Concert: Rufus Wainwright

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Rufus Wainwright Concert Schedule

Chicago Gigs

Rufus Wainwright

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Music

Rufus Wainwright a Canadian-American singer-songwriter was born on 22 July 1973. He was born in Rhinebeck, New York, USA, to folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. He started playing the piano at the tender age of six began touring the country by the time he was 13with his sister, mother and his aunt and the band was known as the "McGarrigle Sisters and Family." His song "I'm Running," which he performed in the movie Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller, and in which he also played a minor character, was nominated for the 1989 Genie Award for Best Original Song and earned him a nomination for the 1990 Juno Award for Most Promising Male Vocalist.

He wrote and sang for the operas while he was growing up. He was hugely inspired by performers like Édith Piaf, Al Jolson and Judy Garland. Wainwright crafted a number of demo tapes, after being a part of the Montreal clubs for a long time. DreamWorks executive Lenny Waronker got a demo tape of Rufus by chance which impressed him a lot and he signed a deal with Wainwright and released an album in 1998. It was critically appreciated and became very famous in Canada. The Rolling Stone magazine also termed it as the best albums of the year. This led to the release of his second album in 2001 which was titled Poses and was appreciated in a similar manner.

He did an opening act for singer Tori Amos in 2001 and 2002 which brought him a lot of popularity in America. He was praised for his performance and he started touring as a main act soon after that.
Not only is he a piano player but also a world class guitarist and very often he interchanges the instruments during his live performances. He is a major fan of the operas and it is very much visible in his music. His talent has been hugely praised and recognized by prominent performers like Elton John, Morrissey, John Mayer, and Sting. His music has been providing inspirations to performers like Keane, Alanis Morissette, Scissor Sisters, and Ben Folds.