Alison Krauss
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|Origin = Illinois, United States |Genre = Bluegrass, Country |Occupation = Singer-songwriter, record producer |Years_active = 1987—present |Label = Rounder Records |URL = [AlisonKrauss.com] }}
Alison Krauss (born July 23, 1971)[Alison Krauss bio] for Billboard.com. Retrieved June 5 2006. is an American bluegrass/country singer and fiddle player. Krauss entered the music industry at a young age, winning local contests by the age of 10 and recording for the first time on her brother's album at 14. Krauss signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album at 16 in 1987. Krauss was invited to join the band with which she still performs, Alison Krauss & Union Station (AKUS), and later released her first album with them as a group in 1989. Since then Krauss' contract has dictated that she rotate between releasing albums solo and with Union Station.
She has thus far released more than 10 albums, appeared on numerous soundtracks, and has been credited with helping to usher in a new interest in bluegrass music in the United States. Some of her soundtrack performances have led to further notability including the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, an album also credited with raising American interest in bluegrass; and on the Cold Mountain soundtrack, which ultimately led her to perform at the Academy Awards. Over the course of her career she has won 20 Grammy Awards—more than any other female artist and tied for seventh-most of all artists—along with numerous other awards.
Biography
Alison Krauss was born in Decatur, Illinois, but was raised in Champaign, Illinois.[Alison Krauss: Singer of the Week] for AskMen.com. Retrieved June 6 2006. She began studying classical violin at 5 but soon switched to bluegrass. Krauss said she first became involved with music because her "mother tried to find interesting things for [me] to do" and "wanted to get [me] involved in music, in addition to art and sports."[GAC interview and article] by Ronna Rubin for Great American Country June 19th, 2006. Retrieved June 26th, 2006. At age 8 she started entering local talent contests, and at 10 she had her own band. At 12 she won the Texas State Fiddle Championship, and the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass in America named her the Most Promising Fiddler in the Midwest. Krauss first met Dan Tyminski around 1984 at a festival held by the Society. Interestingly, every current member of Union Station first met Krauss at these festivals.Interview with Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski for The Collection on Great American Country, originally broadcast on June 28, 2006. Retrieved June 29, 2006.Krauss made her recorded debut in 1985 on her brother Viktor Krauss' independent album, Different Strokes. She performed with John Pennell, bassist and songwriter, from the age of 12 in a band called "Silver Rail". Pennell later formed Union StationInterview with Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski on GAC Nights for Great American Country originally broadcast on June 27, 2006. Retrieved June 28, 2006. and Krauss joined at his invitation[UCSB Arts & Lectures and Sings Like Hell present the acclaimed Americana group Alison Krauss + Union Station at the Arlington Theatre] by Susan Gwynne for UCSB Arts & Lectures October 28 2003. Retrieved June 7 2006., replacing their previous fiddler Andrea Zonn.[MUSIC; Country, With Twang and Pop] for the New York Times by Robbie Wolvier on April 30, 2000. Retrieved July 8, 2006. Pennell remains one of her favorite songwriters[New Favorite] by Kerry Dexter for Dirty Linen #102 October/November 2002. Retrieved June 7 2006. and wrote some of her early work including the popular "Every Time You Say Goodbye."[Every Time You Say Goodbye lyrics] for Cowboy Lyrics. Retrieved June 7 2006. Later that year she signed to Rounder Records and in 1987, at 16, her debut album Too Late to Cry was released with Union Station as her backup band.[Alison Krauss bio] by Stephen Thomas Erlwine for All Music Guide, hosted by MTV.com. Retrieved June 25, 2006.
1989–1991: Early career
Krauss' debut solo album was followed shortly by her first group album with Union Station in 1989, Two Highways.[Alison Krauss CMT bio] for CMT.com. Retrieved June 6 2006. Many traditional bluegrass numbers appeared on the album[Two Highways] for LP Discography. Retrieved June 7 2006. along with a bluegrass interpretation of The Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider."[Midnight Rider] on Second Hand Songs. Retrieved June 7 2006.Krauss' contract with Rounder obligated her to rotate between releasing a solo album and an album with Union Station[AKUS] for Last.fm. Retrieved June 11 2006. and she released the solo album I've Got That Old Feeling in 1990. It was her first album to rise onto Billboard charts, peaking in the top 75 on the Country chart.[Album Chart History performance for Alison Krauss] by Billboard. Retrieved June 4 2006. The album also was a notable point in Krauss' career as it earned her her first Grammy Award, the single "Steel Rails" was her first single tracked by Billboard,[Single Chart History performance for Alison Krauss] by Billboard. Retrieved June 4 2006. and the title single "I've Got That Old Feeling" was the first song for which she recorded a music video.[Alison Krauss] at the Music Video Database. Retrieved June 11 2006.
