Loudon Wainwright III begins another year of his career in 2025 with the January release of the new album “Loudon Live in London” which was recorded during a 3-night residency at Nell’s Jazz and Blues club in 2024. Then in February, he is a special guest on the UK’s prestigious “Transatlantic Sessions” tour – the highly acclaimed concert series which for the last 30 years has explored and celebrated the rich musical traditions that connect Scotland, Ireland and the U.S.
Born in Chapel Hill, N.C. in 1946, Loudon Wainwright III came to fame when “Dead Skunk” became a Top 20 hit in 1972. He had studied acting at Carnegie-Mellon University but dropped out to partake in the Summer of Love in San Francisco and wrote his first song in 1968 (“Edgar,” about a lobsterman in Rhode Island). Loudon was signed to Atlantic Records by Nesuhi Ertegun, and after that was lured by Clive Davis to Columbia Records, which released “Dead Skunk.” His songs have since been recorded by the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash, Earl Scruggs, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, his son Rufus Wainwright, and Mose Allison among others.
In 2010 Wainwright and Dick Connette released the Grammy winning “High, Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project.” In 2010 “I’d Rather Lead A Band” came out to critical acclaim. That album features Loudon singing songs from the classic American Songbook. He’s backed by Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks, a 12-piece jazz orchestra.
“Lifetime Achievement” is his most recent studio album of original songs, reinforcing his status as our foremost six-string tragicomedian. Upon its release in 2022 he put it in context by saying “When I made my first record for Atlantic in 1969, I wanted to make not only a recording, but a document that captures a moment. Now, fifty years later, I guess I still want to make a testament of songs, and I like to think they might last a while.”
In 2023 Loudon and Dick Connette collaborated on “Monsters”, a 10 minute film about Wainwright’s boyhood obsession with horror films of the 1930s and 1960s. Prior to that, he rode out the pandemic by producing a number of virtual shows, including “The Special Relationship” (presented by the Royal Albert Hall) and “The Great Unknown,” a musical tribute to his friend, the late George Gerdes. Also featured in that show were Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, Steve Forbert, and the members of Spinal Tap.
Wainwright also created a one-man theatrical show, “Surviving Twin,” which combines his songs and the writings of his late father. Initially developed as part of University of North Carolina’s Playmakers series, it focuses on fatherhood – both being a father and having one – and also explores the issues of birth, self-identity, loss, mortality, fashion, and of course, pet ownership. The show has been performed in limited theatre engagements and is available as a Netflix special, produced by Judd Apatow and directed by Christopher Guest.
He has also co-written songs with Joe Henry for Judd Apatow’s hit movie “Knocked Up.” Other credits include his music for the British theatrical adaptation of the Carl Hiaasen novel “Lucky You,” and his topical songs for NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” as well as ABC’s “Nightline.” An accomplished actor, he has appeared in films directed by Martin Scorsese, Hal Ashby, Christopher Guest, Tim Burton, Cameron Crowe, and Judd Apatow. Wainwright has also starred on TV in “M.A.S.H.” and “Undeclared,” and on Broadway in “Pump Boys and Dinettes.”
Vinegar Hill Music Theatre is an independently-owned event space located at 53 Old Post Road in Arundel, ME. Our charming, historic barn and outdoor garden provide an ideal backdrop for an unforgettable, intimate evening! Learn more here.
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