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Rufus Wainwright

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Rufus Wainwright at the Sundance Film Festival, January 21, 2006
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Rufus Wainwright at the Sundance Film Festival, January 21, 2006

Not to be confused with director Rupert Wainwright.
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 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.

Contents

Biography

Early years

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.

Rufus Wainwright in 1988 in the film Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller
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Rufus Wainwright in 1988 in the film Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller

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." [link] However, he would later say that his "mother and father could not even handle me being gay. We never talked about it really." [link]

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.

At age 14, Wainwright was raped in London's Hyde Park after picking up a man at a bar.

Rufus Wainwright Live
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Rufus Wainwright Live
[link] Afraid that he'd contracted the AIDS virus, he remained celibate for seven years after the incident. He later spoke of that night in an interview: "I said I wanted to go to the park and see where this big concert was going on. I thought it was going to be a romantic walk in the park, but he raped me and robbed me afterwards and tried to strangle me." [link] He claims that he survived only by pretending to be an epileptic going through a seizure. [link]

Rise to Fame

After having been a fixture on the Montreal club circuit like Cafe Sarajevo, Wainwright cut a series of demo tapes, which were produced by Pierre Marchand, who also produced "Poses" 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, and was recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the best albums of the year. He was also named by Rolling Stone magazine "Best New Artist" of the year. Rufus began his first headlining tour in late 1998. Earlier that year, he toured with Sean Lennon, John Lennon's son. In December 1998, Rufus appeared in a GAP Commerical singing "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" this brought much more attention to him and helped his album sales increase drastically. By summer 1999 Rufus had taken some time off to live and put music on the back burner. He lived in the Chelsea Hotel in NYC for six months. That is where he wrote most of Poses. On June 5, 2001 Wainwright's second album, Poses was released and brought as much acclaim as his debut album had.

In late 2001 he opened for singer Tori Amos. He later states that touring right after 9/11 didn't help his drug problem. In early 2002 He started his "Poses" tour. 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.

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").

Rufus Wainwright on cover of Out magazine.
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Rufus Wainwright on cover of Out magazine.

Addiction and the Want Albums

In the early 2000s, Wainwright became addicted to crystal meth, during which time he went temporarily blind from his usage of the drug. By 2002, his addiction had reached its height. In what he deemed "the most surreal week of his life", the singer: played a cameo role as a drug addict on Absolutely Fabulous; spent several nights partying with Barbara Bush (the President's daughter); had a "debauched evening" with his mother and Marianne Faithfull; all the while, having recurring hallucinations of his father. He soon decided that he "was either going to rehab or I was going to live with my father. I knew I needed an asshole to yell at me, and I felt he fitted the bill." [link]

Upon realizing that he needed some sort of guidance in his life, he telephoned friend Elton John, who convinced him to check in to rehab at the Hazelden Foundation in Minnesota. There he detoxed and underwent therapy. He has not confirmed or denied if he has stuck with sobriety.

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.

Rufus Wainwright in concert in Chicago, October 29, 2005
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Rufus Wainwright in concert in Chicago, October 29, 2005

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 Want One and Want Two albums were 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 Muss 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.

His new album "Whether I Am Or Not" will be released Spring 2007 on Dreamworks/Geffen. The recording of this fifth album is due to be completed in August 2006. The first single from the album, "Little Journey", will also be released early 2007.

Work in film, broadcasting and on-stage

In addition to his role in 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.

In May 2006, Rufus was one of three special guests (the others being Robbie Williams and Francis Barber) to star with the Pet Shop Boys live on BBC Radio 2. The show was recorded in London at the Mermaid Theatre and he covered 'Casanova in Hell' which is a track from the new PSB album 'Fundamental'. The show was critically acclaimed and there are plans to release it as an album later this year.

On June 10, 2006, Wainwright was heard on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday in an interview with Scott Simon. The segment concerned Wainwright's sold-out pair of Carnegie Hall concerts June 14 and 15, 2006 in which he performed the entire Judy Garland concert album recorded there in 1961.

Themes

Rufus Wainwright performing at the Sundance Film Festival, January 20, 2006
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Rufus Wainwright performing at the Sundance Film Festival, January 20, 2006

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". While not blatantly obvious, many of his songs deal with his use of crystal meth and the rehab afterward ("Go Or Go Ahead"). He describes many points along the emotional path of falling in love, from initial infatuation to a fleeting glance ("Foolish Love") to outright love, 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").

Family is also drawn into his work quite commonly, as seen in "Beauty Mark" (about his mother Kate McGarrigle) and "Little Sister" (about his sister Martha Wainwright and step-sisters). The song "Dinner At Eight" was written after a large fight he had with his father, Loudon Wainwright III. 

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").


Rufus wrote the  song "Millbrook" about his high school, Millbrook School, in Millbrook, NY. Also from that album was the song "Matinee Idol", which was written about the late River Phoenix.


The song "Memphis Skyline" is a tribute to the late singer Jeff Buckley, who drowned in Memphis in the Mississippi in 1997. The two knew each other during the '90s when they were both up-and-coming (and at times rival) performers. The song references "Hallelujah," a Leonard Cohen song which Buckley notably covered, and which Wainwright later did likewise.



Discography



Albums



Contributions





Rufus Wainwright at the Sundance Film Festival, January 22, 2006

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Rufus Wainwright at the Sundance Film Festival, January 22, 2006









Awards and nominations








  • 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




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


Other



External links





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