Born in Chapel Hill, N.C. in 1946, Loudon Wainwright III came to fame when ‘Dead Skunk’ became a Top 20 hit in 1972. He had studied acting at Carnegie-Mellon University, but dropped out to partake in the Summer of Love in San Francisco, and wrote his first song in 1968 (‘Edgar’, about a lobsterman in Rhode Island).
He was soon signed to Atlantic Records in 1970 by Nesuhi Ertegun, and was lured by Clive Davis to Columbia Records, which released ‘Dead Skunk’. His songs have since been recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash, Earl Scruggs, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, his son Rufus Wainwright, and Mose Allison, among others.
Using a witty, self-mocking style, Wainwright has recorded over twenty albums on eleven different labels. Three of his albums have been nominated for Grammy Awards: ‘I'm Alright’ (1985), ‘More Love Songs’ (1986), and ‘High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project’ (2009), for which he won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album in January 2010.
In 2017, Wainwright published his memoir, ‘Liner Notes’ on Blue Rider Press. The New York Times said the book “makes your heart wobble on its axis.”
In Fall 2018 Loudon released ‘Years In The Making’ (StorySound Records), a 42-song treasury of rare and unreleased Loudoniana. This 2-disc, 60-page hardbound audio-biography of his 40-year career includes orphaned album cuts, lovingly lo-fi home recordings, radio appearances, demos, live performances and beyond.
Thursday, February 6th 2020
8pm (doors open at 7pm)
St. James Hall 3214 West 10th Avenue
Tickets for $40 / $36 members
Available online at www.roguefolk.bc.ca in person at Highlife Records & Tapestry Music
or call the Rogue Ticket Hotline at 604-736-3022
Join DARPAN Magazine community on socialmedia!
