Aimee Mann facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aimee Mann
Mann in October 2008
Background information
Birth name	Aimee Elizabeth Mann
Born	(1960-09-08) September 8, 1960 (age 64) Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock
Occupations	Musician singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals bass guitar
Years active	1980–present
Labels	SuperEgo Geffen Imago

Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter. She has released many albums over more than 40 years. People know her for her clever lyrics, which often tell stories about characters who are struggling or feeling alone. Her music helped shape alternative rock in the 1990s.

Aimee was born in Richmond, Virginia. She studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. In the 1980s, she helped start the new wave band 'Til Tuesday. She wrote their popular song "Voices Carry" (1985). 'Til Tuesday released three albums. The band broke up in 1990 when Aimee decided to start her solo career.

Aimee's first two solo albums, Whatever (1993) and I'm with Stupid (1995), received good reviews but did not sell many copies. She became more widely known for her songs on the soundtrack for the film Magnolia (1999). Her song "Save Me" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award.

After her record company did not want to release her third album, Bachelor No. 2, Aimee released it herself in 2000. This album was very successful. It showed that Aimee could be a successful artist even without a major record label. In 2014, Aimee released an album with Ted Leo as the band the Both. Aimee also enjoys painting and making comics. She has appeared in movies and TV shows like The Big Lebowski, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Steven Universe, The West Wing, and Portlandia. She has won two Grammy Awards, including Best Folk Album for Mental Illness (2017).

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Mann with the Young Snakes in 1981

Aimee Mann was born in Richmond, Virginia, on September 8, 1960. Her parents divorced when she was three years old. She grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, and went to Midlothian High School. Aimee was a quiet child. Her drama teacher said she was "very quiet, very introspective."

When Aimee was 12, she learned to play her brother's guitar. As a teenager, she liked David Bowie and Iggy Pop. She was inspired by punk and new wave music. She felt that punk music allowed artists to "literally do whatever you want."

In 1978, Aimee went to Berklee College of Music in Boston to study bass guitar. She had wanted to learn bass as a child. After 18 months, she left college. She joined a Boston punk band called the Young Snakes. She later joined the band Ministry, which helped her learn to write songs better. In the early 1980s, she worked at a music store called Newbury Comics.

Music Career Highlights

1980s: Starting with 'Til Tuesday

While at Berklee, Aimee and Michael Hausman formed a new wave band called 'Til Tuesday. Aimee played bass and sang. They signed with Epic Records. Their first album, Voices Carry, came out in 1985. The song "Voices Carry" reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also won the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist that year. This song was one of the first Aimee ever wrote.

'Til Tuesday released their second album, Welcome Home, in 1986. Aimee also sang with Geddy Lee on the song "Time Stand Still" by the band Rush in 1987. 'Til Tuesday's third and final album, Everything's Different Now, came out in 1988. This album showed how much Aimee's songwriting had grown.

'Til Tuesday broke up in 1990. Aimee wanted to start her solo career. She felt her musical interests had changed. She was more interested in acoustic guitar music than new wave pop. Her former boyfriend, Michael Hausman, became her manager.

1990s: Solo Albums and Film Music

Jon Brion (pictured) co-produced Mann's first three albums.

Aimee recorded her first solo albums with producer Jon Brion. He had been a member of the 'Til Tuesday touring band. Aimee enjoyed working with Brion. She felt her songwriting got better with him. They created a unique sound that some called "LA alternative."

Aimee's first solo album, Whatever, was released in 1993. It received good reviews but did not sell as well as hoped. In 1994, Aimee moved to Los Angeles. She also toured with the British band Squeeze.

Her second album, I'm with Stupid, was released in 1995. While these albums showed Aimee was a very clever songwriter, her sales were still not very high.

Aimee gained wider recognition for her songs in the 1999 film Magnolia. She contributed songs like "One," "Wise Up," and new songs she was writing. Two songs, "Save Me" and "You Do," were written especially for the film. The film even used lines from Aimee's lyrics. The director, Paul Thomas Anderson, said he wrote the movie as an "adaptation of Aimee Mann songs."

The Magnolia soundtrack became very popular. "Save Me" was nominated for a Grammy Award and an Academy Award. Aimee performed it at the 72nd Academy Awards. This song "really gave a blood transfusion to my career," Aimee said later.

Becoming Independent

Aimee took more control over her third album, Bachelor No. 2. Her record company, Geffen, did not want to release it. They felt it did not have any hit singles. Aimee decided to leave her contract and be "in charge of her own destiny."

In 1999, Aimee and her manager, Michael Hausman, started their own record label called SuperEgo Records. Aimee used money from the Magnolia soundtrack to buy the rights to her Bachelor No. 2 album from Geffen. She sold many copies of the album directly from her website. After getting a distribution deal, Bachelor No. 2 sold even more copies. This success showed that Aimee could be a successful artist working outside the big record label system.

In 2000, Aimee and her husband, Michael Penn, performed together on a tour called Acoustic Vaudeville.

Later Albums and Collaborations

Aimee released her fourth album, Lost in Space, in 2002. It was described as "another marvelous collection of Mann's intimate portraits of lost love and broken people."

In 2004, Aimee released Live at St. Ann's Warehouse, a live album and DVD. She also appeared in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The West Wing, performing her songs.

