Rufus Wainwright

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Image:Rufus Wainwright.jpg Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born 22 July, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter. He is the son of musicians Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. Since 1998, he has recorded four albums of original music and several EPs.

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Biography

Image:Rufuswainwrightchild.jpg Wainwright was born in Rhinebeck, New York, USA, to folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle (they divorced while he was a child). He began to play the piano at age six, and by age thirteen he was touring with his sister Martha, mother Kate, and aunt Anna as the "McGarrigle Sisters and Family." His song "I'm Running," which he performed in the movie Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller, and in which he also played a minor character, was nominated for the 1988 Genie Award for Best Original Song and earned him a nomination for the 1990 Juno Award for Most Promising Male Vocalist.

He lived in Montreal with his mother for most of his childhood and briefly attended McGill University, where he studied both classical and 'rock' piano. Some of his songs feature his mastery of French. Wainwright still maintains a residence in Canada.

He came out as gay while still a teen. In the November 11 1999 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, Rufus said that his father recognized his being gay at a very young age. "We'd drive around in the car, he'd play "Heart of Glass", and I'd sort of mouth the words, pretend to be Blondie. Just a sign of many other things to come as well."[1]

Wainwright became interested in opera throughout his adolescent years (for instance, his track Barcelona features lyrics of Giuseppe Verdi). He also became an enthusiast of such performers as Édith Piaf, Al Jolson and Judy Garland.

After having been a fixture on the Montreal club circuit, Wainwright cut a series of demo tapes, one of which found itself in the hands of DreamWorks executive Lenny Waronker. The label signed him and he released the self-titled Rufus Wainwright album in the spring of 1998. This album received much critical acclaim in Canada, and was recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the best albums of the year. Wainwright's second album, Poses (2001), brought similar acclaim.

Wainwright's first main exposure to the American public came as an opener to singer Tori Amos in 2001 and 2002. He garnered praise for his performance and began touring as a main act shortly afterwards. He has frequently toured as the opener for Sting and co-headlined with Ben Folds and Guster in the summer of 2004. He still often performs with his sister Martha Wainwright (now herself an emerging artist) on backup vocals. Despite a growing cult following and critical acclaim, Wainwright has experienced only marginal commercial success in the United States. Image:Rufus Wainwright piano.jpg In addition to being a pianist, Wainwright is a guitarist, often switching between the two instruments when performing live; however, his mastery of the guitar does not approach his talent with the piano within the Piano rock genre. While some of his most moving songs feature just Wainwright with his piano, many of his songs display complex layering and harmonies, occasionally comprising hundreds of individual parts. Wainwright is an avid opera fan, and the influences on his music are evident, as well as his love of Schubert's 'Lieder'; his music has been described as "Popera" (Pop Opera) or "Baroque Pop." His lyrics are filled with allusions to opera, literature, pop culture, geography, and, more recently, politics (in songs such as "Gay Messiah" and "Waiting for a Dream").

Wainwright is a recovering crystal meth addict and a rape survivor; he uses the press to bring awareness to these societal problems.

His talent has been widely recognized and praised by such artists as Elton John, Morrissey, John Mayer, and Sting, and he continues to influence artists like Keane, Alanis Morissette, and Scissor Sisters.

Wainwright's most recent album to date, Want Two, from which four songs were released as the EP Waiting for a Want, was released by DreamWorks/Geffen on November 16, 2004. It is a companion to the 2003 release Want One. His latest, a live iTunes Sessions EP entitled "Alright Already", was released March 15, 2005. A DVD entitled "All I Want," featuring a biographical documentary, music videos, and live performances, was released on both sides of the Atlantic in summer 2005. The same year was also notable for two major contributions as solo vocalist to a pair of important records: the Mercury Prize winning Antony and the Johnsons' I am a Bird Now and Burt Bacharach's At This Time.

The pair of Want albums was repackaged as Want for a late November 2005 release to coincide with the start of a British tour. The version of Want One is that which contains the two extra songs "Es Mus Sein" and "Velvet Curtain Rag". The Want (Want One and Want Two combined) package in the UK has two new extra tracks: "Chelsea Hotel No. 2" and "In with the Ladies", which replace "Coeur de Parisienne — Reprise d'Arletty" and "Quand Vous Mourez de Nos Amours" from 2004's augmented edition.

As well as Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller, Wainwright has appeared in the films The Aviator and Heights. Rufus has music in the film Brokeback Mountain, for which he recorded "The Maker Makes" and "King of the Road" with close family friend Teddy Thompson. He also has music in the movie I am Sam where he sings the Beatles' "Across the Universe" Rufus is managed by Barry Taylor and Paula Quijano, and his publicist is Barbara Charone.

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Themes

Wainwright's music contains several persistent themes, which have continued to evolve across his entire body of work. Many of his songs contain passing references to homosexuality and gay innuendos. This can be seen quintessentially in "Harvester of Hearts." He describes many points along the emotional path of falling in love, from initial infatuation to a fleeting glance ("Foolish Love") to outright love ("Go or Go Ahead"), and casually suggests that the object of his affection is also male.

Symbolically, Wainwright seems repeatedly fascinated by images of trains and distant geography ("Oh, What a World!" and "April Fools.")

Perhaps the most subtle theme evident in his music is constant reference to and reference with religious imagery, which perhaps culminated in Want Two with both "Agnus Dei" and "Gay Messiah." He utilizes at least one religious image in virtually all his songs ("The Greek Song") but only occasionally writes explicitly about religious ideas ("Agnus Dei.")

