Madeleine Peyroux
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Madeleine Peyroux | ||
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 Madeleine Peyroux
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| Background information | ||
| Born | 1974 Athens, Georgia, United States |
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| Genre(s) | Jazz | |
| Occupation(s) | singer | |
| Instrument(s) | singing | |
| Label(s) | Rounder, Atlantic | |
| Website | http://www.madeleinepeyroux.com/ | |
Madeleine Peyroux (b. 1974) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
Peyroux (pronounced 'Peru' or 'Pear-roo') is noted for her vocal style, which is highly reminiscent of Billie Holiday.
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[edit] Early life
Peyroux was born in Athens, Georgia. Her family was in academia, and she has described her parents as "hippies". Her father moved the family to Brooklyn when Peyroux was six, so he could pursue a career in acting. She grew up in New York City and southern California, and when her parents divorced, she moved with her mother to Paris. [1]
[edit] Career
Peyroux started singing at the age of fifteen, when she discovered street musicians in the Latin Quarter in Paris. She joined a group called the Riverboat Shufflers, first passing round the hat, and then singing. At sixteen she joined the Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band, spending two years touring Europe performing songs by the likes of Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and others, which provided the basis for her first album, Dreamland.
Dreamland was released in 1996, and gained widespread attention. Time called it "the most exciting, involving vocal performance by a new singer this year". Peyroux soon found herself opening for Sarah McLachlan and Cesaria Evora, and made appearances at jazz festivals and on the Lilith Fair tour.
Peyroux spent much of the next six years busking in Paris, performing occasionally in clubs in the U.S., and generally living a low-key existence. She continued to contribute to works by other artists, but rarely appeared in clubs under her own name.
In May 2002 she joined multi-instrumentalist William Galison, and together they appeared at such venues as the Bottom Line, Joe's Pub, and the Tin Angel. In 2003 the duo released a seven-song EP entitled Got You on My Mind, which they sold at shows and online. Got You on My Mind was re-released by William Galison in August 2004; the original EP was expanded by the addition of four tracks by Gallison.
Peyroux released her own sophomore effort, Careless Love, in September 2004. The album received generally positive reviews.
Her new album, Half the Perfect World, was released on September 12, 2006. She collaborated with several artists, including Jesse Harris, Walter Becker, Larry Klein (who also produced the album), and k.d. lang, with whom Peyroux duets on a cover of the Joni Mitchell song, "River".
[edit] Image
Peyroux eschews publicity and keeps a low profile. She has dropped "out of sight" for extended periods of time, as when she spent several years busking after the release of her first record.
In August 2005, while on tour in Europe, she failed to show up for an appearance on British television. Her record company became concerned that Peyroux had disappeared and alerted the media, even going so far as to hire a private detective. To their embarrassment, she was quickly found with her manager in New York. [2]
[edit] Pop Culture
Peyroux's well recognized ballad Don't Wait Too Long was featured in a National Television Advertising Campaign for Dockers San Francisco brand apparel.
[edit] Discography
- 1996: Dreamland (Atlantic)
- 2004: Got You on My Mind, with William Galison (Waking Up)
- 2004: Careless Love (Rounder)
- 2006: Half the Perfect World (Rounder)
[edit] External links
- Madeleine Peyroux — Official site for Madeleine Peyroux
- Madeleine Peyroux on MySpace — Official MySpace page for Madeleine Peyroux
- Madeleine Peyroux — Peyroux's UK record company site
- Madeleine Peyroux — brief biography by Richard Skelly for All Music Guide
- Madeleine Peyroux Fan site — Information on Madeleine and discussion board
- Madeleine Peyroux singing I'm All Right on YouTube
