Stephen Lynch (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stephen Lynch |
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Lynch in 2008
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| Born | July 28, 1971 Abington Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Medium | Musician, comedy, television, theater |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Genres | Musical theatre, Stand-up comedy, Comedy rock, Country |
| Spouse | Erin Dwight (September 2003–present) |
| Relative(s) | Drew Lynch (brother) |
| Musical career | |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Labels | What Are Records? |
Stephen Andrew Lynch (born July 28, 1971) is an American comedian, musician, and actor. He is famous for his funny songs that make fun of everyday life and popular culture. Stephen Lynch has released several studio and live albums. One of his live DVDs, Live at the El Rey, was very popular. It was even certified Gold, meaning it sold many copies!
He appeared in two TV specials called Comedy Central Presents. He also starred in a Broadway musical, The Wedding Singer. For this role, he received nominations for important awards. In 2012, Lynch released a double album called Lion. A live concert video, Hello, Kalamazoo, came out in 2016. His 2019 album, My Old Heart, was also a mix of studio and live recordings. Many fans around the world love his unique musical comedy.
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Stephen Lynch's Early Life and Education
Stephen Lynch was born in Abington, Pennsylvania. His family later moved to Saginaw, Michigan. He has a younger brother named Andrew, also known as Drew. Drew also became an actor. Their parents, Leo R. and Judith (Hayes) Lynch, were both teachers. His father, Leo, also sang in a folk music group. Stephen Lynch shared that his parents always encouraged him and his brother to be creative. Their home was always full of music.
Stephen's father was also an actor. Stephen started performing with his dad in local plays when he was a child. The first musical he ever saw was Man of La Mancha. His father was in that play.
High School and College Years
Lynch performed in local plays and musicals during high school. He went to Arthur Hill High School and The Center for Arts and Sciences. He graduated in 1988. He received a scholarship for theater at The Catholic University of America. In 1990, he transferred to Western Michigan University. He earned a degree in drama in 1993. While at Western Michigan University, he started writing funny songs.
Lynch considers himself a musician first and a comedian second. He was inspired by singers like Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell when he was young. He decided to go into show business after watching the movie This is Spinal Tap. His first song, written at age 15, was a country song called "Beefy Burrito."
Stephen Lynch's Career Journey
Starting in New York City
After college, Lynch spent time in California. From 1993 to 1995, he worked at The Barn Theatre in Michigan. In 1996, he moved to New York City. He wanted to become an actor. A friend suggested he perform some of his funny songs. He quickly became popular in comedy clubs. He also appeared on radio shows. In his early years in New York, he worked temporary jobs. He stopped these jobs when he signed with a record label in 2000.
For several years, he toured colleges and clubs. He often avoided traditional comedy clubs. He also returned to Michigan for summer theater shows.
Becoming a Well-Known Performer
Lynch often performed in music venues, not just comedy clubs. These included places like the House of Blues and Carnegie Hall. He became widely known after his Comedy Central Presents special in 2000. This special was one of their most popular shows. He also appeared on other Comedy Central shows. He was a guest on Last Call with Carson Daly four times. He also performed at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Canada.
Lynch opened shows for many famous comedians. In 2004, he toured with Mitch Hedberg. This tour was very successful. It was Hedberg's last tour before he passed away.
Lynch also acted in five short films. One film, The Confetti Brothers, was shown at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. In 2002, he played a folksinger in the award-winning film Pillowfighter.
Live Shows and Broadway Debut
In 2004, Lynch recorded a concert at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. His brother Drew and friend Mark Teich joined him as backup singers. This concert was released as the Live at the El Rey DVD. The DVD included extra features, like a clip from one of his first performances.
In April 2006, Lynch starred as Robbie Hart in the Broadway musical The Wedding Singer. The musical was based on the 1998 movie. It ran on Broadway from April to December 2006. This was Lynch's first time on Broadway. He was nominated for several awards for his performance. After the show, he said he had forgotten most of his own songs because of all the rehearsals!
In 2007, Lynch toured again with comedians like Bob Saget. He also sang a song called "Two Feet Firm" for the movie The Ten.
European Tours and New Albums
Lynch had his second Comedy Central Presents special in January 2008. He also performed his first European tours in 2008. He played concerts in England, Sweden, Norway, and other countries. Most of these shows sold out, even though he had never played in many of those places before. Lynch believes YouTube helped him become popular in Europe. He even became known as "the Beyoncé of Scandinavia"! He played at several festivals in Europe in 2008. He returned to Europe in 2009 and toured the UK in 2010. His second studio album, 3 Balloons, was released in March 2009.
In February 2010, Lynch announced that a concert had been filmed in Portland, Oregon. The film was called An Evening with Stephen Lynch. However, Lynch was not happy with the recording. He decided not to release it. He said he hated it compared to his later shows.
In March 2011, Lynch announced he was working on a new CD. In June 2011, he performed in Sweden. His double album, Lion, came out in November 2012. It received good reviews.
In 2016, Lynch recorded a live show in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was called Hello, Kalamazoo and was released as a DVD.
Lynch started the My Old Heart Tour in January 2017. He wanted to try out new songs for his upcoming album. In February 2018, he announced the album was finished. He recorded a live album to go with it in March 2018. My Old Heart was released on June 14, 2019.
Lynch often toured with his friends and fellow comedians, Mark Teich and Rod Cone. He also toured with Courtney Jaye, who performed with him on the Lion album. He has also done shows with his brother Drew.
In 2021, Lynch announced "The Time Machine Tour." He updated the lyrics to his song "Time Machine" to include references to the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained that during the pandemic, he didn't feel creative. He focused on other things like cleaning and moving houses. He felt inspired again when he had tour dates to look forward to.
Lynch shared that as he turned 50, he started thinking about creating lasting work. He loves playing new songs for people and seeing their reactions. He enjoys changing and improving his material. He aims to get his songs to a point where he is happy with them before recording them.
Stephen Lynch's Personal Life
Stephen Lynch married Erin Dwight on a private beach in September 2003. Erin is usually the first person to hear his new song ideas. If she doesn't laugh, he often gives up on the idea. He said in 2011 that he tries to find humor in things that might not seem funny at first. He believes it's about the approach. He avoids being cruel or picking on people in his comedy.
Erin Dwight made a short film called Lynch and Teich in Brooklyn. She made it to show she missed her husband while he was touring. This film was included as an extra on his 2004 concert DVD, Live at the El Rey. She also helped create the cover for his album, The Craig Machine.
Lynch mentioned that his parents were not strict about religion. They were very liberal and had a great sense of humor. His father was part of a duo who sang at anti-war protests during the Vietnam War.
Stephen's father, Leo, passed away on October 9, 2009. Stephen canceled some shows but still performed at Central Michigan University a week later. He remembered his father's folk music trio, which was very popular. His father also sang at weddings and retirement homes.
Stephen Lynch's Music
Stephen Lynch has released several albums throughout his career. His first studio album, A Little Bit Special, came out in 2000. He followed this with live albums like Superhero in 2003 and The Craig Machine in 2005.
In 2009, he released 3 Balloons, his first studio album in many years. His 2012 album, Lion, was a special double album. It included both live and studio recordings. His most recent album, My Old Heart, released in 2019, was also a double album with live and studio tracks.
He also released a "clean" greatest hits album called Cleanest Hits in 2006.
Videography
Lynch has released two concert DVDs. The first was Live at the El Rey in 2004. This DVD was certified Gold. His second live video was Hello, Kalamazoo, released in 2016.
