Ryan Adams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ryan Adams
Adams performing in 2015
Background information
Birth name	David Ryan Adams
Born	(1974-11-05) November 5, 1974 (age 50) Jacksonville, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres	Rock alternative country folk rock indie rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter record producer
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano banjo bass guitar harmonica percussion
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Bloodshot Lost Highway PAX AM Blue Note Capitol

David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer and songwriter who plays rock and country music. He is known for writing a large number of songs and has released over 30 studio albums. He was also a member of the band Whiskeytown.

In 2000, Adams began his solo career after leaving Whiskeytown. His first album, Heartbreaker, was praised by critics. His next album, Gold (2001), became very popular and included the hit single "New York, New York".

Adams is a very productive artist. He released the rock-style album Rock N Roll in 2003. He also formed a backing band called The Cardinals, and together they released four albums. In 2009, Adams took a break from music because of health issues with Ménière's disease, which affects hearing and balance.

He returned to music in 2010 and has continued to release albums. In 2015, he released 1989, which was a cover of Taylor Swift's entire album of the same name. In 2019, he paused his career after facing public criticism. He later apologized and began releasing music again in 2020.

Besides his own music, Adams has produced albums for famous artists like Willie Nelson and Fall Out Boy. He has also written two books of poetry and short stories.

Early Life and First Bands

David Ryan Adams was born on November 5, 1974, in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He had a difficult childhood. His father left when he was five, and his family had to live with his grandparents. Adams has said his grandparents were very important to him and that his grandmother was like a mother to him.

When he was eight, Adams started writing short stories on his grandmother's typewriter. He was inspired by writers like Edgar Allan Poe. At age 14, he started learning to play the electric guitar and joined a local band called Blank Label.

Adams left high school when he was 16 to focus on music. He played in several local bands before moving to Raleigh. There, he started a new chapter in his music career.

Career

Whiskeytown

After his early bands broke up, Adams co-founded the band Whiskeytown. With this band, he started playing alt-country, a style that mixes country music with rock. The band was inspired by country-rock artists like Gram Parsons.

Whiskeytown quickly became popular with critics. Their second album, Strangers Almanac, was released on a major record label. The band recorded a third album, Pneumonia, but it was not released until 2001. By then, the band had already broken up.

Going Solo

In 2000, Adams released his first solo album, Heartbreaker. It had a folk music style and featured guest vocals from singers like Emmylou Harris. The album was a critical success.

His next album, Gold (2001), made him famous. The single "New York, New York" had a music video filmed just before the September 11 attacks. The video was shown often on MTV and VH1, which helped Adams reach a wider audience.

Adams continued to write and record a lot of music. In 2002, his label released Demolition, an album made of songs from different recording sessions. In 2003, he released the album Rock N Roll and two EPs (short albums) that later became the full album Love Is Hell. Love Is Hell included a popular cover of the Oasis song "Wonderwall".

The Cardinals

In 2005, Adams formed a backing band called The Cardinals. Together, they released two albums in one year: Cold Roses and Jacksonville City Nights. Cold Roses was a double album, meaning it had enough songs for two records.

Adams performing with The Cardinals in 2008.

During this time, Adams also worked with other famous musicians. He became friends with Phil Lesh from the Grateful Dead and performed with him. He also produced an album for country legend Willie Nelson called Songbird.

With The Cardinals, Adams released the album Easy Tiger in 2007 and Cardinology in 2008. In 2009, Adams announced he was leaving The Cardinals and taking a break from music. He said he was having health problems, including Ménière's disease, which affects hearing.

Return to Music

After a short break, Adams returned to music in 2010. He started his own record label called PAX AM. Through his label, he released a metal-influenced album called Orion on vinyl. He also released Cardinals III/IV, an album he had recorded with The Cardinals years earlier.

In 2011, he released the solo album Ashes & Fire, working with famous producer Glyn Johns. The album was nominated for a Brit Award.

In 2014, Adams released a self-titled album, Ryan Adams. A song from that album, "Gimme Something Good," was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Recent Work

In 2015, Adams released a unique project: a full cover of Taylor Swift's album 1989. His version was a rock-style re-imagining of her pop songs. The album was a success and even charted higher than Swift's original album in its 48th week.

His next album of original songs was Prisoner, released in 2017. In 2019, Adams planned to release three albums, but they were put on hold after he faced public criticism for his past behavior.

Adams returned in December 2020 with the surprise release of the album Wednesdays. He followed this with Big Colors in 2021 and Chris in 2022, completing a trilogy of albums. Since then, he has released several more albums, including covers of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska and Oasis's (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. In 2024, he surprise-released four new studio albums at once.

Discography

Studio albums

Cover albums

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Ryan Adams para niños