Edie Brickell

Edie Brickell
Brickell performing in 2011
Brickell performing in 2011
Background information
Birth nameEdie Arlisa Brickell
Born (1966-03-10) March 10, 1966 (age 58)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
GenresAlternative rock, folk rock, jam rock, jangle pop, neo-psychedelia, bluegrass
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, guitarist
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1985–present
LabelsGeffen
Member of
Spouse
​
(m. 1992)​

Edie Arlisa Brickell (born March 10, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter widely known for 1988's Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, the debut album by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, which went to No. 4 on the Billboard albums chart. She is married to singer-songwriter Paul Simon.

Early life

Brickell was born in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, to Larry Jean (Sellers) Linden and Paul Edward Brickell.[1][2] She was raised with her older sister, Laura Strain. She attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts[3] in Dallas, and later studied at Southern Methodist University[4] until she joined a band and decided to focus on songwriting.

Music career

Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

In 1985, Brickell was invited to sing one night with friends from her high school in a local folk rock group, New Bohemians. She joined the band as lead singer. After the band was signed to a recording contract, the label changed the group's name to Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. Their 1988 debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, became a critical and commercial success, including the Top Ten single "What I Am". The band's follow-up album, Ghost of a Dog (1990), was a deliberate effort to highlight the band's eclectic personality and move away from the pop sound of their first record.[5]

In these first two albums and subsequent tours Brickell became known as a singer who could create lyrics on the spot. Of this talent she said, "It's nothing special...strange thoughts are always running through my head."[6]

The band sporadically played gigs after the album Ghost of a Dog in 1990, and in 2006 released Stranger Things.[7][8] In 2018 they announced their latest album, Rocket, along with dates for a US tour.[9] The band released their fifth studio album Hunter and the Dog Star in 2021 available on CD and vinyl.[10]

Solo career

Brickell had a role as a folk singer in the 1989 film Born on the Fourth of July. Her version of Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" is featured on the film's soundtrack. She also sang a cover version of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" in the 1990 film Flashback.

As a solo artist, Brickell released Picture Perfect Morning (1994) and Volcano (2003). The video for Picture Perfect Morning's "Good Times" was included as part of the multimedia samples featured on Microsoft's Windows 95 Companion CD-ROM.[11] In 1992, she worked with producer Bob Wiseman in New York and Toronto on a collection of songs, utilizing a wind ensemble, unusual keyboards, and Ron Sexsmith. The songs were rejected by the record company and remain unreleased.

The Gaddabouts

In 2010, Brickell became a founding member of new band The Gaddabouts, consisting of Steve Gadd on drums, Edie Brickell as lead vocalist and guitar, Andy Fairweather Low on electric and acoustic guitars and background vocals, Pino Palladino on bass and guitar, and featuring Dan Block, Ronnie Cuber, Joey DeFrancesco, Gil Goldstein, and Marcus Rojas.[12] In 2011, Brickell wrote the title track, "The Meaning of Life", for Tamar Halpern's film, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life.

Edie Brickell and Steve Martin

Love Has Come for You was released on April 23, 2013. The album is a collaboration with Steve Martin.[13] Both appeared on talk shows, such as The View and Late Show with David Letterman, to promote the album in April 2013.[14][15][16][17]

Starting in May 2013, she toured with Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers throughout North America.[18]

In 2016, the musical Bright Star – to which she contributed music, lyrics, and story[19] – opened on Broadway at the Cort Theatre.

In 2017, Brickell and Martin appeared in the documentary film The American Epic Sessions directed by Bernard MacMahon. They recorded "The Coo Coo Bird", a traditional English folk song,[20] live on the first electrical sound recording system from the 1920s.[21] The track appeared on the accompanying soundtrack, Music from The American Epic Sessions.

Heavy MakeUp

In 2023, Brickell became the founding vocalist of new band Heavy MakeUp, alongside brass player CJ Camerieri and trumpeter Trever Hagen. The band combines vocals, synth, brass, and drum machines in their music. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2023, and their sophomore album, Here It Comes, was released in 2024.

