentine's Day in 2013.      

They tied the knot On August 31, 2013, in a small and intimate wedding ceremony in Los Angeles, California attended by close friends and family. Their wedding video footage was featured in her music video My Dear to mark their first wedding anniversary.

In July 2019 she opened up about her struggle with fertility. She became pregnant with their child via IVF and birth to a daughter named Aya Epstein in November 2021.

Also read: Alexandra Shipp - Actress, Singer - starred in Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B 

Kina Grannis – Career

Early Days

In 2006, Kina Grannis released two albums which were recorded and self-released titled One More in the Attic and In Memory of the Singing Bridge. Her song which she recorded in 2007 was featured regularly on the series General Hospital. 

She created her own YouTube channel on November 14, 2007. Her first video is Message from Your Heart and this song entered the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest. She won the contest and was offered a contract with Interscope Records.

Grannis did work with the label to release her album but in January 2009, she left the label to become an independent artist. Over time, her popularity grew and was featured in more and more shows.

Also read:  Maddie Marlow - one half of the duo Maddie & Tae 

Albums

She released albums titled Sincerely, Me (January 12, 2006), One More in The Attic (August 23, 2006), In Memory of the Singing Bridge (August 24, 2006), Stairwells (February 23, 2010, and re-released on April 5, 2011), Elements  (May 6, 2014), In The Waiting (June 29, 2018).

She has also launched world tours. Her first world tour was in 2011, World in Front of Me Tour which was followed by her tour In Your Arms Tour (2011-2012).

In April 2014, she joined a site created by Jack Conte to provide artists a living via direct support called The Patreon.

And by April 2017, Grannis created a record label with the help of her patrons and supporters. With the advice of her supporters, she named the label KG Records. Through KG Records she recorded, produced, and released her own songs.

In Indonesia

On September 14, 2015, Kina Grannis headed to Jakarta, Indonesia on a tour. Unfortunately, due to complications with her work visa, she was detained for 100 days in Indonesia.

During her days there she was told not to make YouTube videos and not talk about her struggles. There she wrote two of her songs California and For Now.

Also read: Liu Yifei - Chinese Actress, Singer, Model

Kina Grannis – Net Worth, Salary

The net worth of Grannis is estimated to be around $3 million while the figure on her annual salary is under review.

Kina Grannis – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

On social media handles such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, Kina Grannis is followed by around a million followers. She also has a YouTube channel and an official website - kinagrannis.com.

Also read: List of singers