Just a collage of Caleb Grimm!
Caleb with his younger sister Charis.
With Jamie Grace
On November 5, 2013, Caleb proposed to Kelsey Sowards of 1 Girl Nation.
Their wedding will take place in July 2014. To watch the engagement, click
here.
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Born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Caleb Andrew Grimm describes himself as passionate, loyal, and driven. His favorite Bible verse, which he says is tough to beat, is Philippians 4:13 which reads, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”
He was nicknamed “Cabe” by his family, and “Grimmy” by his high school peers. As a boy, Caleb looked up to his brothers, Scott and Micah, and wanted to be like them (and still does). As a kid, Grimm enjoyed a number of things. His favorite pastime was playing with Legos. He also collected just about everything—stamps, rocks, baseball cards, etc. Caleb says that with his personality he gets on “kicks.” He explained this by saying that “like for a month I’ll be super into history…or marvel superheroes…and I’ll get off of it…”
Through all of those phases in his life, Caleb recalls always having two passions—music and football. Grimm loved to watch football with his brothers and dad. In fact, sometimes he would almost hope that the game would go into overtime so that the experience wouldn’t end. He played the game for five years, up until 8th grade. At that time he said that all of his friends were getting “really tall and buff,” and that he wasn’t “getting so tall or buff.” He took that sign as God telling him to “do music for a living and not so much the football thing.” His favorite teams are the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma Sooners.
Music was something he appreciated from a young age as well. Caleb remembers singing in his bedroom, the shower, or at church. That’s why he says that his first time in a recording studio was “a fulfillment of a dream.” His greatest musical influences were Gavin DeGraw, Justin Timberlake, Jody McBrayer, Billy Joel, and my brother Scott Grimm. Grimm, in retrospect, says that he imitated Justin Timberlake when singing as a youngster. He always secretly dreamed of singing with Kelly Clarkson and would love to work together with Max Martin or David Foster. The first album he could remember purchasing was Avalon’s “In a Different Light.” Caleb says he probably listened to it “a hundred times.”
Grimm still appreciates sports, and continues to be a fan of the Cowboys and Sooners. He also likes the NBA, but doesn’t have a favorite team. He avidly plays fantasy football, took first place in his family’s league, and says that Chad Graham is a really good FF player.
When it comes to young men, we know that the way to their heart is though their stomach. Guys consider eating a very big deal. Caleb enjoys cereal (usually flakes of some sort) a lot, and firmly believes that it should be eaten any time of the day…not just in the mornings. His all-time favorite drink is Diet Dr. Pepper, which he calls “the best drink ever,” and loves coffee as well. Popcorn that has to be with real or theater butter is a snack he enjoys late at night. It might just be the perfect thing while watching his preferred TV show, Friends, or one of the many movies he likes. He prefers movies over TV and cannot watch series out of order.
Caleb says his biggest strength besides singing is that he is a committed person. He’s one that has to do it well or not at all. If he wasn’t a part of Anthem Lights, Grimm says he’d probably be doing music in some other form, and, if not, he’d be a writer. He recalls the best advice from his parents as what his mom used to say to him when he left the house when he was younger, “Remember who you are and remember WHOSE you are.” He says he still thinks “about those words all the time.”
Grimm realizes that while there may be pressures from fans on what he should look, sound, or be like, all he has to be is who God made him to be. Caleb wishes he would’ve known this five years ago. He says, “I only have to be good at being me. I don't need to act/look/sound like anyone else, because God has made me a distinct individual with different gifts and talents. Once I realized that, I didn't have to measure myself by others and things started to come easier for me.”
Resources:
Caleb Grimm Q&A
About Caleb Grimm (YouTube Video)
