Teddy Geiger

Teddy Geiger^[2][3] (born September 16, 1988^[4]) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer who first gained teen idol status with the song "For You I Will (Confidence)" in 2006.^[5][6] Geiger acted in the television series Love Monkey (2006) and the film The Rocker (2008).

Geiger co-wrote a series of hit songs for Shawn Mendes,^[6] starting with the single "Stitches" in 2015, now certified 8× Platinum,^[7] and including the 7× Platinum "Treat You Better" in 2016.^[8] After transitioning in 2017–2018, Geiger released her third solo album, and continues to compose songs for other artists.

Early life

Geiger was born on September 16, 1988, to John Geiger and Lorilyn Geiger (née Rizzo).^[9][10][11] She has two younger siblings.^[10] Geiger attended the boys school McQuaid Jesuit High School,^[12] and learned how to play piano and guitar. As a child, Geiger composed songs in the basement of the family home;^[13][9] writing on the guitar from the age of eight to entertain schoolmates.^[14]

Career

2004–2008: Teen idol

In July 2004 at the age of 15, Geiger tried out in a singing competition in Los Angeles for a planned VH1 television series reboot of The Partridge Family, the process of which was filmed and aired as its own program: In Search of the Partridge Family. During weeks of rehearsal, Geiger met the unknown teenager Emma Stone who won a spot as Laurie Partridge while Geiger was passed over for the role of Keith which had been played in the 1970s by David Cassidy. The show, The New Partridge Family, never aired, but the experience gave Geiger's career a significant boost: veteran producer Billy Mann saw the potential in Geiger and signed on as artist manager.^[9][15][16]

Also in 2004, Geiger formed the band Faction which played around New York state. The band won a competition in early 2005,^[9] and Geiger gave away the $1000 prize as relief for the survivors of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Mann encouraged Geiger to sign a six-album recording contract with Columbia Records in February 2005, which broke up Faction as a band.^[17][16] As a solo artist, Geiger released the EP Step Ladder in June 2005.^[16] Geiger opened for Hilary Duff's Still Most Wanted Tour from July to September 2005, playing 35 dates across the US in front of thousands.^[14] Geiger continued touring as a solo artist, with a voice described as "raspy" like James Taylor,^[16] or "breathy" like John Mayer.^[17]

Geiger appeared as a recurring character in the short-lived television series Love Monkey, which also featured some of her music. The show debuted in January 2006, but was soon canceled. Geiger's song "For You I Will (Confidence)" was used as Love Monkey's theme music for four episodes, and it was released as the first single of Geiger's upcoming album. A music video was shot for the song, depicting Geiger as a street busker trying to attract a popular girl (played by reality TV actress Kristin Cavallari.)^[18][19] The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 90 in February, rising to a peak of 29 in May, staying on the chart for 20 weeks.^[20] It was certified Gold in March 2006 by the RIAA,^[21] and nominated for Best Love Song at the 2006 Teen Choice Awards in August.^[17]

Geiger's first full-length album, Underage Thinking, was released on March 31, 2006, peaking at number 8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The first single, "For You I Will (Confidence)", preceded the album, and the second single, "These Walls," was released in September. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that the album contained "unabashedly mainstream music, not cool in the slightest", but certainly the equal of "the best adult pop". Erlewine suggested that Geiger would have enjoyed greater uplift in album sales if Love Monkey had not been canceled shortly before the album was released.^[22]

Geiger was marketed as a teen idol, aimed at teenage girls who made up the largest demographic of fans.^[18] Geiger's most loyal fans called themselves "Tedheads" or "Ted-Heads".^[23] Geiger was photographed for a Got Milk? advertisement^[18] which was published in Rolling Stone magazine, with Gieger wearing a "milk mustache" alongside "number 1 fan" Rebecca Eden who won a 2005 photo competition for the privilege.^[24][25] In 2006, Geiger appeared in ads for Secret deodorant,^[18] with Procter & Gamble expressing hope that this would expand sales to teen girls.^[26] At the age of 18, Geiger was featured on the November 2006 cover of Seventeen magazine; Adweek remarked that it was unusual for a "boy" to appear on the cover after years of women being featured.^[27] The Morning Call commented that Geiger's cover feature confirmed that this was Seventeen deciding who was the "hottest guy" in the US, following past appearances by teen idols Leonardo DiCaprio in 1998 and Justin Timberlake in 2002.^[28]

