Rufus Wainwright | Artist
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer, songwriter, and composer born 1973 in Rhinebeck, New York. He has recorded nine albums of original music and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set Shakespeare's sonnets to music for a theater piece by Robert Wilson. Born into a musical dynasty, son of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, bother of Martha Wainwright and half-sister Lucy Wainwright-Roche, Rufus began playing the piano at age six and started touring at age 13 with "The McGarrigle Sisters and Family" folk group. His song "I'm a-Runnin'", which he performed in the film Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller at the age of 14, earned him a nomination for a 1989 Genie Award for best original song. At 17 he was nominated for a Juno Award for Most Promising Male Vocalist. Wainwright's 1998 self-titled debut album, produced by Jon Brion, received critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone dubbing it one of the best albums of the year and naming the singer "Best New Artist". Wainwright has gone on to release nine studio albums to-date, plus numerous live albums, singles and EPs. Highlights include the albums Rufus Wainwright, Poses, Want One and Want Two. The excellent 2014 compilation Vibrate: The Best of Rupert Wainwright is also highly recommended. In addition to his tenor singing voice, Wainwright plays piano and guitar, often switching between the two instruments when performing live. While some songs feature just Wainwright and his piano, his later work is often accompanied by rock instrumentation or a symphony orchestra, displaying complex layering and harmonies with an operatic feel. Rufus Wainwright lives with his husband art administrator Jörn Weisbrodt and he has one child Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen with childhood friend Lorca Cohen, the daughter of Leonard Cohen.
Artist Website: rufuswainwright.com
Featured Albums: Rufus Wainwright
Related Artists: Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Martha Wainwright, Loudon Wainwright III, Lucy Wainwright Roche, The Wainwright Sisters
Video Clips: Hallelujah, Trouble in Paradise, Peaceful Afternoon
