Shawn Colvin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shawn Colvin |
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Colvin in 1995
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Shawna Lee Colvin |
| Born | January 10, 1956 Vermillion, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Origin | Carbondale, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1973–present |
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Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin on January 10, 1956) is an American singer and songwriter. She has been making music for many years. Shawn is most famous for her song "Sunny Came Home" which won a Grammy Award in 1997.
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Shawn Colvin's Early Life
Shawn Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. She grew up in Carbondale, Illinois, and also spent time in London, Ontario, Canada. Shawn is the second of four children in her family. She started playing the guitar when she was just 10 years old. Her dad had a great music collection, and she listened to artists like Pete Seeger and the Kingston Trio.
Shawn Colvin's Music Career
Shawn's first paid music job happened when she started college. She played at local places in Carbondale, Illinois. Later, she formed a band and they played all over Illinois. Shawn then moved to Austin, Texas, and joined a country-swing group called Dixie Diesels. After that, she explored the folk music scene in Berkeley, California. She had to take a break from singing at age 24 to rest her vocal cords.
Shawn later moved to New York City. In 1980, she joined the Buddy Miller Band. She also became part of the Fast Folk group in Greenwich Village. Shawn performed in off-Broadway shows like Pump Boys and Dinettes. In 1987, she sang backup for Suzanne Vega on the song "Luka".
First Albums and Awards
After touring with Suzanne Vega, Shawn signed a music contract. She released her first album, Steady On, in 1989. This album won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Her second album, Fat City, came out in 1992. It was nominated for a Grammy too. One of her songs, "I Don't Know Why," was also nominated for a Grammy.
In 1993, Shawn moved back to Austin. She released the album Cover Girl in 1994. In 1995, she released Live 88, which was a collection of her live performances from 1988.
Grammy-Winning Success
In 1996, Shawn released her album A Few Small Repairs. The next year, her song "Sunny Came Home" became a huge hit. It was number one on the Adult Contemporary chart for four weeks. This song won two big Grammy Awards in 1998: Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Shawn continued to release new music. She put out Holiday Songs and Lullabies in 1998. In 2001, she released Whole New You. A collection of her greatest hits, Polaroids: A Greatest Hits Collection, came out in 2004.
New Music and Collaborations
In 2006, Shawn Colvin joined a new record label, Nonesuch Records. She released the album These Four Walls. Other artists like Patty Griffin and Teddy Thompson helped with this album. In 2009, she released Live, which was recorded at a jazz club.
Shawn's eighth studio album, All Fall Down, came out in 2012. It was made with producer Buddy Miller. Famous singers like Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, and Jakob Dylan sang on the album. In 2016, she recorded an album with Steve Earle called Colvin and Earle. Her album A Few Small Repairs was re-released in 2017 for its 20th anniversary.
Shawn has also sung with many other artists. She has worked with James Taylor, Béla Fleck, Edwin McCain, and Bruce Hornsby. She sang a duet with Sting called "One Day She'll Love Me." She also sang on songs by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Shawn Colvin as an Actress
Shawn Colvin has appeared in several movies and TV shows. Some of her films include Grace of My Heart and Heartbreakers. She has also been on TV shows like The Larry Sanders Show, Suddenly Susan, and Baywatch. She even voiced a character named Rachel Jordan in two episodes of The Simpsons.
Shawn Colvin's Personal Life
Shawn Colvin has been married twice. She had a daughter in July 1998. Shawn also enjoys being active and has taken part in several triathlons. She wrote about her life experiences in her book Diamond in the Rough in 2012.
Awards and Recognition
Shawn Colvin has won several important awards for her music.
Grammy Awards
She has won three Grammy Awards:
- In 1991, her album Steady On won for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
- In 1998, her song "Sunny Came Home" won for Record of the Year.
- In 1998, "Sunny Came Home" also won for Song of the Year.
She has also been nominated for many other Grammy Awards for her albums and songs.
Other Awards
Shawn has received other awards too.
- In 1998, her music video for "Sunny Came Home" won an MVPA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Video.
- In 1999, "Sunny Came Home" won an ASCAP Pop Music Award for Most Performed Song.
- In 2016, she received the Americana Trailblazer Award at the Americana Music Honors & Awards.
Shawn Colvin's Music Albums
Here are some of the albums Shawn Colvin has released:
Studio Albums
- Steady On (1989)
- Fat City (1992)
- Cover Girl (1994)
- A Few Small Repairs (1996)
- Holiday Songs and Lullabies (1998)
- Whole New You (2001)
- These Four Walls (2006)
- All Fall Down (2012)
- Uncovered (2015)
- Colvin & Earle (2016, with Steve Earle)
- The Starlighter (2018)
- Steady On: 30th Anniversary Acoustic Edition (2019)
Compilation Albums
- Polaroids: A Greatest Hits Collection (2004)
- The Best of Shawn Colvin (2010)
Live Albums
- Live '88 (1995)
- Live (2009)
See also
In Spanish: Shawn Colvin para niños