1992–1999: Rising success
Krauss' second Union Station album Everytime You Say Goodbye was released in 1992 and went on to win her second Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album of the year. Krauss then joined the Grand Old Opry in 1993 at the age of 21. She was the youngest cast member at the time and the first bluegrass artist to join the Opry in 29 years.[Alison Krauss] for Opry.com. Retrieved June 12 2006. She also collaborated on a project with the Cox Family in 1994, a bluegrass album called I Know Who Holds Tomorrow.[I Know Who Holds Tomorrow] on Amazon. Retrieved June 12 2006. Mandolin and guitar player Dan Tyminski replaced Tim Stafford in Union Station in 1994.[Dan Tyminski bio] on AlisonKrauss.com. Retrieved June 7 2006.[[Now That I've Found You: A Collection]], a compilation of older releases and some covers of Krauss' favorite works by other artists, was released in 1995. Some of these covers include Bad Company's "Oh Atlanta", The Foundations' "Baby Now That I've Found You", and The Beatles' "I Will".[Now That I've Found You] on Rounder Records by Sidney Cox. Retrieved June 12 2006. The single "When You Say Nothing At All" reached the top 5 on the Country Billboard chart, the album peaked in the top 15 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart and sold 2 million copies to become Krauss' first double-platinum album. Krauss also was nominated for four Country Music Association Awards and won all of them.
So Long So Wrong, another Union Station album, was released in 1997 and won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. Some critics said it was "untraditional" and "likely [to] change quite a few... minds about bluegrass."[So Long, So Wrong] review by George Graham. "The Graham Weekly Album Review #1065" as broadcast on WVIA-FM April 16 1997. Retrieved June 12 2006. Included on the album is the track "It Doesn't Matter" which was featured in the second season premiere episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer"When She Was Bad", originally released September 15 1997. 20th Century Fox and Joss Whedon. and was included on the Buffy soundtrack in 1999.[Buffy soundtrack] on Amazon. Retrieved June 12 2006.
Her next solo release in 1999, Forget About It, included her first and only track to appear on the Billboard Adult contemporary music chart, "Stay". The album was certified gold and charted within the top 75 of the Billboard 200 and in the top 5 of the Country chart. In addition, the track "That Kind of Love" eventually became included in another episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer."Entropy", originally released April 30 2002. 20th Century Fox and Joss Whedon. Krauss was married to Pat Bergeson from 1997 to 2001[Alison Krauss Star stats] from Country Weekly. Retrieved June 7 2006. and they had one son, Sam, who was born in July 1999.[Alison Krauss biography] from IMDb. Retrieved June 7 2006.
2000–present: Current career
| Alison Krauss & Union Station[Official bios] from AlisonKrauss.com. Retrieved June 5 2006. | |
|---|---|
| Name | Role |
| Alison Krauss | Lead vocals |
| Barry Bales | Bass |
| Ron Block | Guitar, Banjo |
| Jerry Douglas | Dobro |
| Dan Tyminski | Guitar |
Adam Steffey left Union Station in 1998 and renowned dobro player Jerry Douglas replaced him.[Candace Asher press release] by Candace Asher for CandaceAsher.com from September 2001. Retrieved June 6 2006. Douglas had provided studio back-up to Alison's records since 1987's Too Late To Cry. Krauss thought highly of his abilities, going so far as to introduce Douglas on their album, Live, as "the greatest dobro player the world has ever known." Track 1, Disc 2 of Live by Alison Krauss and Union Station. Originally released by Rounder on November 5 2002. Their next album, New Favorite, was released on August 14, 2001.[New Favorite] on Amazon. Retrieved June 12 2006. The album went on to win the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, the single "The Lucky One" winning a Grammy as well. New Favorite was followed up by the double platinum double album Live in 2002 and a release of a DVD of the same live performance in 2003. Both the album and the DVD were recorded during a performance at The Louisville Palace.[Live DVD] on Amazon. Retrieved June 12 2006.
