Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell at the 1990 Grammy Awards
Background information
Born	August 7, 1950 (1950-08-07) (age 58) Houston, Texas, USA
Genre(s)	Country
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals Rhythm guitar
Years active	1978-present
Label(s)	Warner Bros., Columbia, MCA, Sugar Hill, Epic, Yep Roc
Associated acts	Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, The Notorious Cherry Bombs
Website	Official Site

Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is a Grammy Award-winning musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music.

Crowell was born in Houston, Texas to James Walter Crowell and Addie Cauzette Willoughby. He is considered to be part of both the alternative country and the mainstream country music camps^{citation needed}. He is a contemporary of Steve Earle and, like Earle, was also influenced by the songwriting greats Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. Rodney played guitar and sang for three years in Emmylou Harris' "Hot Band".

Biography

He was married to Rosanne Cash (daughter of Johnny Cash), from 1979 to 1992 and had a great influence on her career, producing most of her albums during that period. They collaborated on a number of duets, including 1988's "It's Such a Small World." Crowell and Cash are now divorced, they remain on friendly terms, performing together occasionally. He married Claudia Church in 1998.

Although best known as a songwriter and alternative country artist, Crowell enjoyed mainstream popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His critically acclaimed album, 1988's Diamonds & Dirt, produced five No. 1 hits during a 17-month span in 1988 and 1989: "It's Such a Small World" (a duet with Cash), "I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried," "She's Crazy for Leaving," "After All This Time" and "Above and Beyond." His follow-up album, 1989's "Keys to the Highway," produced two top 5 hits in 1990, which were "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" and "If Looks Could Kill."

As Crowell's popularity in hit-radio country music faded, he continued his prolific songwriting. In 2001, he released The Houston Kid on Sugar Hill Records. Many songs on the album were semi-autobiographical, and the album included a duet with Crowell's ex father-in-law Johnny Cash on "I Walk the Line (Revisited)". Initially, Cash was annoyed at Crowell changing the tune to his song, but he came to like the finished product.^{citation needed} Crowell followed up this effort with Fate's Right Hand in 2003 and The Outsider in 2005, both of which came out on Columbia Nashville, a division of Sony Music. Leading critics and Crowell consider these three albums his finest work as a solo artist.

2004 saw the release of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a reunion of Crowell's 1970s road band, which included Vince Gill, Tony Brown and others. The future Keith Urban hit "Making Memories of Us" was included on this disc. In 2005, Crowell served as producer for established Irish singer/songwriter Kieran Goss on the album Blue Sky Sunrise.

In 2008 CMT announced that Crowell's next album, Sex and Gasoline, would come out on Yep Roc Records, ending his relationship with Sony Music. This marked the first time Crowell did not produce his CD.¹

Discography

For a discography as a member of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, see The Notorious Cherry Bombs.

Albums

Compilation albums

Singles

References

1. ^ CMT : News : Rodney Crowell's New Album Coming in September

External links

• Official Site
• Rodney Crowell's latest bio, news, photo galleries, and Fan Q&A at Great American Country
• A brief biography