In mid-2007, Geiger participated in the filming of The Rocker, portraying the role of a young musician writing songs in a band. Emma Stone was also in this production; the two struck up a romance which lasted for two years.^[29] The film was a box-office bomb, but Geiger's music was featured in the film along with a cover of the Poison song "Nothin' But a Good Time" with Geiger singing lead.^[30]

Geiger launched a solo tour in June–July 2008 called TG334U North American Concert Tour, with Hilary McRae as the opening act. The tour hit 33 concert venues.^[31] The "TG334U" moniker was an initialism standing for Teddy Geiger [performing] 33 [songs] for you. Geiger fans were asked to vote for their favorite songs which would be assembled to create the next solo album.^[32] The album project was not realized.

2009–2017: Songwriter

In 2009, Columbia released Geiger from her contract and she left the music industry to return home to Rochester for a hiatus. She continued writing songs for other artists.^[18]

Geiger's second album, The Last Fears, was released in 2013 through iTunes and Spotify.^[33] The album involved many peers and collaborators including John Ryan, A Great Big World, Holly Miranda, Theo Katzman, as well as Levon Helm's producer and musical director Larry Campbell.

Geiger began a series of songwriting collaborations for Shawn Mendes, co-writing "Stitches" with Danny Parker in 2014. Mendes joined Geiger and Scott Harris to write "Treat You Better" in 2016. These were followed by "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" in 2017, and the 2018 hits "Lost in Japan", "In My Blood", "Youth" and "Where Were You in the Morning?" Some of the additional popular artists Geiger has written songs for include One Direction, Pink, Maroon 5, and Niall Horan.

2018–present: Producer and musician

After transitioning in 2017–2018, Geiger released her third album, LillyAnna under the name Teddy <3 or teddy❤️, in 2018. The album received notice from New York Times,^[18] Paper,^[34] Billboard,^[35] and Rolling Stone.^[36]

Personal life

Geiger came out as a trans woman in October 2017, and has said that she "knew she was female at 5 years old."^[37][38] She has also said that she intends to keep the name Teddy and use female pronouns.^[38]

She was engaged to Canadian actress Emily Hampshire, but they ended their engagement in June 2019 after seven months.^[39][40][41]

Geiger stated in a 2021 interview that she is bisexual.^[42]