Lonely Runs Both Ways was released in 2004 and eventually became another Alison Krauss & Union Station gold certified album. Ron Block described Lonely Runs Both Ways as "pretty much... what we've always done" in terms of song selection and the style in which those songs were recorded.[Lonely Runs Both Ways bio] from AlisonKrauss.net. Retrieved June 5 2006. Krauss, on the other hand, believes the group "was probably the most unprepared we've ever been" for the album and that songs were chosen as needed rather than planned beforehand. She also performed a duet with Brad Paisley on his album Mud on the Tires in the single "Whiskey Lullaby". The single was quite successful, ranking in the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100, the top 5 of the Hot Country Songs, and won the Country Music Association Awards for "Best Musical Event" and "Best Music Video" of the year.
Other work
Krauss has made multiple guest appearances on other records with lead vocals, harmony vocals, or fiddle playing. She has contributed to numerous motion picture soundtracks, perhaps most notably the soundtrack O Brother, Where Art Thou? in 2000.O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. Originally released by Lost Highway on December 5 2000. She and co-vocalist Dan Tyminski contributed multiple tracks to the soundtrack, including "Down in the River to Pray," "I'll Fly Away" (Krauss with Gillian Welch) and "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow." In the film, Tyminski's vocals on Man of Constant Sorrow became the singing voice of George Clooney.[O Brother, Why Art Thou So Popular?] for BBC News on February 28, 2002. Retrieved June 25, 2006. The soundtrack sold over seven million copies and won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002.[Shelf Life: Turning Points] by Parke Puterbaugh for the Attache in February 2005. Retrieved June 5 2006. The unexpected success of the album has been partially credited, as with Krauss herself,[Alison Krauss] on East Coast Entertainment. Retrieved June 24th, 2006.Interview on NPR Morning Edition with Bob Edwards on February 15, 2002. [Hosted here]. Retrieved July 10, 2006. with bringing a new interest in bluegrass to the United States.[O Brother, Where Art Thou?] at Sheet Music Plus. Retrieved June 24th, 2006. She has said, however, that she believes Americans already liked bluegrass and other less-heard musical genres, and that the film merely provided easy exposure to the music.[AKUS Interview] with PBS May 3, 2002. Retrieved June 24, 2006. Krauss did not appear in the movie at her own request as she was nine months pregnant during its filming.[Interview] on BarnesAndNoble.com August 14, 2001. Retrieved June 24th, 2006.
- [Down to the River to Pray] ([file info])
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Reception and influences
Alison Krauss' earliest musical experience was as an instrumentalist, though her style her grown to focus more on her vocals with a band providing most of the instrumentation. Musicians she enjoys include Lou Gramm of Foreigner, Paul Rodgers of Bad Company, and AC/DC.[Krauss cultivates bluegrass into crossover success] by Neil Curry for CNN on November 16, 1999. Retrieved June 29, 2006.[Krauss comes out on heavy metal] for JAM! Music by Jane Stevenson. Retrieved June 27, 2006.[Krauss still hanging on to eclectic style] for the LA Times/Washington Post on October 13, 1997. Retrieved June 29, 2006. Some credit Krauss and Union Station, at least partially, with a recent revival of interest in bluegrass music in the United States. Despite being together for nearly two decades and having won numerous awards Krauss believes Alison Krauss & Union Station is "just beginning right now" (in 2002) because "in spite of all the great things that have happened for the band, [she] feel[s] musically it's just really beginning." Although Krauss rotates between solo releases and works with the band she has said there is no difference in her involvement between the two. Despite her close involvement with the group and long career in music, Krauss rarely performs music she has written herself.["Krauss tends bluegrass revival"] for JAM! Music by Mary Dickie of the Toronto Sun. Retrieved June 27, 2006.
As a group AKUS have been called "American favourites", "world-beaters",[Review of Live] for the BBC by Chris Jones. Retrieved June 15th, 2006. and "the tightest band around".[Review of Lonely Runs Both Ways] for the BBC by Sue Keogh. Retrieved June 15th, 2006. While they have been successful as a group, many reviews note Krauss still "remains the undisputed star and rock-solid foundation" and have described her as the "band's focus"[Review of Lonely Runs Both Ways] for Bluegrass Works by Ben Fitzgerald on 12/13/2006. Retrieved June 15th, 2006. with an "angelic" voice that "flows like honey". Krauss' work has been compared to the Cox Family, Bill Monroe, and Del McCoury and has in turn been credited with influencing various "Newgrass" artists including Nickel Creek, which she acted as record producer for on two of their albums.[Alison Krauss] on FolkMusic.About by Kim Ruehl. Retrieved June 24, 2006. In addition to her work with Nickel Creek, Krauss has acted as producer to the Cox Family, Reba McEntire,[Alison Krauss] on Harmony Ridge Music. Retrieved June 29, 2006. and Alan Jackson.[Note on Krauss producing] from Great American Country on May 10, 2006 citing The Tennessean. Retrieved June 26th, 2006. Some believe Krauss and Union Station are "superb when they stick to hoedowns and hillbilly music, but much less convincing when they lurch towards the middle of the road"[Review of Lonely Runs Both Ways] for The Guardian by Adam Sweeting on November 19, 2004. Retrieved June 15th, 2006. and that the "flavorless repertoire [Krauss] sings... steers her toward Lite FM".[Review hosted on Metacritic] originally from Blender magazine Jan/Feb 2005. Retrieved June 15th, 2006. In addition, Q magazine and The Onion AV Club have said their newer releases are "pretty much the usual" and though Krauss is generally "adventurous" these recent releases contain nothing to "alienate the masses".[Review hosted on Metacritic] originally from Q Magazine Sept. 2001 and The Onion'' AV Club. Retrieved June 15th, 2006.
