Singer and ‘DWTS’ Contestant Andy Grammer on His Running Routine, Nixing Sugar, and What Keeps Him Feeling Positive

Andy Grammer isn’t just a radio wonder: he’s also a runner and former basketball player who shuns sugar. The “Honey, I’m Good” singer takes the stage of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” tonight. (Photo: Getty Images/Randy Holmes)

Singer/songwriter Andy Grammer is known for positive, toe-tapping hits like the double-platinum single “Honey, I’m Good” and “Keep Your Head Up.” But don’t let his easygoing style fool you: When Grammer steps on the stage of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars tonight, he’s in it to win.

“I’m a super-competitive dude,” he tells Yahoo Health. “I’ll be bummed if I don’t win, which is ridiculous because I have zero training.”

Although Grammer may not have any formal dance experience, his active lifestyle (he runs four to five miles, three times a week) and healthy habits (he gave up sugar in January) may give him a leg up this season. And, as his glass-half-full lyrics would suggest, he’s also approaching the training with a sunny attitude.

“Just showing up every day and staying positive while being so bad at [dancing], that’s really hard,” Grammer says. “I try to really commit to never being cynical. It’s kind of useless if you keep showing up but you’re cynical. You have to show up and still be open to having your full heart on your sleeve every time, when it comes to doing something artistic. That’s difficult, but I think it’s something really noble and valid to strive for.”

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Grammer was born in Los Angeles, the son of children’s musician Red Grammer, and spent his childhood and teens in New York state. Until he picked up a guitar, all he thought about was playing basketball, he says. Grammer moved back to Los Angeles for college, where he started working as a street musician. His 2011 debut self-titled album reached No. 1 on the Billboard “New Artist” chart, and Grammer’s catchy hits, including his new single “Good to Be Alive,” have been a staple on adult pop radio ever since.

When Grammer was offered a chance to be on season 21 of Dancing With the Stars, he jumped at the chance. His mother, who passed away about six years ago, loved dancing, he says. She would watch ballet on public access TV, or Olympic figure skating, and when dance would come on, everyone would have to be quiet, Grammer recalls.

“So for me, going into that studio was something where, more than anything else I’ve done, I’m like, ‘Oh man, my mom would have loved this,’” Grammer says. “I never felt that so strongly before, that this is something my mom would have really have freaked out about and been a part of.”

“I’ve felt close to her throughout this whole process so far,” he adds.

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What does Grammer think about the four-to-six-hour rehearsals with partner Allison Holker? “It’s so hard!” he bellows, laughing. “Oh my god, it’s really hard. I’m glad I did it, but holy cr**, it’s really hard.” Because Grammer was on tour, Holker would fly in to locations all over the country — from Portland, Maine, to Minneapolis, Minnesota — so the pair could practice.

“I’m sore in different places. My lower back is like, ‘What?’” Grammer says of the rehearsals leading up to tonight’s premiere, where he and Holker will perform a foxtrot.

The physical challenge, though, pales in comparison to the mental aspect of training. “I’m an active guy, so I like the idea of being on my feet moving around five or six hours a day. But just mentally trying to remember everything is really hard. It’s not a natural thing [for me],” he says.

So how does he stay upbeat? For Grammer, positivity partly comes naturally, but it’s also something he cultivates. “I love to listen to inspirational stuff, like podcasts of other creative people,” he says. “It’s refreshing hearing other people who you trust and respect go through the struggle.”

Season 21 of Dancing With the Stars premieres tonight on ABC at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. Andy Grammer’s new single, “Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)” is available to download on iTunes.

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