Mann in concert in Solana Beach, California, 2005

In 2005, Aimee released The Forgotten Arm, a concept album about two lovers. The album artwork won a Grammy Award. In 2006, she released One More Drifter in the Snow, a Christmas album. She also started an annual tradition of playing Christmas shows that combine music and comedy.

Her album ... Smilers came out in 2008. It featured more keyboards and less electric guitar. It received positive reviews. The artwork was nominated for a Grammy Award.

2010s: The Both and Mental Illness

In 2011, Aimee performed for President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama at the White House. She also appeared in the TV series Portlandia.

In 2012, Aimee released her eighth solo album, Charmer. The songs on this album are about how personal charm should not always be trusted.

Mann with Ted Leo as the Both in Philadelphia, 2014

In 2013, Aimee and Ted Leo formed a duo called the Both. They released an album in 2014. Aimee also appeared in an episode of the animated series Steven Universe as the voice of a character named Opal. She returned for Steven Universe: The Movie (2019).

In March 2017, Aimee released her ninth solo album, Mental Illness. This album featured acoustic songs and collaborations with other songwriters. It won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2018, Aimee appeared in the TV series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and Corporate.

2020s: New Music and Artwork

Mann with Jonathan Coulton in London, 2017

In 2020, Aimee wrote a song for the animated series Central Park. On November 5, 2021, she released her tenth album, Queens of the Summer Hotel. The songs on this album were inspired by a memoir called Girl, Interrupted, which is about someone's time in a psychiatric hospital. Aimee had developed these songs for a musical that was canceled.

In 2022, Aimee started sharing autobiographical comics on Instagram. She said making comics was similar to songwriting. In April 2022, Aimee showed her paintings called You Could Have Been a Roosevelt at City Winery in Manhattan. These paintings are portraits of "the ten worst US presidents" and some first ladies.

Aimee was supposed to open for Steely Dan on their 2022 tour, but she was later dropped. Donald Fagen of Steely Dan apologized, saying he respected Aimee and did not realize she had been announced for the tour. Aimee accepted his apology.

In January 2023, Aimee launched an Audible podcast called Straw into Gold. In it, she interviews artists about how their art connects to difficult experiences. Aimee is set to reunite with 'Til Tuesday for their first show in 33 years in May 2025.

Songwriting Style

Aimee Mann's music is often described as "refined guitar pop." It is filled with careful details and characters that feel like they are from good short stories. Critics have called her a "formalist of pop songwriting." Her songs have clear verses, choruses, and bridges.

Aimee played the bass guitar in the Young Snakes, 'Til Tuesday, and the Both. For her solo shows, she usually plays acoustic guitar because it is "more convenient." On her first solo albums, Aimee and producer Jon Brion created a sound known as "LA alternative."

Aimee has said that songwriting is "an exercise in order." She tries to describe things, make connections, and sum up complicated ideas in a short song. She feels this helps her bring order to chaos.

Lyrics and Themes

Aimee Mann is known for her sharp and clever lyrics. She likes rhymes that are "perfect and interesting." She often writes about serious subjects without sounding self-pitying. She uses specific images to convey broader meanings. Many of her songs feature characters who are struggling or feeling like underdogs.

Aimee often combines sad music and themes with humorous or sarcastic lyrics. She feels this makes the songs even sadder than if she just stated the feelings directly. She said that the funniest lines are usually the most accurate and bleak ones.

Many of the lyrics on Aimee's 1990s albums expressed her frustration with her record label. Some people found her "self-righteous sense of grievance" irritating. However, others argued that pop music can express any mood, including feeling like whining sometimes.

In 2006, Paste magazine named Aimee Mann one of the greatest living songwriters. NPR also named her among the ten greatest living songwriters. Robin Hilton of NPR said she was "vastly underrated" and had "a real gift for piercing the heart of something."

Musical Influences

Aimee Mann says she is mainly influenced by "classic" 1970s chord progressions and melodies. Elton John was very important to her when she was young. She said his melodies and chords influenced her later.

Aimee calls Steely Dan "the one band that I 100% love." She also admires artists like Fiona Apple, Leonard Cohen, Stephen Sondheim, and Jimmy Webb. The music of Elliott Smith helped her feel that it was okay to write songs about personal or serious subjects. Older British bands like the Kinks, the Zombies, and Squeeze influenced her first solo album, Whatever.

Personal Life

Aimee Mann had a two-year relationship with singer-songwriter Jules Shear. Their breakup influenced the final 'Til Tuesday album, Everything's Different Now. She also dated 'Til Tuesday drummer Michael Hausman. After they broke up, they remained friends, and he became her manager.

In 1993, Aimee met songwriter Michael Penn while recording her album Whatever. Michael Penn is the brother of actors Sean Penn and Chris Penn. Aimee and Michael married in 1997. They live in Los Angeles. Aimee has said that Michael is a "top-rated songwriter" to her.

In 2020, Aimee developed a health condition that affected her hearing and balance. She believes it was caused by a combination of childhood experiences and stress.

Discography

Studio albums

• Whatever (1993)
• I'm with Stupid (1995)
• Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo (2000)
• Lost in Space (2002)
• The Forgotten Arm (2005)
• One More Drifter in the Snow (2006)
• Charmer (2012)
• Mental Illness (2017)
• Queens of the Summer Hotel (2021)

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

Other Awards

See Also

In Spanish: Aimee Mann para niños