Who was Christina Grimmie? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Christina Victoria Grimmie

Died At Age: 22

Family:

father: Albert Grimmie

mother: Tina Grimmie

siblings: Marcus Grimmie

Born Country: United States

Died Young Pop Singers

Died on: June 10, 2016

place of death: Orlando, Florida, United States

Ancestry: Romanian American, Italian American

Cause of Death: Gunshot Wound

U.S. State: New Jersey

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Childhood & Early Life

Christina Grimmie was born on March 12, 1994, to Tina and Albert Grimmie. Her father worked at ‘Verizon Communications,’ while her mother worked as a receptionist until she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She also had an older brother named Marcus who served as her road manager.

Grimmie, who grew up in Marlton, New Jersey, was brought up a Christian. She attended ‘Bethel Baptist Christian School,’ ‘Marlton Middle School,’ and ‘Cherokee High School.’

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Career

After creating her YouTube channel in 2009, Christina Grimmie started posting videos. She soon gained popularity for her cover of ‘Party in the USA,’ a popular song by Miley Cyrus. Along with Sam Tsui, a fellow YouTuber, she worked on the cover of ‘Just a Dream,’ a song by the popular American rapper Nelly, which earned more than 172 million views. Her popularity increased gradually and by April 2013, she had gained over two million subscribers on her channel.

She released her first extended play ‘Find Me’ in 2011. It was an average success. The same year, she also performed at several significant events, such as the UNICEF charity concert. She also appeared on shows like ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ and the 39th ‘American Music Awards.’

The following year, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her singing career. Soon, she was signed to ‘Creative Artists Agency.’ She starred in the web show ‘Power Up: With Christina Grimmie’ on Disney.com which ran for two months. She also started rehearsing songs for her upcoming studio album.

Her album ‘With Love’ was released in August 2013. With singles, such as ‘Over Overthinking You,’ ‘Make it Work,’ ‘Feelin’ Good,’ and ‘My Anthem,’ the album debuted at number 101 on the ‘US Billboard 200.’

In 2014, she auditioned for the sixth season of ‘The Voice,’ NBC’s popular signing competition, as revealed on her Facebook page. She performed ‘Wrecking Ball,’ a hit song by Miley Cyrus, during the blind auditions. She was selected and her performance throughout the competition was appreciated. Eventually, she finished in third place.

Her second extended play ‘Side A’ was released in February 2016. It consisted of four songs: ‘Snow White,’ ‘Anybody’s You,’ ‘Deception,’ and ‘Without Him.’ It peaked at number 11 on the ‘US Independent Albums’ and at number 171 on the ‘US Billboard 200.’

Christina Grimmie was murdered in June 2016. Her third extended play ‘Side B’ was released posthumously in 2017. Like her previous EP, it also contained four songs: ‘I Only Miss You When I Breathe,’ ‘Invisible,’ ‘The Game,’ and ‘I Won’t Give up.’

Grimmie's family released a posthumous single titled ‘Invisible’ on February 17, 2017. Her first posthumous album ‘All Is Vanity’ released on June 9, 2017. On May 11, 2018, Grimmie's family released another single titled ‘Little Girl’ which Grimmie had written and recorded to support her mother during her battle against breast cancer.

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Major Works

Her first extended play ‘Find Me’ can be regarded as the most significant work in her career. The EP, which was released independently, debuted at number 35 on the ‘US Billboard 200.’ It also debuted at the top ten of the ‘Independent Albums Chart’ in the US. With tracks, such as ‘Ugly,’ ‘Advice,’ ‘King of Thieves,’ and ‘Liar Liar,’ the album peaked at number 11 at the ‘US Digital Albums.’

Christina Grimmie also appeared in an important role in ‘The Matchbreaker,’ a 2016 independent romantic comedy. The film, which was produced and directed by Caleb Vetter, also starred actors like Wesley Elder, Osric Chau, Victoria Jackson, and Tessa Violet. The film is about a man who breaks up relationships of girls at the behest of their disapproving parents. ‘The Matchbreaker’ premiered on October 4, 2016, at 'Arclight Cinema Dome' in Los Angeles. The premiere, which was attended by Grimmie's family and friends, focused on honoring the late performer.

Awards & Achievements

Christina Grimmie won several awards in her career, including the ‘American Music Award’ for ‘New Media Honoree (Female)’ in 2011, iHeartRadio Music Festival’s ‘Macy's iHeartRadio Rising Star’ in 2015, and ‘Teen Choice Award’ for ‘Choice Web Star: Music’ in 2016. She was posthumously honored with Humane Society’s ‘Impact Award’ in 2017.

Personal Life

Christina Grimmie was reportedly single at the time of her death. Apparently, she was not romantically involved with anyone as she was preoccupied with her career.

Murder & Aftermath

On 10 June 2016, Christina Grimmie was signing autographs after a performance in Orlando when she was shot dead by Kevin James Loibl. Before he could be apprehended, Loibl shot himself.

Though the police could not find out why the crime was committed, it was assumed that it was due to Loibi’s extreme obsession with Grimmie.

In the aftermath of her gruesome death, there were demands for better security at performing venues. ‘An Open Letter to Congress: Stop Gun Violence Now’ was published by ‘Billboard.’ It demanded background checks for every gun purchase and an outright ban on sales to people suspected to be terrorists or extremists.

Six months after her murder, a wrongful-death lawsuit was filed by her family against the concert promoter, the foundation that owned the venue, and the security company that oversaw the event. However, it was requested by the venue that the judge dismiss the lawsuit as Florida law does not allow business owners to be held liable for attacks on their property.

Christina Grimmie Biography