Discography

Albums

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Promotional singles

Other appearances

Songwriting and production credits

Television and movie appearances

References

1. ^ Herbert, Geoff (October 30, 2017). "Teddy Geiger, singer from Upstate NY, announces gender transition". The Post-Standard. Archived April 4, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
2. ^ "Teresa (@teddygeiger) • Instagram photos and videos"
3. ^ "Teddy Geiger Rediscovers Her Voice". MTV. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022.
4. ^ Mahjouri, Shakiel (September 4, 2018). "Teddy Geiger Is Back With 'Body & Soul' Under teddy<3 Moniker". ET Canada. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
5. ^ "Teddy Geiger". GRAMMY.com. May 19, 2020. Archived September 18, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
6. ^ "Teddy Geiger on Her Transition, Co-Writing With Shawn Mendes & 'Freedom'". Billboard. November 2, 2018. Archived November 3, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
7. ^ "Gold & Platinum: Stitches". RIAA. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
8. ^ "Gold & Platinum: Treat You Better". RIAA. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
9. ^ Staff (September 1, 2005). "'Patridge' Tryout Gives Teddy Geiger's Career Wings". The Morning Call. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
10. ^ Bridges, Lorilyn Rizzo. "How Teddy Geiger's mom handled the news that changed everything". Democrat and Chronicle. Archived August 12, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
11. ^ Ryan, Ginny (February 21, 2019). "From teen idol to Grammy nominee: Teddy Geiger's mom opens up about changes". WHAM. Archived October 14, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
12. ^ "Teddy Geiger is 'radio-active'". Catholic Courier. June 4, 2005. Archived January 22, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
13. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Biography: Teddy Geiger". AllMusic. Archived November 10, 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
14. ^ Staff (Winter 2007). "New Kid on the Charts: Teddy Geiger". All Access. No. 13. Yamaha Entertainment Group. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
15. ^ "Watch Emma Stone on 'In Search of The Partridge Family'". Rolling Stone. May 4, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
16. ^ Cullivan, Rob (June 4, 2005). "Teddy Geiger is 'radio-active'". Catholic Courier. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
17. ^ Rich, Lisa (August 3, 2012). "Singer-songwriter Teddy Geiger to perform at Havana". The Times. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
18. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (July 5, 2018). "Teddy Geiger Tried Teen Pop Fame. Now She's Back on Her Own Terms.". The New York Times. Archived April 9, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
19. ^ Pierce, Scott D. (February 7, 2006). "'Laguna Beach' girl aims to 'Get This Party Started'". Deseret News. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
20. ^ "Chart History: Teddy Geiger". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
21. ^ Retrieved November 25, 2025.
22. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Underage Thinking – Teddy Geiger". AllMusic. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
23. ^ Staff (February 23, 2006). "Music News: Teddy Geiger". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
24. ^ "Minutes: MilkPEP Board Meeting – General Session", Palm Springs, California: USDA, January 13–14, 2006
25. ^ "Report to Congress: National Dairy Promotion and Research Program". USDA. July 1, 2008. p. 159.
26. ^ Deutsch, Claudia H. (May 9, 2006). "Trying to Make Teenage Hygiene Hip". The New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
27. ^ Dylan (September 20, 2006). "Seventeen Puts Boy On Cover". Adweek. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
28. ^ Staff (November 4, 2006). "Teddy Geiger models his new teen idol crown". The Morning Call. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
29. ^ Fernandez, Alexia (December 5, 2019). "Everything to Know About Emma Stone's Past Relationships: From Andrew Garfield to Teddy Geiger". People. Yahoo!. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
30. ^ "The Rocker Soundtrack Features Poison Cover". Gears of Rock. gearsofrock.com. August 19, 2008. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
31. ^ Staff (May 28, 2008). "Teddy Geiger's making this summer even hotter!". Seventeen. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
32. ^ Lang, George (August 22, 2008). "Geiger's insight, 'Ted-Heads' give 'The Rocker' career boost". The Oklahoman. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
33. ^ "Hit Songwriter Teddy Geiger Reveals He Is 'Transitioning'". Variety. October 28, 2017. Archived January 22, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
34. ^ Smith-Strickland, Stephanie (November 2, 2018). "Teddy Geiger Is Ready For the World". Paper. Archived April 8, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
35. ^ Daw, Stephan (September 7, 2018). "Teddy Geiger Lays Claim to Her Individuality on New Single 'I Was in a Cult:' Listen". Billboard. Archived April 4, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
36. ^ Geffen, Sasha (March 6, 2019). "Teddy Geiger's Pop Salvation: Shawn Mendes' closest studio collaborator is a Top 40 auteur who sounds like no one but herself". Rolling Stone. Archived May 24, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
37. ^ Nelson, Jeff (October 27, 2017). "Singer, One Direction Songwriter Teddy Geiger Reveals Transition: 'This Is Who I Have Been'". People.com. Archived October 27, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
38. ^ Jackson, Dory (July 6, 2018). "Teddy Geiger says she knew she was a female at 5 years old". Newsweek. Archived July 18, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
39. ^ Dicker, Ron (September 14, 2018). "Teddy Geiger Is Dating Emily Hampshire And They Look Crazy In Love | HuffPost". The Huffington Post. Oath Inc. Archived September 19, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
40. ^ Crabtree, Emily (November 10, 2018). "Teddy Geiger and 'Schitt's Creek' Star Emily Hampshire Are Engaged". Archived November 10, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
41. ^ Curto, Justin. "Teddy Geiger and Emily Hampshire End Engagement After 7 Months: Report". Archived June 11, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
42. ^ Lainez, Shervin (June 24, 2021). "Teddy Geiger Rediscovers Her Voice". MTV. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
43. ^ "Teddy Geiger Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived December 15, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
44. ^ "australian-charts.com – Discography Teddy Geiger". Hung Medien. Archived May 24, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
45. ^ "Albums : Top 100". Jam!. March 26, 2006. Archived from the original on April 5, 2006. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
46. ^ "Teddy Geiger Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
47. ^ "Teddy Geiger Chart History – Adult Pop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
48. ^ "Teddy Geiger Chart History – Pop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
49. ^ "Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes". Qobuz. Archived May 26, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 25, 2018.

External links

• Teddy Geiger at IMDb