Elvis Costello

Biography

Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author, and television host. According to Rolling Stone, Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical traditions of Bob Dylan and Van Morrison with the raw energy and sass that were principal ethics of punk", noting the "construction of his songs, which set densely layered wordplay in an ever-expanding repertoire of styles". He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Grammy Awards and two Ivor Novello Awards, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016.

Born into a musical family, Costello was raised with knowledge and appreciation of a wide range of musical styles and an insider's view of the music business. His professional career as a musician coincided with the rise of punk rock in England. The primitivism brought into fashion by punk led Costello to disguise his musical knowledge at the beginning of his career, but his stylistic range has come to encompass R&B, country, jazz, baroque pop, Tin Pan Alley and classical music. His debut album, My Aim Is True (1977), produced no hit singles but contains some of his best-known songs, including the ballad "Alison". Costello's next two albums, This Year's Model (1978) and Armed Forces (1979), helped define the new wave genre. From late 1977 until early 1980, all of his singles reached the UK Top 30, including his biggest hit "Oliver's Army" (1979). He has had more modest commercial success in the US but has earned much critical praise. From 1977 until the early 2000s, Costello's albums regularly ranked high on The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll, with This Year's Model and Imperial Bedroom (1982) voted the best album of their respective years. His biggest US hit single, "Veronica" (1989), reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

For most of his early career, Costello performed with a backing band, the Attractions. He has released album-length collaborations with the classical ensemble the Brodsky Quartet, the songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint, and the hip-hop group the Roots. His current backing band are known as the Imposters. Costello has written more than a dozen songs with Paul McCartney and had a long-running songwriting partnership with Burt Bacharach. He has had hits with cover versions of songs, including Sam & Dave's "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down", Jerry Chesnut's "Good Year for the Roses", and Charles Aznavour's "She". One of his best-known songs, "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding", was a cover version of a song by Nick Lowe's group Brinsley Schwarz, which had remained obscure until Costello's 1979 version. Costello's own songs have been recorded by artists including Linda Ronstadt, George Jones, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Dave Edmunds, Chet Baker, and Alison Krauss.

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