Why? Because I love him... he writes just what I would write if I could write music. So here is something about HIS family (though I am not fond of Rufus, but he is loved by many, so who cares what I think). (Rufus is great with his dad!)
this from "J-Walk Blog" http://j-walkblog.com/old/2004/12/23/index.html
The Wainwright Family
I first became aware of singer Loudon Wainwright III back in the early '70s. His first two albums (Loudon Wainwright III and Album 2) are among my all-time favorites. Long out of print, you can listen to some samples at Rhino Handmade, which made a limited edition CD (which is sold out). If anyone has a copy of this Rhino CD, please get in touch with me.
Over the years, I've heard of several other Wainwrights who are related to him. I was never quite sure of the relationships, so I did a little research. What follows is, I think, accurate -- but correct me if I'm wrong.
Loudon Wainwright III was born in 1947. He still performs and records, and has also had a minor acting career (M.A.S.H., Ally McBeal, and a few movies). His father was Loudon S Wainwright Jr., a famous journalist and editor for Life magazine, who died in 1992. The father of Loudon S. Wainwright Jr. was Loudon Wainwright, a wealthy insurance magnate and a direct descendant of colonial governor Peter Stuyvesant.
Loudon Wainwright III has younger sister, Sloan Wainwright. She's a popular indie singer/songwriter.
Loudon Wainwright III has three offspring:
* Rufus Wainwright was born in 1973, and his mother is Canadian singer Kate McGarrigle. He's definitely the most famous of the Wainwright kids.
* Martha Wainwright was born in 1976, and her mother is also Kate McGarrigle -- who was divorced from Loudon in 1977.
* Lucy Roche, whose mother is singer Suzzy Roche). Lucy was a student at Oberlin College, and she also sings.
Here's a link to a recent interview with Loudon Wainwright III: All in the family.
Musician and actor Loudon Wainwright III has had a very successful career, but he still can't get his damn kids to listen.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
On My Birthday... Loudie Wainwright III was in Houston
Well, whatta ya know... my favorite folkie/guitarist/songwriter was performing in Houston on my birthday -- and I wasn't there. I seem to have missed him everywhere lately, but if he ever gets back this way (maybe to see his brother) I WILL!! In the meantime, here's an article from Houston about Louden... I seem to have messed up all of the little songs I have tried to save on this blog. I do want his new album, "Songs From the New Depression." Once I get the old checkbook built up again, I'll get it, as I do love what he has to sing! What a great guy.
HITTING THE LISTENING ROOM
Forget the Dylan rap: Loudon Wainwright III channels George Carlin in his serious, silly songs
By Michael D. Clark
September 11th, 2010 at 2:27 PM
It's hard to classify an artist like Loudon Wainwright III. That's one of the reasons he is so enticing.
Blossoming as a singer-songwriter in the '60s, his songs have always been a soundtrack of the times in which we live. In fact, he was so good at it that many dubbed him as the successor to Bob Dylan as folk-rock's historian in the early '70s. Where he and Bob parted ways, however, was Wainwright's penchant for imbuing his work with a bit of tongue-in-cheek satire.
In that way he was also a bit like George Carlin.
Still, if you had to be the metaphorical lovechild of two hippy-era icons, one could do worse than Dylan and Carlin.
Wainwrights's 40 year recording career has been a series of luring fans in with his sincere ideas set to music, followed by metaphorically asking his audiences to pull his finger.
Before receiving Grammy nominations in the mid-1980s for the albums, I'm Alright and More Love Songs, Wainwright's best known song was a little ditty titled "Dead Skunk (In the Middle of the Road)." And when people started comparing him to Dylan he responded by mimicking Dylan's simple couplets and song style for the 1992 song, "Talking New Bob Dylan."
It's not surprising then that, following last year's release of High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, — a very straight-forward tribute to the early 20th century singer and banjo player that earned Wainwright a best traditional folk album Grammy — his latest album is sarcastically titled, 10 Songs For the New Depression.
