Daniel Lanois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daniel Lanois
Lanois on pedal steel guitar
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Roland Lanois
Born	(1951-09-19) September 19, 1951 (age 73) Hull, Quebec, Canada
Origin	Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Rock alternative rock ambient
Occupation(s)	Record producer musician songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass pedal steel omnichord keyboards
Years active	1968–present
Labels	Opal Warner Bros. ANTI- Red Floor MapleMusic (Canada)
Associated acts	Bob Dylan U2 Peter Gabriel Neil Young Raffi Malcolm Burn Brian Eno Aaron Neville Daryl Johnson Rocco DeLuca Scott Weiland Black Dub Trixie Whitley Spoons Venetian Snares The Parachute Club

Daniel Roland Lanois is a Canadian record producer and musician. He was born on September 19, 1951.

He has helped create albums for many famous artists like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, and U2. He worked with Brian Eno to develop a style of music called "ambient music." Together, they produced some of U2's most well-known albums, including The Joshua Tree (1987) and Achtung Baby (1991). Several albums Lanois produced have won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year.

Lanois has also released his own music. He wrote and performed music for the 1996 movie Sling Blade and contributed songs to the video game Red Dead Redemption 2.

About Daniel Lanois

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Daniel Lanois was born in 1951 in Hull, Quebec, Canada. He started playing music when he was nine years old, first with a penny whistle (a simple flute-like instrument), and then quickly moved to the pedal steel guitar.

When he was 17, Lanois began his career as a producer. He recorded local artists, including the band Simply Saucer, in a studio he set up in his mother's basement. Later, he opened his own studio called Grant Avenue Studio in Hamilton, Ontario. There, he worked with many local bands and even the Canadian children's singer Raffi.

What a Record Producer Does

A record producer is like a director for a music album. They help artists create their songs, guiding the recording process, choosing sounds, and making sure the music sounds great.

Daniel Lanois became very well-known for his production work. In 1981, he played on and produced an album for the band Martha and the Muffins. He even won an award for his work on their 1984 album Mystery Walk.

Lanois often worked with Brian Eno, another famous producer. They created the "Prophecy Theme" for the 1984 movie Dune. Eno then invited Lanois to help produce U2's album The Unforgettable Fire. They continued to work together on U2's The Joshua Tree, which won a Grammy Award in 1987. They also produced Achtung Baby and All That You Can't Leave Behind for U2. Lanois also helped write and produce U2's 2009 album, No Line on the Horizon.

His work with U2 led to many other big projects. He worked with Peter Gabriel on his album Birdy (1985) and then on his very successful album So (1986), which sold millions of copies. He also produced Gabriel's 1992 album Us.

In the late 1980s, U2's lead singer, Bono, suggested Lanois to Bob Dylan. Lanois produced Dylan's album Oh Mercy in 1989. Eight years later, they worked together again on Time Out of Mind, which won another Grammy Award in 1997.

In 1995, Lanois produced Wrecking Ball for Emmylou Harris, which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. He also produced Willie Nelson's album Teatro in 1998.

In 2010, while working on Neil Young's album Le Noise, Lanois was in a motorcycle accident but has since recovered.

Lanois's production style is known for its powerful drum sounds, atmospheric guitars, and a special echo effect called "ambient reverb." Rolling Stone magazine called him the "most important record producer to emerge in the Eighties."

Daniel Lanois as a Recording Artist

Besides being a producer, Daniel Lanois is also a talented songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He has released several of his own albums and created music for movies. His first album, Acadie, came out in 1989.

Many of Lanois's songs have been performed by other artists, including Dave Matthews, Willie Nelson, and Emmylou Harris. His albums have been quite popular, especially in Canada. Lanois plays the guitar, pedal steel guitar, and drums. His 2005 instrumental album, Belladonna, was nominated for a Grammy.

His song "Sonho Dourado" was featured in the 2004 movie Friday Night Lights. In 2006, Lanois also created instrumental music for LOUDquietLOUD, a documentary about the band Pixies.

In 2007, Lanois showed a documentary called Here Is What Is at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film showed how he recorded his album of the same name. The album Here Is What Is was released in late 2007 and early 2008. After that, he released a three-disc recording called Omni.

In 2009, Lanois started a music project called Black Dub. This group includes Lanois on guitar, Brian Blade on drums, Daryl Johnson on bass, and singer Trixie Whitley. They released an album together in 2010.

In 2014, Lanois released an album called Flesh and Machine, which was inspired by Brian Eno's ambient music. This album features original atmospheric sounds, mixing pedal steel guitar with digital and analog effects. In 2016, he released Goodbye to Language with Rocco Deluca.

In May 2018, a collaborative album called Venetian Snares x Daniel Lanois was released. Lanois also helped write and produce music for the 2018 video game Red Dead Redemption 2.

Awards and Recognition

Daniel Lanois has received many awards for his amazing work in music. In 2018, he was honored with the Order of Canada, which is a very high award in Canada.

He has won seven Grammy Awards for his work with artists like Bob Dylan, U2, Emmylou Harris, and Neil Young. He has also received several Juno Awards and nominations, which are Canada's music awards.

In 2005, Daniel Lanois was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame, which celebrates famous Canadians. In June 2013, he received a lifetime achievement award at the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.

Daniel Lanois' star on Canada's Walk of Fame

Daniel Lanois's Music Albums

Solo Studio Albums

Collaborative Albums

Live Albums

Compilation Albums

Box Sets

Soundtracks

• Trip: Soundtrack Collection (self-released, 1993) – compilation
• Sweet Angel Mine (1996)
• Lost in Mississippi (1996)
• Sling Blade (1996)
• All The Pretty Horses (unreleased, 2000)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) – game

Videos About Daniel Lanois

Albums Daniel Lanois Produced

Music Collaborations

• Peter Gabriel, So (Charisma, 1986)
• Robbie Robertson, Robbie Robertson (1987)
• Bob Dylan, Oh Mercy (1989)
• Peter Gabriel, Us (1992)
• Emmylou Harris, Wrecking Ball (1995)
• Ron Sexsmith, Ron Sexsmith (1995)
• Bob Dylan, Time Out of Mind (1997)
• Gordon Lightfoot, A Painter Passing Through (1998)
• Natalie Merchant, Ophelia (1998)
• Joe Henry, Fuse (1999)
• Peter Gabriel, Up (2002)
• Solomon Burke, Don't Give Up on Me (2002)
• Emmylou Harris, Stumble into Grace (2003)
• Brandon Flowers, Flamingo (2010)
• Leonard Cohen, Thanks for the Dance (2019)
• Annie Barbazza, Vive (2020)

Images for kids

• 

  Lanois (center) performing live

See also

In Spanish: Daniel Lanois para niños

• Canadian Music Hall of Fame
• List of ambient music artists
• Music of Canada