Composer
Liz Phair
American musician
b. 1967
6 works in the index
- Born
- 1967
- Birthplace
- New Haven
- Citizenship / historical state
- United States
- Period (estimated from birth year)
- Contemporary
Biography
Elizabeth Clark Phair (born April 17, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career in San Francisco; however, she returned to her home in Chicago, where she began self-releasing audio cassettes under the name Girly-Sound. The tapes led to a recording contract with the independent record label Matador Records.
Phair's 1993 debut studio album, Exile in Guyville, was released to acclaim; it has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Phair followed this with her second album, Whip-Smart (1994), which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and Whitechocolatespaceegg (1998). Ten years after the release of her debut, Phair's fourth album, Liz Phair (2003), released on Capitol Records, moved towards pop rock, earning her a mainstream audience but alienating critics; the single "Why Can't I?" peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100.
After the release of her fifth album, Somebody's Miracle (2005), Phair left Capitol and released her sixth album Funstyle independently in 2010. In 2018, it was announced that Matador Records would be releasing a retrospective set for Phair's debut album Exile in Guyville, which includes remastered recordings from her original Girly Sound demo tapes. Phair released her seventh studio album, Soberish, in 2021. As of 2026, Phair has sold over five million records worldwide.
Biography excerpt from Wikipedia contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting and reference markers have been removed; the introduction may be shortened. View contributors and article history.
Life and musical career
- Occupations
- singer-songwriter; singer; guitarist; composer; recording artist; film director; musician
- Education
- Oberlin College; New Trier High School
- Genres
- rock music; alternative rock; indie rock; lo-fi music; pop rock
- Official website
- https://www.lizphairofficial.com/
- VIAF ID
- 443149106004468490106
- ISNI
- 0000000117423833
- GND ID
- 134911652
- Library of Congress ID
- nr97016245
- MusicBrainz ID
- 149326c2-b8a3-48e3-b3d2-9b5b9593127f
Recorded in Wikidata. Affiliations may refer to earlier stages of the composer's career.
In this catalogue
- Common listed instruments
- Guitar, Piano, Voice, Vocal
- Genres represented
- Rock, pop, Pop
- Works with composition dates
- 0 of 6
These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.
Catalogue
Works
Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.
| Work | Year composed | Catalogue / opus | Key in title | Listed instruments | Genre | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why Can't I | — | — | — | Piano, Guitar, Voice, Vocal | Rock, pop | 4 |
| Supernova | — | — | — | Piano, Guitar, Voice, Vocal | Rock, pop | 4 |
| Polyester Bride | — | — | — | Guitar | Rock, pop | 3 |
| Fuck And Run | — | — | — | Guitar | Rock, pop | 2 |
| Never Said | — | — | — | Piano, Guitar, Voice | Rock, pop | 3 |
| F*** And Run | — | — | — | — | Rock, Pop | 2 |
Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. Authority record: VIAF 443149106004468490106. Portrait: Anthony Bauer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.