Alison Krauss facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alison Krauss
Krauss at the 2007 MerleFest
Background information
Birth name	Alison Maria Krauss
Born	(1971-07-23) July 23, 1971 (age 53) Decatur, Illinois, U.S.
Origin	Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Bluegrass country pop
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Vocals fiddle piano mandolin
Years active	1984–present
Labels	Rounder Capitol

Alison Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American singer, fiddler, and music producer. She is famous for her amazing voice and her skill with the fiddle. Alison started in the music world very young. She was competing in local contests by age eight. By age 14, she recorded her first songs.

Alison signed with Rounder Records in 1985. Her first solo album came out in 1987. She then joined a band called Union Station. They released their first album together in 1989. Alison has been performing with Union Station ever since.

She has released 14 albums and appeared on many movie soundtracks. Alison Krauss helped make bluegrass music popular again in the United States. Her songs on movie soundtracks, like O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Cold Mountain, made her even more famous. She even performed at the Academy Awards in 2004.

Alison Krauss has won many Grammy Awards. As of 2019, she had won 27 Grammys from 42 nominations. This makes her one of the top Grammy winners of all time. She was the female artist with the most Grammy awards until 2021. In 1991, when she won her first Grammy, she was one of the youngest winners ever.

In 2019, she received the National Medal of Arts. This is a special award for artists in the U.S. In 2021, she was added to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.

Alison's Early Life and Music Journey

Alison Maria Krauss was born in Decatur, Illinois. Her parents were Fred and Louise Krauss. Her family later moved to Champaign, where she grew up. Her older brother is Viktor.

Alison's mom played the banjo and acoustic guitar. So, Alison heard a lot of folk music at home. She also listened to rock and pop music on the radio. When she was five, Alison started learning to play the classical violin. She kept taking lessons until she was eleven.

When Alison was eight, her mom saw a notice for a fiddle contest. Alison learned some bluegrass songs by ear. She entered the contest and placed fourth. After this, Alison became very interested in bluegrass music. She was good at learning complex tunes quickly.

By age 13, Alison won the Walnut Valley Festival Fiddle Championship. A group called the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass in America named her the "Most Promising Fiddler in the Midwest." People even called her a "virtuoso," meaning she was incredibly skilled.

Alison's Music Career

Starting Out: 1985–1991

Alison Krauss first recorded music in 1986. It was on an album called Different Strokes. She worked with Swamp Weiss and Jim Hoiles. Her brother Viktor also played on it.

Later that year, she signed with Rounder Records. In 1987, at age 16, she released her first album, Too Late to Cry. Her band, Union Station, played as her backup.

Her first album with Union Station, Two Highways, came out in 1989. It included traditional songs and a bluegrass version of the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider".

In 1990, Alison released another solo album, I've Got That Old Feeling. This album was her first to appear on the Billboard charts. It also earned her first Grammy Award. The song "Steel Rails" was her first single tracked by Billboard.

Growing Success: 1992–1999

Alison's second Union Station album, Every Time You Say Goodbye, came out in 1992. It won her second Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. In 1993, she joined the Grand Ole Opry. She was the youngest member at 21 years old. She was also the first bluegrass artist to join in 29 years.

In 1994, Alison worked with the Cox Family on a bluegrass album. It was called I Know Who Holds Tomorrow. Later that year, she sang with the band Shenandoah. Their song "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" became a Top Ten country hit. It also won a Grammy Award.

A collection of her songs, Now That I've Found You: A Collection, was released in 1995. It included some new songs and covers of her favorite artists. One cover, "When You Say Nothing at All", became a big hit. The album sold two million copies. This was Alison's first double-platinum album. She also won four Country Music Association Awards.

So Long So Wrong, another Union Station album, came out in 1997. It won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. Critics said its sound was "rather untraditional." A song from the album, "It Doesn't Matter," was used in the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Her next solo album, Forget About It, was released in 1999. It included the song "Stay." This album was certified gold. Another song, "That Kind of Love," also appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Recent Career: 2000–Present

In 1998, Jerry Douglas, a famous dobro player, joined Union Station. Their next album, New Favorite, came out in 2001. It won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. The song "The Lucky One" also won a Grammy.

