Edis Görgülü (born 28 November 1990) is a Turkish singer and songwriter. He was born in London and raised in İzmir.
While studying at high school and university, he passed music lessons. After enrolling in Galatasaray University Communication Faculty, he settled in Istanbul and immediately tried to contact various people to make an album, but he did not succeed. Meanwhile, he started acting and had roles in TV series Dinle Sevgili (2011–12) and Hayatımın Rolü (2012). In the years that he pursued a career in acting, he got an offer from his manager to make an album.
After releasing numerous singles, Edis released his first studio album Ân in March 2018. His first single "Benim Ol", which was released in March 2014, was a successful hit and ranked number two on Türkçe Top 20. His subsequent singles "Dudak" (2016) and "Çok Çok" (2017) also ranked number two on the charts followed by "Roman", which became a number-one hit. Music critics have praised Edis's style. To this day he has won numerous awards, including a Turkey Music Award, and has received various nominations.
Life and career
1990–2013: Early years and career beginnings
Edis Görgülü was born on 28 November 1990 in London, England. Prior to his birth, his parents had moved to London to work and finish their studies. His mother worked in a café while his father got a job in BBC Radio. While Edis was two years old, his parents decided to bring him up in Turkey and moved to İzmir. Edis took piano lessons at the age of four. After learning piano, he started to sing as well. He subsequently attended İzmir Özel Tevfik Fikret High School. In 2007 he got involved in a project on behalf of his school to promote İzmir as a candidate for Expo 2015. He then became a soloist in İzmir Kent Orchestra. He later told his family that he wanted to become a musician, but they told him that he needed to finish his studies first. After getting enrolled in Galatasaray University Communication Faculty, he settled in Istanbul. Meanwhile, he got a place in Istanbul University State Conservatory and pursued his studies there as well. As he was unable to handle studying at two schools, he left Istanbul University. In Istanbul he tried to contact various people to help him make an album, but he did not succeed. Eventually he started to work with acting agencies. In 2011–12, he portrayed the character of Barış in Fox TV's series Dinle Sevgili, followed by another role in 2012 as Uygar in Star TV's series Hayatımın Rolü. During his acting years, he went to a club with his friend and while he was singing to a song during a karaoke, he caught the attention of his manager and friends. The manager subsequently offered him to work on a new album. Through his manager Şebnem Özberk, he met with Kenan Doğulu for the first time and recorded various demos. He then met Ozan Çolakoğlu and Soner Sarıkabadayı.
2014–present: Singles and Ân
After meeting Ozan Çolakoğlu and Soner Sarıkabadayı, Edis signed a contract with PDND Müzik to work on an album. He then listened to numerous songs prepared by Çolakoğlu and Sarıkabadayı. Eventually "Benim Ol" was chosen as Edis's first single. Edis himself wrote the lyrics for "Benim Ol", and the single was released on 1 December 2014 by PDND Müzik. Hepsi member Cemre Kemer appeared in the music video for "Benim Ol". The song was played in Turkey's radio and television and ranked number two on Türkçe Top 20 for three weeks. Edis appeared as a guest on 3 Adam, Güldür Güldür Show and İşte Benim Stilim to promote his new song and later performed at the opening ceremony of the 42nd Golden Butterfly Awards. From 30 March to 6 April 2015 Edis was the most searched name on Google in Turkey. Edis's performances, songs and dance style were praised by the critics. Ali Tufan Koç of Hürriyet called Edis the "sought fresh blood" in music industry.