| Gillian Howard Welch |
Gillian Welch in 2007
|
| Background information |
| Born |
October 2, 1967 (1967-10-02) (age 41)
New York City, New York, U.S.
|
| Origin |
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genre(s) |
bluegrass, neotraditional country, Americana, old time, folk, American Primitivism |
| Instrument(s) |
singing, guitar, banjo, drums, harmonica |
| Associated acts |
Dave Rawlings Machine, David Rawlings, Sweet Harmony Traveling Revue |
| Website |
http://www.gillianwelch.com/ |
| Notable instrument(s) |
| 1956 Gibson J-50 |
Gillian Welch (born October 2, 1967 in New York City)1 is a singer-songwriter whose musical style combines elements of bluegrass, neotraditional country, Americana, old-time string band music, and folk into a rustic style that she dubs "American Primitive".2 All of her recordings feature the close harmonies and unconventional guitar work of her musical partner, David Rawlings. Her music is often described as haunting or soothing. Welch pronounces her first name with a hard G (IPA: [g] rather than IPA: [d͡ʒ]).
Biography and career
Welch was born in Manhattan and was adopted when she was three days old. She moved to Los Angeles at the age of four. On her eighth birthday she wished for and got a guitar and lessons, and learned soon to play the guitar. Studying at the University of California, Santa Cruzcitation needed Welch discovered bluegrass music through the "mountain soul" stylings of The Stanley Brothers.3 After a short stint in a local camp band called Söfa, Welch moved to Boston and studied at the Berklee College of Music.
In Boston, Welch met and began dating David Rawlings, who would become her long-time musical partner. In 1992, they moved to Nashville and began building a career. In Nashville, she met T-Bone Burnett,4 producer to such artists as Los Lobos, Sam Phillips, Counting Crows, and Elvis Costello. In 1996, Welch released her first album, Revival, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1997.2 Since then, she has recorded other albums and collaborated on the songs "Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby" and "I'll Fly Away" on the Grammy-winning soundtrack of the Coen Brothers hit film O Brother, Where Art Thou?.5 Welch also had a cameo in the film, as a girl in a record store trying to obtain a copy of the Soggy Bottom Boys' recording of "Man of Constant Sorrow".
Welch has also collaborated with good friend and singer/songwriter Ryan Adams on the albums Heartbreaker and Destroyer. She and Rawlings toured with Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, and Buddy Miller in 2004 as The Sweet Harmony Traveling Revue. Welch and Rawlings have collaborated with Old Crow Medicine Show and appear in their video of their song "Wagon Wheel". Recently, Welch and Rawlings have been touring with Bright Eyes in 2007 on their American Cassadaga tour. Her song "My First Lover" is featured in the motion picture The Strangers.6 Welch and Rawlings made surprise appearances in Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Virginia; Norfolk, Virginia; and Asheville, North Carolina opening for Rilo Kiley in June 2008 to showcase new songs the two had been working on.
Discography
Solo
Other appearances
Videography
Covers
Many artists have recorded songs written by Gillian Welch and by Welch and Rawlings:
- "Orphan Girl" from the album, Revival, has been covered by:
- "One More Dollar" and "Tear My Stillhouse Down" were both recorded by The Nashville Bluegrass Band on their 1995 album, Unleashed.
- The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band included "Dry Town", on their 1999 album, Bang Bang Bang.
- Joan Baez included "Caleb Meyer" and "Elvis Presley Blues" on her 2003 release, Dark Chords on a Big Guitar.
- Jimmy Buffett has recorded "Elvis Presley Blues" on his 2006 album, Take the Weather with You.
- Alison Krauss & Union Station, "New Favorite" appears on Alison Krauss & Union Station Live, and New Favorite, whilst "Wouldn't Be So Bad" appears on "Lonely Runs Both Ways".
- The Holmes Brothers, "Everything is Free" appears on Simple Truths
- Chris Pureka recorded "Everything is Free" on her 2006 album,, Dryland
- Kathy Mattea, "455 Rocket" and "Patiently Waiting" appear on Love Travels (1997)
- Trisha Yearwood, recorded "Two Days From Knowing" as the B-Side single for "You Can Sleep While I Drive" (1995)
- David Johansen & The Harry Smiths recorded "My Morphine" on their 2002 release, Shaker
- Jessica Haines & Mark Kaiser recorded "Caleb Meyer" on their 2006 release, So Here's to You
- The Secret Machines, "Everything is Free" appears on the CD single for "All at Once (It's Not That Important)"
- Chris Thile covered "Wayside/Back in Time" on his 2006 release, How to Grow a Woman from the Ground.