New Favorite was followed by a double-platinum live album, Live, in 2002. A DVD of the same concert came out in 2003. Both were recorded at The Louisville Palace.

Krauss performing in 2007

In 2004, Union Station released Lonely Runs Both Ways. This album also became gold certified. Alison also sang a duet with Brad Paisley called "Whiskey Lullaby". This song became a top hit and won awards.

In 2007, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant released an album together called Raising Sand. It sold very well and won five Grammy Awards. This included Album of the Year. They also performed a special show for Country Music Television.

Alison and Union Station released Paper Airplane in 2011. This album became Alison's highest-charting album in the U.S. It reached number three on the Billboard 200 chart.

In 2014, Alison Krauss and Union Station toured with Willie Nelson and Family.

Alison released a solo album called Windy City in 2017. It featured classic country and bluegrass songs. This was her first solo album in 17 years.

In 2021, Alison announced a new album with Robert Plant. It was called Raise the Roof and came out in November 2021. They also went on tour together.

Other Music Projects

Krauss on stage with Robert Plant in 2008

Alison Krauss has also sung on many other artists' albums. In 1993, she recorded vocals for the Phish song "If I Could." In 1997, she sang on an album by the Irish band Altan.

In 2000, she had her only number one hit, "Buy Me a Rose." She has also contributed to many movie soundtracks. Her work on O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) was very important. She and Dan Tyminski sang several songs, including "I'll Fly Away" and "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow." The soundtrack sold over seven million copies. It also won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002. This album helped bring bluegrass music back into the spotlight.

In 2007, Krauss released A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection. This album had new songs, soundtrack tunes, and duets with artists like James Taylor and Brad Paisley.

Alison has performed on soundtracks for movies like Twister, The Prince of Egypt, and Cold Mountain. Two songs she sang for Cold Mountain, "The Scarlet Tide" and "You Will Be My Ain True Love", were nominated for Academy Awards. She performed both songs at the 2004 Academy Awards.

She also produced the first two albums for the band Nickel Creek. The second album, This Side (2002), won Alison her first Grammy as a producer.

Alison has also appeared on albums by Def Leppard and Ringo Starr.

Awards and Special Honors

Krauss with her band Union Station

Alison Krauss has won 27 Grammy Awards. She won them as a solo artist, with Union Station, and with Robert Plant. She is one of the top Grammy winners of all time. In 2004, she passed Aretha Franklin for the most Grammy wins by a female artist.

She has also won many other awards, including:

• 14 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards
• 9 Country Music Association Awards
• 2 Gospel Music Association Awards
• 2 CMT Music Awards
• 2 Academy of Country Music Awards
• 2 Canadian Country Music Awards

In 2002, Country Music Television ranked Alison 12th on their "40 Greatest Women of Country Music" list.

At the 2004 Academy Awards, Alison wore special $2 million 'Cinderella' sandals. They had diamonds and platinum. She also received a phone covered in Swarovski crystals.

Honorary Alison Krauss Way in Champaign, Illinois

In May 2012, Alison Krauss received an Honorary Doctorate of Music. This was from Berklee College of Music.

In March 2015, her hometown of Champaign, Illinois, named a street "Honorary Alison Krauss Way" in her honor.

In April 2024, Alison Krauss received the Order of Lincoln. This is Illinois' highest honor for civilians.

Personal Life

Alison Krauss was married to musician Pat Bergeson from 1997 to 2001. They have one child, who was born in 1999.

Discography

Studio albums

• 1986: Different Strokes (with Jim Hoiles and Swamp Weiss)
• 1987: Too Late to Cry
• 1989: Two Highways (with Union Station)
• 1990: I've Got That Old Feeling
• 1992: Every Time You Say Goodbye (with Union Station)
• 1994: I Know Who Holds Tomorrow (with the Cox Family)
• 1997: So Long So Wrong (with Union Station)
• 1999: Forget About It
• 2001: New Favorite (with Union Station)
• 2004: Lonely Runs Both Ways (with Union Station)
• 2007: Raising Sand (with Robert Plant)
• 2011: Paper Airplane (with Union Station)
• 2017: Windy City
• 2021: Raise the Roof (with Robert Plant)

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Alison Krauss para niños