Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright (born 22 July, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter.

Biography

Rufus Wainwright was born in Rhinebeck, New York, USA, to folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle (they later 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 1989 Genie Award for Best Original Song and earned him a nomination for the 1990 Juno Award for Most Promising Male Vocalist.

Related Topics:
Rhinebeck - New York - USA - Loudon Wainwright III - Kate McGarrigle - Martha - Anna - Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller - Genie Award - Juno Award - Vocalist

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Though born in the United States, Wainwright strongly identifies with Canada and still maintains a residence there. 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. Additionally, some of his songs feature his mastery of French.

Related Topics:
United States - Canada - Montreal - McGill University - French

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Coming out as gay while still a teen, Wainwright found solace through 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. Often being the supposed "rival" of mid 90's legend Jeff Buckley, Wainwright sent tapes to Sin-é (the club Buckley won over Wainwright to perform at), but later befriended Buckley; sadly, this was shortly before Buckley's death. Rufus said "he was lovely."

Related Topics:
Gay - Opera - Adolescent - Giuseppe Verdi - Édith Piaf - Al Jolson - Judy Garland - Jeff Buckley - Sin-é

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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 an 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.

Related Topics:
Club circuit - Demo tape - DreamWorks - Lenny Waronker - Rolling Stone magazine

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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.

Related Topics:
Tori Amos - Sting - Ben Folds - Guster - Martha Wainwright - Cult following

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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. 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 'Lieder'; his music has been described as "Popera" (Pop Opera) or "Baroque Pop." His lyrics are filled with allusions to opera, literature, pop culture, 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.

Related Topics:
Guitar - Piano - Harmonies - Popera - Pop - Opera - Baroque - Pop culture - Crystal meth - Rape

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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, Scissor Sisters, and Ben Folds.

Related Topics:
Elton John - Morrissey - John Mayer - Keane - Alanis Morissette - Scissor Sisters - Ben Folds

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Wainwright's newest album, Want Two, from which four songs were released as the EP Waiting for a Want, was released from 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, is scheduled for U.S. release in late summer 2005. He made his motion picture debut in The Aviator. He also appears in the film, Heights.

Related Topics:
Want Two - DreamWorks - Want One - ITunes - EP - The Aviator - Heights

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