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Biography 
A singer/songwriter whose lush, theatrical pop harkenedd back to the traditions of Tin Pan Alley, cabaret and even opera, Rufus Wainwright was born in 1973; the son of folk music luminaries Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle (his parents divorced while he was a child). Beginning his piano studies at age six, by thirteen he was touring with his mother, aunt Anna and his sister Martha in a group billed as the McGarrigle Sisters and Family; a year later, Wainwright was nominated for a Juno (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) as Most Promising Young Artist, while his "I'm A-Runnin'" was concurrently nominated for a Genie (the Canadian countepart to an Oscar) for Best Song in a Film.
Coming out as a homosexual while still in his teens, Wainwright sought solace in opera throughout his adolescent years, also becoming an enormous fan of performers including Edith Piaf, Al Jolson and Judy Garland. After attending the prestigious Millbrook School in upstate New York, he briefly studied music at Montreal's McGill University, eventually turning away from classical performance towards pop and rock.
Becoming a fixture on the Montreal club circuit, Wainwright soon cut a series of demos with producer Pierre Marchand; Loudon Wainwright III then passed a copy of the tape to friend Van Dyke Parks, who in turn handed it on to DreamWorks exec Lenny Waronker. The label signed him soon after, resulting in the release of Rufus Wainwright (his self-titled debut album) during the spring of 1998. The album landed on several critics' "best of 1998" lists, while Wainwright spent the next few years touring and appearing sporadically on soundtracks (Shrek) and compilations (The McGarrigle Hour). His sophomore album, Poses, brought similar acclaim in mid-2001. After spending much of 2001 and 2002 touring on his own and with Tori Amos, Wainwright settled into Bearsville Studio, in Woodstock, N.Y., with producer Marius deVries to record sort of a double album. The first project Want One was released in September, 2003, with Want Two following in November, 2004.
~source: Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Discography
Albums
  
  
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Rufus Wainwright [debut self titled album] Release Date: 5-19-98
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Poses, Release Date: 2-12-02
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Want One, Release Date: 9-23-03
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I Don't Know What It Is, Release Date: 7-26-04
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Want Two, Release Date: 11-16-04
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Alright, Already - Live in Montreal [iTunes Exclusive EP], Release Date: 3/15/2005
Rufus Wainwright Trivia
- briefly attended McGill University, where he studied both classical and 'rock' piano. Some of his songs feature his mastery of French
- his first main exposure to the American public came as an opener to singer Tori Amos in 2001 and 2002. He garnered praise for his performance and began touring as a main act shortly afterwards
- came out as gay while still a teen
- in addition to being a pianist, Wainwright is a guitarist, often switching between the two instruments when performing live; however, his mastery of the guitar does not approach his talent with the piano
- Rufus is an avid opera fan, and the influences on his music are evident, as well as his love of Schubert 'Lieder'; his music has been described as "Popera" (Pop Opera) or "Baroque Pop." His lyrics are filled with allusions to opera, literature, pop culture, and, more recently, politics (in songs such as "Gay Messiah" and "Waiting for a Dream")
- he is also a recovering crystal meth addict and rape survivor; he uses his talents and fame to promote awareness of these problems
- his talent has been widely recognized and praised by such artists as Elton John, Morrissey, John Mayer, and Sting, and he continues to influence artists like Keane, Alanis Morissette, Scissor Sisters, and Ben Folds
Links
Rufus Wainwright official site
a complete filmography of musician Rufus Wainwright at IMDb
MTV.com Rufus page: features a biography and the music videos for "Across the Universe" and "California"
Our Mantinee Idol: a fansite complete with lyrics, photos, merchandise, links, and detailed accounts of meetings with the man behind the keys
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