Voice, themes, and musical style
Krauss generally sings as a soprano[One] and [two] reviews on CD Universe (for So Long So Wrong and Forget About It) and a [third] on Greenman Review (by David Kidney, of Live) all describing her voice as a soprano. Retrieved June 26, 2006. that is often described as "angelic". She has said her musical influences include J. D. Crowe, Ricky Skaggs, and Tony Rice.[New Favorite] by Kerry Dexter from Dirty Linen #102 Oct/Nov 02. Retrieved June 29, 2006. Many of her songs are described as sad[Sad songs, migraines don't get Alison Krauss down] by David Veitch for JAM! Music. Retrieved June 27, 2006. and are often about love, especially lost love. Krauss herself has said of her song selection that she looks for "tunes that [she] can relate to" and "if they make you feel like crap, you oughta do 'em." She has also described her general approach to constructing an album as starting with a single song and selecting other tracks based on the first to give the final album a somewhat consistent theme and mood. She most commonly performs in the bluegrass and country genres, though she has had a song tracked on adult contemporary charts, has worked with rock artists such as Phish and Sting, and is sometimes said to stray into pop music.[Review of New Favorite] for The Graham Weekly Album Review #1250 by George Graham as broadcast on WVIA-FM 8/18/2001. Retrieved July 8, 2006.Music videos
Krauss did not think she would make music videos at the beginning of her career and after recording her first she was convinced it was bad enough she never wanted to do another. Nonetheless, Krauss has gone on to make further videos. The first videos she saw were from various bluegrass artists and Dan Tyminski has noted the video for Thriller was very popular when she was first exposed to music videos. She has made suggestions on the style or theme to some videos, though she tends to leave such decisions up to the director of the particular video. The group chooses directors by seeking out people who have previously directed videos bandmembers have enjoyed. Recently, for example, the director for a video to "If I Didn't Know Any Better" from Lonely Runs Both Ways was selected because Krauss enjoyed work he had done with Def Leppard and Krauss wondered what he could do with their music. While style decisions are generally left to the various directors of the videos, many —including for "Restless", "Goodbye is All We Have", "New Favorite", and "If I Didn't Know Any Better"—follow a pattern. In all of these videos Krauss walks, sometimes interacting with other people, while the rest of the band follows her.
