Singer and songwriter Elle King has not been on the scene for very long, but she has definitely established herself as someone to watch. The singer, who is also an actress, has spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight. However, there are still some things that most people do not know about her. With that in mind, here we present our list of 13 facts you probably didn’t know about Elle King.
Number Thirteen: She Is an Incredibly Flexible Performer
King is very difficult to fit into a single genre, and understandably so. She runs the gamut between jazz and country. For example, “Under the Influence,” is reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, but “America’s Sweetheart,” is much more country.
Number Twelve: She Plays the Banjo
In case you’ve never listened to her music, King can really play the banjo. In fact, her banjo was custom-made for her by the same company endorsed by The Dixie Chicks.
Number Eleven: She Has Major Girl Power
King is just the second female in 20 years who has achieved the number one position on the Billboard alternative chart. Impressive!
Number Ten: She Has Famous Family
King’s dad is the actor and comedian Rob Schneider. King performed with him in his 1999 film, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.
Number Nine: She Has a Great Sense of Humor
For Halloween, King decided to be a Juggalo – one of the fans of Insane Clown Posse who color their faces and dress in a very specific way. She even used the Dubsmash app to sing along to “Look At Me Now” by Busta Rhymes while she was in costume.
Number Eight: She Loves Tattoos
King has tattoos adorning her arms, and she views her body as a canvas. She even has the words “AC/DC” on her arms! She truly is meant to be in the music industry.
Number Seven: Her Songs Have Been Featured All Over
King’s song, “Playing For Keeps,” was actually adapted as the theme song for Mob Wives Chicago. And it was also featured in a commercial for the wildly popular show Mad Men.
Number Six: Elle King Has Collaborated With Some Big Names
In fact, Elle King collaborated with English producer Mark Ronson for her song, “Last Damn Night.” Ronson has worked with other ridiculously famous artists such as Nas and Lily Allen.
Number Five: She Was Inspired by a Crush
It was actually one of King’s crushes who inspired her to begin playing the banjo! King said, “Honestly, I was this really babe guy playing one, and I was like, ‘Can I hold that’?”. She actually held onto the banjo for a year before he asked her to give it back.
Number Four: She Belives in Kindness
King has said that she believes that being kind to absolutely everyone is one of the most important decisions that any budding musician can make. She says, “You have to be nice to everybody, and then people want you to succeed.”
Number Three: She Was Also Inspired by The Donnas
King’s world was opened up when her famous dad, Rob Schneider, bought her a CD by The Donnas when she was young. She then began to see her future as a musician as more of a reality.
Number Two: Elle King Played Her First Show When She Was 16
King was just 16 years old when she played her very first show in New York. She had to use a fake ID to get into the venues that would let her play.
Number One: She Is Closer to Her Stepfather Than She Is to Her Father
Though King has a famous connection to her father, she is actually closer to her stepfather. Her father and mother divorced after two years of marriage; however, her stepfather is extremely supportive of her, and she calls him “Daddy J.”