HITTING THE LISTENING ROOM
Forget the Dylan rap: Loudon Wainwright III channels George Carlin in his serious, silly songs
By Michael D. Clark
September 11th, 2010 at 2:27 PM
It's hard to classify an artist like Loudon Wainwright III. That's one of the reasons he is so enticing.
Blossoming as a singer-songwriter in the '60s, his songs have always been a soundtrack of the times in which we live. In fact, he was so good at it that many dubbed him as the successor to Bob Dylan as folk-rock's historian in the early '70s. Where he and Bob parted ways, however, was Wainwright's penchant for imbuing his work with a bit of tongue-in-cheek satire.
In that way he was also a bit like George Carlin.
Still, if you had to be the metaphorical lovechild of two hippy-era icons, one could do worse than Dylan and Carlin.
Wainwrights's 40 year recording career has been a series of luring fans in with his sincere ideas set to music, followed by metaphorically asking his audiences to pull his finger.
Before receiving Grammy nominations in the mid-1980s for the albums, I'm Alright and More Love Songs, Wainwright's best known song was a little ditty titled "Dead Skunk (In the Middle of the Road)." And when people started comparing him to Dylan he responded by mimicking Dylan's simple couplets and song style for the 1992 song, "Talking New Bob Dylan."
It's not surprising then that, following last year's release of High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, — a very straight-forward tribute to the early 20th century singer and banjo player that earned Wainwright a best traditional folk album Grammy — his latest album is sarcastically titled, 10 Songs For the New Depression.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Another Birthday on a bad day...
So one more year has gone by and we are in 5772 if one is Jewish, 2010 if christian, but what if one is neither, nor really much of anything and was born on the dreadful day for 3,000 in New York City? My 9/11 birthday has come and almost gone. I probably should say 'my birthday weekend' for I have had a great one. On Friday my dear little Elvira arrived with an enormous box of lovely huge strawberries as a birthday present (she knows how much I love strawberries... just like my Daddy), then Colin arrived with birthday cake (carrot cake, another favorite), so we had coffee and cake after the strawberries. Then on Saturday, my dear little Ana arrived with a bouquet of pink ruffled roses (one still shows the teeth marks of Sylvia Katt, who had it in her mouth about to bite it off when I arrived to shout "STOP THAT" at her). I will have to find a spot she cannot jump to if I want to see them all in good shape tomorrow. My gals are very good to me and I love them dearly. I even had a note from Jack from Brookings, Oregon... and a lovely one from Al, also in Oregon... one of the better corespondents I have ever known... always an answer to whatever foolish note he has received from me.
Then today I had about a two hour phone conversation with son Mark and the kidlets. I am so proud of all of them. Mark is a wonderful son, husband and father, married to a beautiful wife, who is also a great mother to the kidlets. And what can I say about the kidlets... not only a beautiful bunch of children, those three, but also very bright and adorable. Callie has taken the tests for the school she wants to attend for high school and has come out as one of the top two percentile in the country... but then, we all knew she was. She is far ahead of most of the children in her grade in school and now will get extra classes to keep her interested. Bella also is getting all A's in school and devoted to her dance troop, where she is doing extremely well. Charlie is now 4, although he looks more like a 5 or 6 year old... and as busy and funny as ever. They all sang Happy Birthday to me as an opening today... so darling! What a great family I have... how lucky I am... and busy, as I go Tuesday to read with my poetry group in the Yerba Buena Gardens down at Fourth and Mission. A lovely setting to perform with my San Francisco poetry family.
Now I shall close, make sure Sylvia is settled down away from my bouquet, and I shall settle down myself. I had a great birthday weekend... life is good. Love to all..............