Performances
Krauss has said she used to dislike working in the studio where she had to play the same song repeatedly, but has come to like studio work roughly the same as live stage performances. Her own favorite concert experiences include watching three Foreigner concerts during a single tour, a Dolly Parton concert, and a Larry Sparks concert.Interview with Krauss from the Alison Krauss + Union Station: Live DVD by Rounder Records released in 2003. Alison Krauss appeared on Austin City Limits in 1992 and opened the show in 1995 with Union Station.[Alison Krauss on Austin City Limits] from PBS from 1996. Retrieved June 27, 2006. The New Favorite tour, after AKUS' album of the same name, was planned to start September 12, 2001 in Cincinnati, Ohio, but was pushed back to September 28 in Savannah, Georgia following the September 11th terrorist attacks.[COUNTRY BEAT: Alison Krauss, Wynonna Judd, Dolly Parton ...] for MTV.com on September 17, 2001. Retrieved June 25th, 2006. Krauss also took part in the Down from the Mountain tour in 2002 which featured many artists from the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack and was named after a documentary on the making of said soundtrack.[Krauss, Loveless Among Down From The Mountain Headliners] for MTV.com on October 17, 2001. Retrieved June 25, 2006.[Down from the Mountain tour] by Jim Durden for Tomlin Communications on July 20, 2002. Retrieved June 25, 2006. Down from the Mountain was followed by the Great High Mountain Tour which was comprised of musicians from both O Brother and Cold Mountain, including Alison Krauss. She has also given several notable smaller performances including at Carnegie Hall (with the Grand Ole Opry),[Carnegie Hall performance] at Great American Country March 1, 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2006. on Lifetime Television in a concert of female performers,[AKUS Fall television details] on Shorefire on October 23, 2003. Retrieved June 26, 2006. on the radio show Prairie Home Companion[Program details] from Prairie Home Companion on May 1, 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2006. where she sang two songs not previously recorded on any of her albums,[FAQ on PHC songs] from AlisonKrauss.com. Retrieved June 26, 2006. and a performance at the White House attended by then-President Bill Clinton and then-Vice President Al Gore.[Alison Krauss at the White House] By Marian Leighton Levy at Rounder Records May 18, 1995. Retrieved June 29, 2006.Awards
Alison Krauss has won a record 20 Grammy Awards[Alison Krauss' Grammys] from Grammys.com. Retrieved June 5 2006. (remove quotation marks from around her name) over the course of her career as a solo artist, a group with Union Station, and a record producer. This is more than any other female artist and tied for seventh most won by any artist overall.[Alison Krauss & Union Station Win Three Trophies at Grammy's] for Proper Music Distribution on 2/20/06. Retrieved June 5 2006. She overtook Aretha Franklin for the most female wins at the 46th Grammy Awards where Krauss won three, bringing her total at the time to 17 (Franklin won her 16th that night), and performed with Sarah McLachlan.[ROUNDER RECORDING ARTIST BECOMES GRAMMY'S MOST-HONORED FEMALE MUSICIAN] on Shorefire and the Los Angeles Times by Jen Chapin and Robert Hilburn on February 9, 2004. The Recording Academy (which presents the Grammy Awards) presented her with a special musical achievement honor in 2005.[Recording Academy Honors Krauss, Scruggs, McGraw and the Winans] for CMT.com by Edward Morris on 11/8/05. Retrieved June 7 2006. She has also won 7 Country Music Association Awards,[Alison Krauss's CMA Awards] from CMAAwards.com. Retrieved June 5 2006. 15 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards,[Past International Bluegrass Music Association Awards Recipients] for IMBA.org. Retrieved June 5 2006. and 2 Gospel Music Association Awards.[Homepage] of the Gospel Music Association Awards. Retrieved June 5 2006.
Discography
The following is a summary of Alison Krauss' albums, singles, and their respective performances on major music charts.[RIAA certifications for Alison Krauss albums] by the RIAA. Retrieved June 4 2006.[Single Chart History performance for Brad Paisley] by Billboard. Retrieved June 4 2006.Albums
| Year | Album | US | US Country | US Bluegrass | RIAA certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Too Late to Cry | - | - | - | - |
| 1989 | Two Highways | - | - | - | - |
| 1990 | I've Got That Old Feeling | - | 61 | - | - |
| 1992 | Every Time You Say Goodbye | - | - | - | - |
| 1994 | I Know Who Holds Tomorrow | - | - | - | - |
| 1995 | [[Now That I've Found You: A Collection]] | 13 | 2 | - | Double Platinum |
| 1997 | So Long So Wrong | - | - | - | Gold |
| 1999 | Forget About It | 60 | 5 | - | Gold |
| 2001 | New Favorite | 35 | 3 | 2 | Gold |
| 2002 | Live | 36 | 9 | 1 | Double Platinum |
| 2004 | Lonely Runs Both Ways | 29 | 6 | 1 | Gold |
Singles
| Year | Single | Album | US | US Country | US AC | RIAA certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Steel Rails" | I've Got That Old Feeling | - | 73 | - | - |
| 1995 | "When You Say Nothing At All" | Now That I've Found You | 53 | 3 | - | - |
| 1995 | "Baby, Now That I've Found You" | Now That I've Found You | - | 49 | - | - |
| 1999 | "Forget About It" | Forget About It | - | 67 | - | - |
| 1999 | "Stay" | Forget About It | - | - | 28 | - |
| 2002 | "The Lucky One" | Live | - | 46 | - | - |
| 2004 | "Restless" | Lonely Runs Both Ways | - | 36 | - | - |
| 2004 | "Whiskey Lullaby" ''(w/Brad Paisley) | Mud on the Tires | 41 | 3 | - | Platinum |
References
External links
- [Official site]
- [Rounder Records site for Alison Krauss]
- [Alison Krauss] on the All Music Guide database
- [AKUS Radio]
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