Braxton Olita
| Braxton Olita | |
|---|---|
| File:Braxton Olita.JPG
Olita, in Lodz, Poland (November 2011)
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Braxton Olita |
| Born | 17 September 1985 Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Genres | Pop, rock, reggae |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboards acoustic guitar ukulele |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Associated acts | Ashlee Simpson, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Barry Mojo Bradford, Stormi Henley, Chris Brown |
| Website | braxtonsdiary |
Braxton Olita (born September 17, 1985) is an American musician and vocalist. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Olita has worked with artist Ashlee Simpson, rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, and more recently has joined music group U.G.L.Y., signed to Chris Brown's recording label CBE.
Early life
Braxton Olita was born on September 17, 1985, in the city of Honolulu, Hawaii, to Kito and Janice Marie Villarreal Olita. He attended James Campbell School [1] in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, where he is currently living. Olita became interested in music very early. As a child he learned to play the ukulele by listening to Roy Sakuma lessons, a popular Hawaiian teacher. Soon he could easily repeat songs and chords only by hearing them. He got his first acoustic guitar from his uncle. He knew from a very young age he wanted to make a music career. During High School he continued writing his own songs following his mother's advice. As a teenager Olita was also a keen skateboarder, participating in local competitions and was a reporting for skateboarding website 50-50.com. In elementary, Olita would wake up early enough to surf before going to school.[2]
Music career
In 2004 Braxton joined Ashlee Simpson's [1] band as a guitarist. In 2004 and 2005 he took part in two concert tours which were promoting two albums: "Autobiography" and "I am me". He also appeared in such music videos as "La La", "Pieces Of Me", "Shadow", "Boyfriend", "I Am Me", "L.O.V.E" and also in two episodes of "The Ashlee Simpson Show" broadcast by MTV. From 2009 to 2011 Braxton was involved in cooperation with Thirty Seconds to Mars.[3] During a two-year concert tour promoting "This Is War" album, Braxton was playing keyboard and rhythm guitar. On 12 August 2011 he also performed as a Mars crew vocalist, the band which was supporting Thirty Seconds to Mars during their concert in Nuremberg. During all that time, Braxton was working also on his debut album which was supposed to be released soon and also was giving his own acoustic concerts. He has released two music videos for his two songs: "How would you feel" (directed by Justin Potter) and "If it wasn't true" (directed by Aaron McMullen), yet.
In 2012 Olita joined music group U.G.L.Y., signed to Chris Brown's recording label CBE with fellow artists Barry "Mijo" Bradford, Stormi Henley and Ethan.
Personal life
Among all his interests there is also a place for photography. Braxton is an author of many photo sessions for instance for Ray Brady (Ashlee Simpson's guitarist) and "Runner Runner" band. Since 2009 he has been running a photoblog documenting his journeys during concert tour. Braxton is very open to his fans. During his adventure with Thirty Seconds to Mars he could have been easily met on the streets, surrounded by a group of his listeners, playing guitar and singing his songs.