Then today I had about a two hour phone conversation with son Mark and the kidlets. I am so proud of all of them. Mark is a wonderful son, husband and father, married to a beautiful wife, who is also a great mother to the kidlets. And what can I say about the kidlets... not only a beautiful bunch of children, those three, but also very bright and adorable. Callie has taken the tests for the school she wants to attend for high school and has come out as one of the top two percentile in the country... but then, we all knew she was. She is far ahead of most of the children in her grade in school and now will get extra classes to keep her interested. Bella also is getting all A's in school and devoted to her dance troop, where she is doing extremely well. Charlie is now 4, although he looks more like a 5 or 6 year old... and as busy and funny as ever. They all sang Happy Birthday to me as an opening today... so darling! What a great family I have... how lucky I am... and busy, as I go Tuesday to read with my poetry group in the Yerba Buena Gardens down at Fourth and Mission. A lovely setting to perform with my San Francisco poetry family.
Now I shall close, make sure Sylvia is settled down away from my bouquet, and I shall settle down myself. I had a great birthday weekend... life is good. Love to all..............
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I have found a group who are at least attempting to do something about the mess that is our 'government.' Take a look, you might find them interesting, and then again you might not, particularly if you are a lifetime politician: http://www.fixcongressfirst.org/
Perhaps you might find this interesting: http://www.democracymeetup.com/
Or this: http://www.callaconvention.org/
And I found this one very interesting: http://www.leftyblogs.com/
But then, I like my mother before me, am something of a Progressive (or even Radical)
I would love to see a complete overhaul of Congress, with all Congresspeople on Social Security, and made to go home after serving a definite number of terms (or years), and not allowed to sign on as lobbyists for any corporations. Perhaps this is only possible with a convention... so let us call for a convention and rewrite or amend the Constitution, which was written for an agricultural nation. We are no longer that... life changes, therefore government should change.
We seem to have come to an impasse, with two do-nothing parties simply fighting each other instead of what they were elected to do... make laws and serve us, the people, as our representatives, then leave Washington and return to his/her 'job.' For I would like to see no more lifetime 'politicians' -- but instead actual 'representatives' of the people who voted for them. I am sick of labels. I want to see a Senator being a Senator, a Representative being a Representative, not merely a party hack, but serving The People and actually working at being In Congress daily, actually there, working at doing the tasks of our government, reading and understanding the bills brought before them, and assisting in the task of getting them through Congress, or defeated... but doing either in short order, with televised, not only speeches, but also a sweep of the entire 'audience' of a speech, so we can identify our representatives at work.
Is this all a dream. I sincerely hope not, for if it is, and nothing can be done quickly and well, perhaps the next thing is what also was done before: Revolution. I'm all for it. Perhaps it is up to me to form the next group. Revolution Now.
Perhaps you might find this interesting: http://www.democracymeetup.com/
Or this: http://www.callaconvention.org/
And I found this one very interesting: http://www.leftyblogs.com/
But then, I like my mother before me, am something of a Progressive (or even Radical)
I would love to see a complete overhaul of Congress, with all Congresspeople on Social Security, and made to go home after serving a definite number of terms (or years), and not allowed to sign on as lobbyists for any corporations. Perhaps this is only possible with a convention... so let us call for a convention and rewrite or amend the Constitution, which was written for an agricultural nation. We are no longer that... life changes, therefore government should change.
We seem to have come to an impasse, with two do-nothing parties simply fighting each other instead of what they were elected to do... make laws and serve us, the people, as our representatives, then leave Washington and return to his/her 'job.' For I would like to see no more lifetime 'politicians' -- but instead actual 'representatives' of the people who voted for them. I am sick of labels. I want to see a Senator being a Senator, a Representative being a Representative, not merely a party hack, but serving The People and actually working at being In Congress daily, actually there, working at doing the tasks of our government, reading and understanding the bills brought before them, and assisting in the task of getting them through Congress, or defeated... but doing either in short order, with televised, not only speeches, but also a sweep of the entire 'audience' of a speech, so we can identify our representatives at work.
Is this all a dream. I sincerely hope not, for if it is, and nothing can be done quickly and well, perhaps the next thing is what also was done before: Revolution. I'm all for it. Perhaps it is up to me to form the next group. Revolution Now.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Messed up once more...
