Opening: Gregory Douglass
Presented by 106.1 The Corner
In an era when female singer-songwriters are ever more ubiquitous, Shawn Colvin stands out as a singular and enduring talent. Her songs are slow-release works of craft and catharsis that become treasured, lifetime companions for their listeners. As a storyteller, Colvin is both keen and warm-hearted, leavening even the toughest tales with tenderness, empathy, and a searing sense of humor. In the 19 years since the release of her
debut album, Colvin has won three Grammy Awards, released eight albums, maintained a non-stop national and international touring schedule, appeared on countless television and radio programs, had her songs featured in major motion pictures, and created a remarkable cannon of work.
Combined sales of her albums total more than 2.5 million copies in the United States alone, and Colvin continues to perform at least 50–60 shows a year. Over the years she has shared the stage and toured with legendary artists such as Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Emmylou Harris, and Lyle Lovett. She has toured internationally throughout her career, returning to places as near as the UK and Europe as far as Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Colvin won fans with her releases, Fat City (1992) and Cover Girl (1994). In 1996, she released A Few Small Repairs (1996), which would prove to be her breakthrough. The murder-ballad “Sunny Came Home” gave Colvin a Top 10 hit and two of Grammy’s biggest honors: Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Holiday Songs And Lullabies (1998), recorded while Colvin was eight and a half months pregnant with her daughter Caledonia, followed. Whole New You (2001) and Polaroids (2004). Her Nonesuch debut These Four Walls (2006) was lauded by People Magazine as “the most self-assured album of her career” and “one for the ages” by the Washington Post. The Austin-American Statesman called it “an exquisite portrait of strength and vulnerability.”
Colvin’s newest release, Shawn Colvin Live (2009), was recorded in 2008 during a special three-night solo engagement at San Francisco’s famous jazz club, Yoshi’s, Live includes 12 songs written or co-written by Colvin, as well as covers of songs by Robbie Robertson, Gnarls Barkley, and the Talking Heads. The record was co-produced by Colvin and John Leventhal. Shawn Colvin Live captures the beauty and intimacy of
Colvin’s performances, showcasing her inimitable voice and matchless guitar stylings. Colvin recently signed a deal with Harper Collins Publishers to write a memoir, which will be an extension of the intimate, personal, and often hilarious stories that she weaves into her live concerts.
Gregory Douglass
Douglass’s evocative, alternative sound has been compared to Tori Amos, Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright. His numerous accolades include being a finalist for both the 2005 International Songwriting Competition and the 2004 Independent Music Awards; he was the winner of the 2003 GrammyFest Awards in New York City, as well as the inaugural performer on the American Red Cross “Save A Life Tour” in 2003. Douglass actively appears at listening rooms, clubs, festivals, and campuses throughout the United States and has shared the stage with artists like They Might Be Giants, Melissa Ferrick, Jason Mraz, Regina Spektor, Third Eye Blind and Margaret Cho. Douglass’ music video for “Hang Around” charted for six consecutive months on LOGO TV’s “Click List” Top 10 Video Countdown in 2008, following similar success on LOGO TV with his video for “I Wanted To Run” in 2007.
Douglass has mastered the art of grassroots promotion with the help of his fan base. He has independently released seven full-length studio albums over the last decade through “Emote Records,” a self-owned and operated record label. His last four albums were financed almost entirely by the support of his fans pre-ordering and contributing donations directly through his website. House concerts hosted also by fans make up a large portion of his national touring. “As a full-time independent artist, it’s imperative to come up with intimate, new ways to remind people you’re still there,” Douglass says.
Douglass was born and raised in rural Vermont, winning local talent shows in his early teens. He taught himself to play the piano and guitar by ear and took up songwriting in junior high. While attending Brewster Academy, a college-preparatory boarding high school in New Hampshire, Douglass composed and recorded the material for his first two albums. On graduation day, Brewster Academy’s headmaster presented him with a music award, publicly announcing that Douglass was the first student he would ever encourage NOT to go to college and instead pursue his passion full time — advice Douglass ran with.
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