Loudon Wainwright III
Sharp-witted acoustic folk that balances biting satire with uncomfortable honesty. A master of the self-mocking confession and the family portrait.
Sharp-witted acoustic folk that balances biting satire with uncomfortable honesty. A master of the self-mocking confession and the family portrait.
Loudon Wainwright III sounds like a conversation with an uncle who is both the funniest and most brutally honest person you know. His music is centered around a bright, percussive acoustic guitar and a distinctive, slightly nasal voice that can shift from a comedic sneer to a vulnerable crack in a single verse. It is folk music that refuses to be precious, favoring wit and wordplay over traditional earnestness.
What makes him distinctive is his willingness to turn the lens on himself and his family with a level of detail that is often wince-inducing. He pioneered a style of 'confessional' songwriting that isn't just about feelings, but about the messy, embarrassing, and mundane realities of being a father, a son, and a flawed human being. His songs often feel like short stories or stand-up routines set to music.
Start with 'Album III' or 'History' to hear the full range of his talent. You will find the novelty hits that made him famous, but you will also find deeply moving reflections on mortality and lineage that explain why he is considered a cornerstone of the American singer-songwriter tradition.
Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimming Song", "Motel Blues", "The Man Who Couldn't Cry", "Dead Skunk", and "Lullaby". In 2007, he collaborated with musician Joe Henry to create the soundtrack for Judd Apatow's film Knocked Up. In addition to music, he has acted in small roles in at least eighteen television programs and feature films, including three episodes in the third season of the series M*A*S*H. Reflecting upon his career in 1999, he stated, "You could characterize the catalog as somewhat checkered, although I prefer to think of it as a tapestry." In 2017, Wainwright released his autobiography, Liner Notes: On Parents & Children, Exes & Excess, Death & Decay, and a Few of My Other Favorite Things. He is the brother of singer Sloan Wainwright and has four children, including musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, and Lucy Wainwright Roche. He has been married and divorced twice, including to folk singer Kate McGarrigle.
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