Loudon Wainwright III facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Loudon Wainwright III
Background information
Birth name	Loudon Snowden Wainwright III
Born	(1946-09-05) September 5, 1946 (age 78) Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.
Origin	Bedford, New York, U.S.
Genres	Folk rock blues comedy
Occupation(s)	Musician, actor
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano banjo ukulele percussion
Years active	1967–present
Labels	Atlantic Columbia Legacy Arista Radar Rounder Silvertone Charisma Hannibal Demon Verve Rykodisc Red House Sanctuary Records 2nd Story Sound Records Sovereign Artists Concord Proper Records

Wainwright at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2015, where he received a lifetime achievement award.

Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is a famous American singer, songwriter, and actor. He has released many albums, including twenty-six studio albums. Some of his most well-known songs are "The Swimming Song" and "Dead Skunk."

Loudon Wainwright III has also acted in several TV shows and movies. He even helped create the music for the movie Knocked Up in 2007. He has a big family of musicians, including his children Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, and Lucy Wainwright Roche. He once said his career was like a "tapestry," meaning it's rich and varied.

Early Life and Family Roots

Loudon Wainwright III was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His mother, Martha Taylor, was a yoga teacher. His father, Loudon Wainwright Jr., was a writer and editor for Life magazine.

Even though his father wasn't a professional musician, he played piano and wrote songs. This helped Loudon discover music from artists like Tom Lehrer. Loudon grew up in Bedford, New York. His sister, Sloan Wainwright, is also a singer.

Loudon's Music Career

Loudon Wainwright III started his music career in the late 1960s. He once sold his guitar for yoga lessons! Later, he borrowed a friend's guitar and wrote his first song, "Edgar." This song was inspired by an old lobsterman.

Soon, he bought his own guitar and wrote many more songs. He began performing in folk clubs in Boston and New York City. He eventually signed a record deal with Atlantic. His first album, called Loudon Wainwright III, came out in 1970.

Famous Songs and Awards

Loudon is perhaps most famous for his funny song from 1972, "Dead Skunk (in the Middle of the Road)." He has released over twenty albums. Many of his albums have been nominated for Grammy Awards.

He won a Grammy Award in 2010 for Best Traditional Folk Album. This award was for his album High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project.

Acting and TV Appearances

Besides music, Loudon Wainwright III has acted in many films and TV shows. He played Captain Calvin Spalding, known as the "singing surgeon," on the TV show M*A*S*H. He appeared in three episodes of the show.

He also had small roles in movies like The Aviator, Big Fish, and Knocked Up. In Knocked Up, he also helped write the music. He appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1975 as a musical guest.

Inspirations and Challenges

Loudon Wainwright III was inspired by seeing Bob Dylan perform in 1963. In the early 1970s, some people even called him the "new Dylan." He later joked about this in his song "Talking New Bob Dylan."

After his mother passed away in 1997, Loudon went through a difficult time. He thought he might not be able to write music anymore. But he recovered and released the album Last Man on Earth in 2001.

Loudon's Personal Life

Loudon Wainwright III has been married twice. His first marriage was to singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle. They had two children, Rufus and Martha. Both Rufus and Martha are also talented musicians.

Later, Loudon had a relationship with singer Suzzy Roche. They had a daughter named Lucy Wainwright Roche, who is also a musician. Loudon and Suzzy are still friends and sometimes perform together with Lucy.

His second marriage was to Ritamarie Kelly. They have a daughter named Alexandra (Lexie) Kelly Wainwright. Since 2015, Loudon has lived with Susan Morrison, an editor for The New Yorker magazine.

Discography

Studio albums

Filmography

• M*A*S*H (1974–1975) (TV) .... Capt. Calvin Spalding, the singing surgeon. (3 episodes)
• Saturday Night Live (1975) (TV) .... Season 1, episode 5 (Musical guest)
• The T.V. Show (1979) (TV) .... Dead Man on Telethon/Spinal Tap keyboardist
• The Slugger's Wife (1985) .... Gary
• Jacknife (1989) .... Ferretti
• 28 Days (2000) .... Guitar guy
• Undeclared (2001) (TV) .... Hal Karp
• Ally McBeal (2002) (TV) .... Jerome Trouper
• Big Fish (2003) .... Beamen
• The Aviator (2004) .... Coconut grove vocalist No. 2
• The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) .... Priest
• Elizabethtown (2005) .... Uncle Dale
• For Your Consideration (2006) .... Nominee Ben Connelly
• Knocked Up (2007) .... Dr. Everett Howard (also composed music)
• G-Force (2009) .... Grandpa Goodman
• Parks and Recreation (2009) (TV) .... Barry (Episode 1)
• Person of Interest (2012) (TV) .... Mr. Frey
• Sleepwalk with Me (2012) .... Uncle Max
• Mosaic (2018) .... Casey Delacroix/Dennis Klein

See also

In Spanish: Loudon Wainwright III para niños