Personal life

Brickell married singer-songwriter Paul Simon on May 30, 1992.[22] It was her first marriage and Simon's third. Brickell was performing "What I Am"[23][24] on NBC's Saturday Night Live on November 5, 1988, when she noticed Simon standing in front of the cameraman. "Even though I'd performed the song hundreds of times in clubs, he made me forget how the song went when I looked at him. We can show the kids the tape and say, 'Look, that's when we first laid eyes on each other.'" Brickell and Simon have three children, Adrian, Lulu, and Gabriel.[25][26]

Discography

Albums

Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

Solo

Other

Singles

  • "What I Am" (Edie Brickell & New Bohemians) (1988) No. 7 on Billboard Hot 100 |UK No. 31
  • "Circle" (Edie Brickell & New Bohemians) UK No. 74
  • "Love Like We Do" (Edie Brickell & New Bohemians) UK No. 139
  • "Little Miss S." (Edie Brickell & New Bohemians) (1989)
  • "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" (Edie Brickell & New Bohemians) (1990) UK No. 83
  • "Mama Help Me" (Edie Brickell & New Bohemians)
  • "Good Times" (Edie Brickell) No. 60 on Billboard Hot 100
  • "Pretty Little One" (Steve Martin and Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell)[31]
  • "Like to Get to Know You" (duet with Paul Simon) (2014)[32]

Other contributions

References

  1. ^ Paul Simon profile, paul-simon.info; accessed March 17, 2016.
  2. ^ Profile, familysearch.org; accessed March 17, 2016.
  3. ^ "Dallas performing, visual arts school set for Taste of the Arts". The Dallas Morning News. February 16, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2008.
  4. ^ "Edie Brickell and New Bohemians [Two Shows]". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  5. ^ "Decade of Difference: Edie Brickell". WNRN. April 4, 2019. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  6. ^ Stepko, Barbara. "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians". Seventeen. Vol. 48, no. 4. pp. 105–106.
  7. ^ David Dye (September 7, 2006). "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians: Starting Over". Npr.org. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
  8. ^ "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians join Erwin Center Harvey benefit lineup | Austin Music Source". Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  9. ^ Strowe, Jeff (September 14, 2018). "Music News: Iggy Azalea and Edie Brickell Highlight the New List of Shows". Dallas Observer. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  10. ^ "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians Master Mood with 'Hunter and the Dog Star' (ALBUM REVIEW)". glidemagazine.com. February 18, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  11. ^ Manes, Stephen (August 1, 1995). "Personal Computers: What Is Windows 95 Really Like?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  12. ^ "The Band". The Gaddabouts. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  13. ^ Thompson, Stephen (April 14, 2013). "First Listen: Steve Martin And Edie Brickell, 'Love Has Come For You'". Npr.org. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  14. ^ Bauer, Scott (April 22, 2013). "Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's 'Love Has Come For You': Collaboration A Perfect Blend of Traditional, Modern". HuffPost. AP. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  15. ^ "The Late Show Video – Steve Martin & Edie Brickell". Cbs.com. April 24, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  16. ^ "April 24, 2013 - The View TV". Beta.abc.go.com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  17. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (April 19, 2013). "Something Old-Time, Something New: Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's 'Love Has Come For You'". The New York Times. p. AR20.
  18. ^ "Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell Announce North American Tour". SteveMartin.com. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  19. ^ "The Bright Star Team". Brightstarmusical.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  20. ^ "The Cuckoo / The Coo Coo Bird (Roud 413; G/D 6:1157; Henry H479)". mainlynorfolk.info. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  21. ^ "American Epic: The Collection & The Soundtrack Out May 12th | Legacy Recordings". Legacy Recordings. April 28, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  22. ^ Dixon, Ken (April 26, 2007). "Music Hall of Fame Proposed for State". Connecticut Post. Bridgeport, CT. Article ID 5761094 (fee required).
  23. ^ "Bricknell's Bohemian Debut". The Washington Post. November 13, 1988.
  24. ^ Purden, Richard (February 27, 2021). "Edie Brickell on life with Paul Simon, and working with Willie Nelson and Steve Martin". The Herald. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  25. ^ "Paul Simon tour 2018: Who is the Simon & Garfunkel star's wife?". Express. February 5, 2018.
  26. ^ Agrawal, Vandita (September 5, 2022). "Who Are Paul Simon's Children?". Grunge. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  27. ^ Budnick, Dean (February 19, 2021). "Track By Track: Edie Brickell & New Bohemians 'Hunter and the Dog Star'". Relix Media. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021.
  28. ^ Baltin, Steve (April 1, 2021). "Q&A: Edie Brickell On The Band's Stellar New Album, 'Hunter And The Dog Star'". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021.
  29. ^ Edwards, Fred (August 20, 2015). "Steve Martin & Edie Brickell Announce Second Album 'So Familiar'". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  30. ^ Major, Michael (July 12, 2023). "Edie Brickell, CJ Camerieri & Trever Hagen to Release New Album as Heavy MakeUp". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  31. ^ "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on July 27, 2014.
  32. ^ Simon & Brickell release new duet, theguardian.com; accessed March 20, 2015.
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