May 21, 2010

8 pm. Stuart's Opera House welcomes back acclaimed singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III to Nelsonville With a career spanning over forty years, Wainwright continues to be a force in the world of music. I was signed to Atlantic Records in 1969. The first album came out in 1970 and the career's been up and down ever since. I suppose if you were writing my obituary today you'd refer to 1972's Dead Skunk 1 in Little Rock Arkansas for six weeks and my 3 appearances on the MASH TV show in 1975 as Capt. Calvin Spaulding, the singing surgeon. Hopefully you'd mention my two Grammy nominations for the albums I'm Alright 1985 and More Love Songs 1986. And you'd remember and include the fact that Johnny Cash recorded my song The Man Who Couldn't Cry for his highly acclaimed 1994 album American Recordings. Undoubtedly your editor would remind you to say something about last summer's BBC II TV show, Loudon And Co. and the topical songs I've been writing for N.P.R. and Ted Koppel's Nightline on ABC. If and when you do write the obituary I'm sure Virgin Records would be happy to supply you with any photos you might require. You'll probably want to finish off the piece with a quote from one of the fabulous songs which have appeared on the 15 great albums I've made. How about this one from the most recent album Grown Man He died on Monday where he lived, it happens to us all Shot through the air expecting nets, flight and then a fall. - Human Cannonball, 1995

Arts/Music/Film