Rodney Crowell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rodney Crowell | |
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 Rodney Crowell at the 1990 Grammy Awards
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| Background information | |
| Born | August 7, 1950 |
| Origin | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Genre(s) | Country |
| Occupation(s) | singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals Acoustic guitar |
| Years active | 1978-present |
| Label(s) | Warner Bros., Columbia, MCA, Sugar Hill |
| Associated acts | Rosanne Cash Emmylou Harris The Notorious Cherry Bombs |
| Website | Official Site |
Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an award-winning singer/songwriter. Often narrowly associated with country music, his songs have a much wider reach, spanning rock, folk, swing, and bluegrass.
Crowell was born in Houston, Texas to James Walter Crowell and Addie Cauzette Willoughby. He is considered to be part of both the alternative country and the mainstream country music camps[citation needed]. He is a contemporary of Steve Earle and, like Earle, was also influenced by the songwriting greats Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. Rodney played guitar and sang for three years in Emmylou Harris' "Hot Band".
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[edit] Biography
He was married to Rosanne Cash (daughter of Johnny Cash), from 1979 to 1992 and had a great influence on her career, producing most of her albums during that period. They collaborated on a number of duets, including 1988's "It's Such a Small World." Though Crowell and Cash are now divorced, they remain on friendly terms, performing together occasionally. He married Claudia Church in 1998.
Although best known as a songwriter and alternative country artist, Crowell enjoyed mainstream popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His critically acclaimed album, 1988's Diamonds and Dirt, produced five No. 1 hits during a 17-month span in 1988 and 1989: "It's Such a Small World" (a duet with Cash), "I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried," "She's Crazy for Leaving," "After All This Time" and "Above and Beyond." His follow-up album, 1989's "Keys to the Highway," produced two top 5 hits in 1990, which were "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" and "If Looks Could Kill."
As Crowell's popularity in hit-radio country music faded, he continued his prolific songwriting. In 2001, he released The Houston Kid on Sugar Hill Records. Many songs on the album were semi-autobiographical, and the album included a duet with Crowell's ex father-in-law Johnny Cash on "I Walk the Line (Revisited)". Initially, Cash was annoyed at Crowell changing the tune to his song, but he came to like the finished product.[citation needed] Crowell followed up this effort with Fate's Right Hand in 2003 and The Outsider in 2005, both of which came out on Columbia Nashville, a division of Sony Music. Leading critics and Crowell consider these three albums his finest work as a solo artist.
2004 saw the release of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a reunion of Crowell's 1970s road band, which included Vince Gill, Tony Brown and others. The future Keith Urban hit "Making Memories of Us" was included on this disc. In 2005, Crowell served as producer for established Irish singer/songwriter Kieran Goss on the album Blue Sky Sunrise.
In 2008 CMT announced that Crowell's next album, Sex and Gasoline, would come out on Yep Roc Records, ending his relationship with Sony Music. This marked the first time Crowell did not produce his CD.[1]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Title | US Country | US 200 | RIAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Ain't Living Long Like This | |||
| 1980 | But What Will the Neighbors Think | 64 | 155 | |
| 1981 | Rodney Crowell | 47 | 105 | |
| 1986 | Street Language | 38 | 191 | |
| 1988 | Diamonds & Dirt | 8 | Gold | |
| 1989 | Keys to the Highway | 15 | 180 | |
| The Rodney Crowell Collection | 65 | |||
| 1992 | Life Is Messy | 30 | 155 | |
| 1993 | Greatest Hits | |||
| 1994 | Soul Searchin' | |||
| Let the Picture Paint Itself | ||||
| 1995 | Super Hits | |||
| Jewel of the South | ||||
| 1997 | The Cicadas | |||
| 2001 | The Houston Kid | 32 | ||
| 2003 | Fate's Right Hand | 29 | ||
| 2004 | The Notorious Cherry Bombs (as The Notorious Cherry Bombs) | 23 | 135 | |
| 2005 | The Outsider | 37 |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1978 | "Don't Need No Other Now" | Single only | ||
| "Elvira" | 95 | Ain't Living Long Like This | ||
| "Baby Better Start Turnin 'Em Down" | ||||
| 1979 | "(Every Now and Then There's) A Fool Such As I" | 90 | ||
| 1980 | "Ashes by Now"A | 78 | But What Will The Neighbors Think | |
| "Ain't No Money" | ||||
| "Here Comes the 80's" | ||||
| 1981 | "Stars on the Water" | 30 | 21 | Rodney Crowell |
| "Victim of a Fool" | 34 | |||
| 1986 | "Let Freedom Ring" | Street Language | ||
| "When I'm Free Again" | 38 | |||
| 1987 | "She Loves the Jerk" | 71 | ||
| "Looking for You" | 59 | |||
| 1988 | "It's Such a Small World" (with Rosanne Cash) | 1 | 1 | Diamonds and Dirt |
| "I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried" | 1 | 1 | ||
| "She's Crazy for Leaving" | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1989 | "After All This Time" | 1 | 1 | |
| "Above and Beyond (The Call of Love)" | 1 | 1 | ||
| "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" | 3 | 1 | Keys To The Highway | |
| 1990 | "If Looks Could Kill" | 6 | 4 | |
| "My Past Is Present" | 22 | 12 | ||
| "Now That We're Alone" | 17 | 13 | ||
| 1991 | "Things I Wish I'd Said" | 72 | ||
| 1992 | "Lovin' All Night" | 10 | 9 | Life Is Messy |
| "What Kind of Love"B | 11 | 2 | ||
| "Let's Make Trouble" | 78 | |||
| 1993 | "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" | Greatest Hits | ||
| 1994 | "Let The Picture Paint Itself" | 60 | 50 | Let The Picture Paint Itself |
| "Big Heart" | 75 | 70 | ||
| "I Don't Fall In Love So Easy" | ||||
| 1995 | "Please Remember Me" | 69 | Jewel of the South | |
| 1998 | "I Walk the Line Revisited" (with Johnny Cash) | 61 | Houston Kid | |
| 2003 | "Earthbound" | 60 | Fate's Right Hand | |
| 2006 | "The Obscenity Prayer (Give It to Me)" | The Outsider | ||
- A"Ashes By Now" also peaked at #37 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
- B"What Kind of Love" also peaked at #9 on U.S. Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks.