I often wonder if anyone else has as many mess-ups as I when it comes to adding things to my blog. I hope I can fix the last video, as I loved it and would like to continue to play it.
At least I have managed to add Ms.Katt to the blog. She who after all owns not only this apartment with an extra large window looking out over Dolores, and everything in it, but also we acolytes who come and go from it. She is one of the smartest animals I have ever known, and has trained me in keeping her food and water bowls filled at all times, and her litter box cleaned out at all times... all by simply coming and announcing her wants during the day, and by jumping on me every hour of the night if I haven't done my duties before going to bed. She has taught me how to play 'fetch'... something I hadn't done since my dog Minnie was young... and how to put up with a remarkably long, heavy, warm, furry animal lying from my hip to shoulder all night long, snoring in my ear. But who would I have to talk to without Sylvia... or play games with... or eat dinner with... or laugh at when she is acting silly and leaping from chair back to chair back, then up to the middle of the window to run up and down... or to give me a kiss anytime I ask for one... or love unconditionally on my part... maybe a bit conditionally on hers. Sylvia, a Bengal, is only a few generations from a wild cat... and she came to me... whom my daughter terms: "A Wild and Wacky Woman" on the doormat she bought for me... so we go together Sylvia and I, and I am very glad that she chose me when she was a little kitten... as her brothers all scampered off, she climbed on my shoulder and purred in my ear.... it was immediate love!
At least I have managed to add Ms.Katt to the blog. She who after all owns not only this apartment with an extra large window looking out over Dolores, and everything in it, but also we acolytes who come and go from it. She is one of the smartest animals I have ever known, and has trained me in keeping her food and water bowls filled at all times, and her litter box cleaned out at all times... all by simply coming and announcing her wants during the day, and by jumping on me every hour of the night if I haven't done my duties before going to bed. She has taught me how to play 'fetch'... something I hadn't done since my dog Minnie was young... and how to put up with a remarkably long, heavy, warm, furry animal lying from my hip to shoulder all night long, snoring in my ear. But who would I have to talk to without Sylvia... or play games with... or eat dinner with... or laugh at when she is acting silly and leaping from chair back to chair back, then up to the middle of the window to run up and down... or to give me a kiss anytime I ask for one... or love unconditionally on my part... maybe a bit conditionally on hers. Sylvia, a Bengal, is only a few generations from a wild cat... and she came to me... whom my daughter terms: "A Wild and Wacky Woman" on the doormat she bought for me... so we go together Sylvia and I, and I am very glad that she chose me when she was a little kitten... as her brothers all scampered off, she climbed on my shoulder and purred in my ear.... it was immediate love!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Yes, I Guess It Does!
I do hope I have done this right... for someone who has been working on Macs since 1984, one would think I could manage things like putting videos on this... I did it once, let's hope I got it:
Guess not, so for a fun one, go to this address, down to the bottom of the blog, and play the video that is there... I absolutely love it, for the Cole Porter song, and for the great snips of movies...
http://handmadebymother.blogspot.com/2010/02/now-heaven-knows-anything-goes.html
Thank you so much Handmade Guru... one of these days, this blog is going to spill over to my craft experiences and perhaps patterns, ancient (and I have many of those) and modern.
Guess not, so for a fun one, go to this address, down to the bottom of the blog, and play the video that is there... I absolutely love it, for the Cole Porter song, and for the great snips of movies...
http://handmadebymother.blogspot.com/2010/02/now-heaven-knows-anything-goes.html
Thank you so much Handmade Guru... one of these days, this blog is going to spill over to my craft experiences and perhaps patterns, ancient (and I have many of those) and modern.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
At Last... a Change...
