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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZWAINWRIGHT, Loudon(b Loudon Snowden Wainwright III, 5 September 1946, Chapel Hill NC) Singer-songwriter with a devoted cult following. His father was a columnist and editor at Life magazine; they were direct descendants of the early New Yorker Peter Stuyvesant. He hitched to San Francisco '67, began writing songs '68, landed a record deal in NYC '69. Loudon Wainwright III (aka Album I) and Album II '70-71 on Atlantic characterized his early appeal: with solo, acoustic, starkly confessional work he became one of many branded as the new Dylan; yet songs like 'School Days' and 'Be Careful There's A Baby In The House' had sly humour which some of his contemporaries lacked. He switched to CBS for Album III, which almost made the top 100 LPs '73 helped by 'Dead Skunk (in the Middle of the Road)', a song he wrote in 15 minutes which became a top 20 single. Attempted Mustache '73 went for humour and lacked the slyness, but included Kate McGarrigle's 'Come A Long Way' and his own 'Swimming Song', covered by the McGarrigle Sisters. Unrequited '75 and T-Shirt '76 (the last on Arista) were back on form, made the top 200 LPs USA, and Final Exam '78 was also well-received by fans; the last two included backing by the five-piece Slow Train, harmony on 'Golfin' Blues' by the Roches. Described in 1975 as the last true solo performer by Jon Landau, his live act is funny as well as personal, captured on A Live One '80, his first album on Rounder; Fame And Wealth '83 included the autobiographical 'Westchester County'; I'm Alright '85 and More Love Songs '86 were produced by Richard Thompson, the latter including 'Unhappy Anniversary'. He also acted on TV (Capt. Calvin Spaulding, the singing surgeon, on M*A*S*H), on stage (Pump Boys And Dinettes), and sang jokey songs on UK TV comic Jasper Carrott's show, Carrot Confidential. He has made several films including The Aviator 2004, The 40 Year Old Virgin 2005, and Knocked Up (2007, for which he also co-wrote music). The marriage to Kate had ended in 1977; their children, Rufus and Martha, are both successful singer-songwriters. (Rufus also appeared in The Aviator; he and his father both played nightclub crooners.) Loudon had a child with Suzzy Roche '82, another child since then, and remarried in 2005. Therapy '89 was on Silvertone; History '92 on Charisma, Career Moves '93 and Grown Man '95 on Virgin. Well known for behaving like a rounder, he said, 'You've got to have something to write about, and I have chosen to mine my cheesy life.' The man's commentary on his and our times is nothing if not prolific; Little Ship '97 (co-produced with John Leventhal) was followed by Social Studies '99 on Hannibal, Last Man On Earth 2001 on Red House, live So Damn Happy on Sanctuary, and Here Come The Choppers 2005 on Sovereign Artists, music from and inspired by the film Knocked Up. Recovery 2008 on Yep Roc was announced for August 2008. |