Brody Ray

Brody Ray was born and raised in small town Kearney, NE where he grew up with 2 sisters. In 2017, Brody made the move the move to Nashville TN where he is working hard everyday to make his dreams become a reality.

Ever since Brody could remember, music has played a major role in his life. Brody learned his first guitar strum pattern from his mother and started taking guitar and cello lessons at age 8. These were only some of the things his parents supported him in doing at such a young age.

Brody’s life started out different from most. Brody, born female, knew that his body didn’t match what he felt on the inside, as young as a toddler. Brody’s mother remembers him kicking the back of her seat in the McDonald’s Drive Thru until he got the boy toy in his happy meal, and jumping around in diapers and cowboy boots with a guitar singing at the top of his lungs, doing all the things boys did.

As Brody got older his love for music grew as well as his desire to become the man he always felt he was on the inside. He worked towards a music business degree at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, but after 3 and a half years, something struck him and he knew that it was time to make some serious changes in his life if he was ever going to be happy. Brody dropped out with a semester left until graduating and started his transition to male and focusing on making his dreams of being a performer a reality. Brody got the top surgery and hormones he needed to complete the male image he had always seen himself having. During this process, TLC got in contact with Brody and they captured some of his most trying times going through this journey to become who he was inside, struggling with relationships, hormones, surgeries and family. Brody’s episode was featured on a show called Strange Sex, on May 8th 2011 and they named his episode “Right Guy, Wrong Body”. You can find his episode still airing on the Oprah Winfrey Network, Discovery Fit and Health, TLC, Netflix and YouTube.

Shortly after the airing of the episode, Brody lost his voice due to his body and voice trying to adjust to the testosterone injections once a week. Brody worked hard daily retraining and trying to recover his singing voice. After two years of dedication, Brody was able to sing again and sound like he's always imagined with a deeper, more fitting voice. He then found the confidence to audition for shows like American Idol and The Voice. Over the last several years, Brody had put together several bands, started writing and recording music with his new, deeper voice that fit him better than ever, giving him the courage to keep auditioning for as many opportunities as he could.

Over the last several years, Brody has traveled to Belgrade, Serbia four times with supportive members of his family, completing 4 separate surgeries and now has the full male image to match the man Brody has always felt he was on the inside. Brody speaks, advocates and educates for the LGBTQ+ community, sharing his stories of transitioning, hormones, surgeries and the struggles and discrimination faced in everyday life. He speaks on College Campuses, for Law Reviews in South Dakota, Counseling Conferences across Nebraska, for TV, local Newspapers and radio stations.

The Nashville recording artist released his first EP worldwide in 2013 called "DETOUR" that has a new Alternative Rock and Pop sound that’s full of life and energy. The EP was written and recorded on Music Row in Nashville, TN and produced by Ben Flanders. 'Detour' can be downloaded on iTunes and streamed on all digital platforms like Spotify.

At the beginning of 2018, Brody auditioned for America's Got Talent, earning a chance to sing in front of the Celebrity judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell. After shocking the judges and crowd with his story of transitioning, he then went on to sing his stunning and moving rendition of "Stand In the Light" by Jordan Smith. Simon commented by saying he was "A force to be reckoned with." His first performance aired on June 26th, 2018, earning him 4 yeses from all of the judges. Brody moved on the the 'Judge Cuts' where he got to perform an original song requested by Simon called "Wake Your Dreams". The episode is on Season 13 and can be found streaming on Netflix and YouTube.

Brody has been traveling and performing all over the US and Canada singing at some of the nation's largest Pride Festivals.

Shortly after the airing of America's Got Talent, Brody was quick to release 3 new singles, 'Wake Your Dreams', 'Stand In the Light' and 'Take It Too Far' with Skyfall Records in Nashville. All of his new music can be found all streaming and digital platforms worldwide.
Subscribe to his YouTube Channel to catch parts 1 & 2 of his TLC episode, live performances, acoustic covers, original music, video footage from his surgeries in Belgrade, Serbia and much more!

Follow Brody on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!