So... finally I was given a chance to change the look of my blog. It now looks like 'home'... after all, I am surrounded by books... too bad they had no pics of my pig collection or the Buddah and frogs on top of my monitor, but perhaps someday I shall discover how to add them. In the meantime, the books will have to do. Here I sit, playing on the computer once more instead of getting my apt put into PERFECT shape for the HUD inspection. I shall undoubtedly be told to pack up and get out, but I'll call my lawyer nephew, Tom, who was an Asst.State's Atty to 'get me off.' Ye gods... does anyone know an old lady who doesn't have too much STUFF... an idiot in my building got 3 different sets of 'inspectors' to come to see my apt... all three asked me why someone had called and gave me a pass... two of them asked me how long I had lived her... when I told them 13 years, one said, "Well, for goodness sake... you are amazing, my mother has only lived in her place for about six years, and hers is twice as full of stuff as yours."
Enough of complaining... I am an optimist and cheerful, so I guess the best I can say is , so what! I do have to clean off my desk, as I need to find the nail clipper to do Sylvia's nails. She caught me with a sharp nail twice using me as a 'ladder' to get up on the back of my chair. Oh, face it... I need to find all sorts of things and get rid of all sorts of things that cover the desk. Happily my dear Elvira found my last ream of paper, so I again have paper for the printer. I will be able to put my latest work on good paper. The Poetry Group will be reading in Yerba Buena Gardens on June 29th, so I have to have everything typed for for that. Mel and I are doing a sort of 'comic turn.' I am glad as I think the old one they have been doing for years is a bit tired. He and I always do well together and enjoy playing off each other. Old George called me tonight and he agrees with the Pell scholars at UC that I should write and do an act in a compedy club. I would kinda like to do something for the Fringe Festival... if I could get in... but I do need people to work with. Colin and Pat would be great. I'd better start working on it now, while I can still stand up and move... getting worse and worse on my feet. That Tuesday for our reading is getting close, but I am good to go when the time comes...
Whitney and Mike are together again... where they should be. I do hope they don't ever take separate jobs again. I am going to have to get a photo of the two of them and put them on the blog along with Mark and family... actually, a new photo of Mark and family should be put on, as that is a very old one. My darling little kidlets are growing up. Pretty soon they will have blogs. They grow too fast and are up to 9, 7 and almost 4, but look much older. I am so lucky in my family... I had great parents, two great children, and now a wonderful daughter-in-law and three gorgeous and bright little grandchildren.
Now I shall end and listen to Craig Ferguson, the mad Scot!
Enough of complaining... I am an optimist and cheerful, so I guess the best I can say is , so what! I do have to clean off my desk, as I need to find the nail clipper to do Sylvia's nails. She caught me with a sharp nail twice using me as a 'ladder' to get up on the back of my chair. Oh, face it... I need to find all sorts of things and get rid of all sorts of things that cover the desk. Happily my dear Elvira found my last ream of paper, so I again have paper for the printer. I will be able to put my latest work on good paper. The Poetry Group will be reading in Yerba Buena Gardens on June 29th, so I have to have everything typed for for that. Mel and I are doing a sort of 'comic turn.' I am glad as I think the old one they have been doing for years is a bit tired. He and I always do well together and enjoy playing off each other. Old George called me tonight and he agrees with the Pell scholars at UC that I should write and do an act in a compedy club. I would kinda like to do something for the Fringe Festival... if I could get in... but I do need people to work with. Colin and Pat would be great. I'd better start working on it now, while I can still stand up and move... getting worse and worse on my feet. That Tuesday for our reading is getting close, but I am good to go when the time comes...
Whitney and Mike are together again... where they should be. I do hope they don't ever take separate jobs again. I am going to have to get a photo of the two of them and put them on the blog along with Mark and family... actually, a new photo of Mark and family should be put on, as that is a very old one. My darling little kidlets are growing up. Pretty soon they will have blogs. They grow too fast and are up to 9, 7 and almost 4, but look much older. I am so lucky in my family... I had great parents, two great children, and now a wonderful daughter-in-law and three gorgeous and bright little grandchildren.
Now I shall end and listen to Craig Ferguson, the mad Scot!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)