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Discography

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Albums

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Contributions

  • "A Place In Your Heart" from Love Over and Over by Kate and Anna McGarrigle- Guest vocalist (1983)
  • "I'm Running" - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller (1989)
  • "I'm Losing You" from Hearbeats Accelerating by Kate and Anna McGarrigle- Guest vocalist (1990)
  • "Better Times Are Coming" from Songs From the Civil War (Columbia) - co-lead vocalist with Kate and Anna McGarrigle and backing vocalist on "Hard Times Come Again No More." (1991)
  • "Le Roi D'Ys" and "On the Banks of the Wabash" - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture The Myth of Fingerprints (1997)
  • "La Song" - from Whoever by Cecil Seaskull - Guest vocalist (1998)
  • "Schooldays", "What'll I Do?", "Heartburn", "Talk to Me of Mendocino", "Goodnight Sweetheart" - Co-lead vocalist; also background vocals on various other tracks. - The McGarrigle Hour (1998)
  • "Talk To Me Of Mendicino" - from Gzowski in Compilation - Guest co-vocalist with Kate McGarrigle and Martha Wainwright (1999)
  • "April Fools" from Live at the World Café Vol. 9 - live and acoustic version - Lead vocalist and composer (1999)
  • "Instant Pleasure" - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture Big Daddy (1999, Sony) Lead vocalist
  • "You Don't Know" - from Dirty White Town by Shoofly - Guest vocalist (1999)
  • "So Easy" - from Teddy Thompson by Lead vocalist and composer - Teddy Thompson- Guest vocalist. Co-wrote "Missing Children" and arranged harmony vocal for "Brink of Love" from same album. (2000)
  • "Those Were the Days" - from Do You Hear What We Hear? by Kiki and Herb (2000) Co-lead vocalist
  • "Complainte de la Butte" - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture Moulin Rouge! (2001, Interscope) Lead vocalist
  • "Hallelujah" - Soundtrack to the Showtime Original Series The L Word (2004, Tommy Boy) Lead vocalist
  • "Hallelujah" - Soundtrack to Shrek (2001) Lead vocalist
  • "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture Zoolander (2001, Hollywood Records) Lead vocalist
  • "Three Angels" and "Mistletoe" from Jordi Rosen-Madame Xavier (2001) Vocalist
  • "American Triangle" - backing vocals - track from Elton John's album "Songs From The West Coast" 2001, Universal Records
  • "Wake Up In New-York" - track from Craig Armstrong's album As if to nothing (2002, Melankolic Records)
  • "Sonnet 29 - When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes.." - from When Love Speaks an album of poetry recitals (2002) EMI Classics)
  • "Across the Universe" - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture I Am Sam (2002, V2/BMG)Lead vocalist
  • "More Wine" - from Restless Night by Julianna Raye - vocal duet with JR, also co-written. (2002)
  • "Scarecrow" - from & by Kristian Hoffman - duet with KH (2002)
  • "All I See" - from Fashionably Late by Linda Thompson Guest vocalist (2002)
  • "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" - Live version from Live at the World Café - Handcrafted Lead vocalist and composer. (2002)
  • "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" - Live version from 107.1 KGSR Radio Austin Broadcasts Vol 10. (2002) Lead vocalist and composer.
  • * "California" - Live version from WYEP Live and Direct Volume 4 On Air Performances (2002) Lead vocalist and composer
  • “Beauty Mark” from WFUV- City Folk Live VII - performed live in studio (03/09) Lead vocalist and composer (2003)
  • "It's Only a Paper Moon" and "I Wonder What Became of Me" - Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen (2003, Sony)
  • "The Origin of Love" - Wig in a Box - Songs from and inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2003, Off Records)
  • "Spotlight on Christmas" from Maybe This Christmas Too (Compilation) - Lead vocalist and composer(2003)
  • "Au Fond du Temple Saint" - An aria from Georges Bizet's opera "Les Pêcheurs de Perles" - duet with David Byrne from the album Grown Backwards (2004, Nonesuch)
  • "I Eat Dinner (when the hunger's gone)" (with Dido) - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004, Geffen Records)
  • "I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise" - Soundtrack to the Motion Picture The Aviator (2004, Sony)
  • "Those Were The Days" - from Will Die For You by Kiki and Herb (live at Carnegie Hall) Co-vocalist (2004)
  • "What Can I Do?" - Lead vocals on this track from Antony and the Johnsons' I Am A Bird Now (2005, Rough Trade)
  • "Don't Forget" and "The Maker" from Martha Wainwright by Martha Wainwright backing vocalist; arranged vocals on "Don't Forget" (2005)
  • "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" - from the album If I Were You by Jason Hart - Co-lead vocalist (August 2005)
  • "Go Ask Shakespeare" - Solo vocalist on this song from Burt Bacharach 's At This Time album (October 2005, Bmg)
  • "Spotlight On Christmas" "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"- Solo vocalist on these songs from The McGarrigle Christmas Hour (Nonsuch,December 2005)
  • "King Of The Road" (duet with Teddy Thompson) and "The Maker Makes" (solo vocalist and composer)- Soundtrack from the Motion Picture Brokeback Mountain (2005, Verve)
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Awards and nominations

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Juno Awards

  • 1990 - Nominated, Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year
  • 1999 - Won, Best Alternative Album, Rufus Wainwright
  • 2000 - Nominated, Best Songwriter; "Poses," "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk," and "Grey Gardens"
  • 2002 - Won, Best Alternative Album, Poses
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Genie Awards

  • 1989 - Won, Best Original Song, "I'm A Runnin'"
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Other

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External links

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References

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