- Peter Mulvey recorded "Caleb Meyer." It appears on his album, Ten Thousand Mornings.
- The Greencards recorded "Caleb Meyer" for their album, Movin' On.
- Miranda Lambert recorded "Dry Town" on her 2007 album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
- Glen Phillips recorded "Revelator" on his 2006 album, Unlucky 7
- Elan Mehler recorded "Elvis Presley Blues" on his 2007 album, Scheme for Thought
- Ryan Adams recorded "Revelator" on his 2000 unreleased album, Destroyer. Welch provided harmonies on the track, and along with Rawlings contributed to the entire album.citation needed
- Synapse Bunker recorded "Everything is Free" and is featured on their Myspace page.
- Tim Rogers from the band You Am I performed "Bar Room Girls" on Australian radio station Triple J
- Allison Moorer covered "Revelator" on Mockingbird (2008).
- The Duhks covered "Rock of Ages" on Your Daughters & Your Sons (2003).
- The Kill Devil Hills covered "Look at Miss Ohio" on Australian radio station Triple J's CD Like a Version Vol. 3
Performances and recordings with other artists
- Welch and David Rawlings toured and performed with Ani DiFranco, Greg Brown, and Bo Ramsey in the Three Stools Tour in 2000.
- Welch covers Gram Parsons' "Hickory Wind" on the various artists' compilation, Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons, released in 1999.
- Welch and Rawlings sing backing vocals on "Speedway at Nazareth" and "Prairie Wedding" on Mark Knopfler's 2000 album Sailing to Philadelphia.
- Welch plays drums and David Rawlings produces on Old Crow Medicine Show's album Big Iron World.
- Welch performs vocals on Bright Eyes' 2007 release Cassadaga.
- Welch and Rawlings performed on Robyn Hitchcock's 2004 album Spooked.
- On April 5, 2007, Welch joined the Decemberists on stage in Nashville as a surprise guest.
- On June 2, 2007, Welch and Rawlings appeared as a special surprise guest at Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble sessions in Woodstock, NY.
- Welch performs vocals on two songs for Old Crow Medicine Show's World Cafe EP. (Wrecking Ball, Odds'n Ends).
- Welch and David Rawlings performed on Jay Farrar's 2001 album Sebastopol.
- Welch and David Rawlings performed with Bright Eyes and Maria Taylor in the Taylor Family Band at a secret show in Birmingham, AL on December 28, 2006
- Welch and Rawlings contribute various of their talents to Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker.
- Welch plays drums on Uncle Earl's album Waterloo, Tennessee (The Last Goodbye)
- Welch and Rawlings open for Bright Eyes in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Both join the second opener as well as Bright Eyes throughout the show. (Sioux Falls, SD: Ramkota Convention Center)7
- Welch and Rawlings played with Rilo Kiley in June 2008
- On July 30, 2008, Welch and Rawlings joined She & Him, composed of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, for the encore of their performance in Nashville, Tennessee.
External links
References
- Friskics-Warren, Bill (1998). "Gillian Welch". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 575.
Notes
- ^ Wilkinson, Alec (2004-09-20). "The Ghostly Ones", The New Yorker, pp. 78. Retrieved on 11 November 2007.
- ^ a b Reed, James (2003-11-07). "Gillian Welch Thrives In An Old-time Niche", Boston Globe. Retrieved on 11 November 2007.
- ^ Simmons, Sylvie (2005-09-25). "Hillbilly Millionaire", San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 11 November 2007.
- ^ Braver, Rita (2000-03-24). "There Are Still Struggling Artists", CBS News. Retrieved on 11 November 2007.
- ^ Goodspeed, John (2001-11-07). "Bluegrass at forefront of CMA awards", San Antonio Express-News, pp. 1G. Retrieved on 11 November 2007.
- ^ Rogue Pictures new motion picture, The Strangers http://www.thestrangers.net
- ^ Morast, Robert (2007-10-26). "Passion finds voice in Bright Eyes", Argus Leader. Retrieved on 11 December 2007.
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