Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for heroptimistic andidealistic subject matter, and incorporation of various genres into herrock-oriented sound, includingblues,country,folk, andpop.
Crow was born on February 11, 1962,[3] inKennett, Missouri, the daughter of Bernice (née Cain), a piano teacher, and Wendell Wyatt Crow, a lawyer and trumpet player.[4][5][6][7] Her great-grandfather was CongressmanCharles A. Crow (1873–1938).[citation needed] She has two older sisters, Kathy and Karen, and a younger brother, Steven.[8]
She then enrolled at theUniversity of Missouri inColumbia and in 1984 received a BS Ed degree[11] in music education.[12] While at the university, she sang in the local band Cashmere. She was a member of theKappa Alpha Theta sorority,Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women, and theOmicron Delta Kappa honor society, as well as working as a summer welcome orientation leader.[13]
After graduating from theUniversity of Missouri, Crow worked as a music teacher at Kellison Elementary School inFenton, Missouri.[14] Teaching during the day gave her the opportunity to sing in bands on the weekends. She was later introduced to local musician and record producerJay Oliver. He had a studio in the basement of his parents' home inSt. Louis and helped her by using her in advertisingjingles. Her first jingle was a back-to-school spot for the St. Louis department storeFamous-Barr. Soon after, she sang in commercial jingles forMcDonald's andToyota. She was quoted in a60 Minutes segment as saying she made $40,000 on the McDonald's ad alone.[15]
In 1989, Crow contributed backing vocals to theNeal Schon track "Smoke of the Revolution" from his albumLate Nite.[20]
Crow also sang in the short-livedSteven Bochco dramaCop Rock series finale in 1990 and her song "Heal Somebody" appeared in the filmBright Angel. In 1991, her recording of "Welcome to the Real Life" featured on the soundtrack to theBrian Bosworth action filmStone Cold. Later that year, her performance of "Hundreds of Tears" was included on thePoint Break soundtrack and she sang a duet withKenny Loggins on the track "I Would Do Anything", from his albumLeap of Faith.
In 1992, Crow recorded her first attempt at a debut album withSting's record producerHugh Padgham.[21] The self-titled debut album was due to be released in September 1992,[22] but Crow and her label mutually decided that the album did not merit release.[23] Crow described it as "too produced" and "slick".[24] However, a handful of cassette copies of the album were leaked, along with press folders for album publicity. This album has been widely dispersed viafile sharing networks and fan trading. In the meantime, Crow's songs were recorded by major artists such asCeline Dion,Tina Turner andWynonna Judd.[25]
Crow began datingKevin Gilbert and joined him in an ad hoc group of musicians known to themselves as the "Tuesday Music Club".[26] The group existed as a casual songwriting collective prior to its association with Crow; however, it rapidly developed into a vehicle for her debut album after Crow's arrival. Group members Gilbert,David Baerwald, andDavid Ricketts (both formerly ofDavid & David),Bill Bottrell,Brian MacLeod, and Dan Schwartz share songwriting credits with Crow on her debut album,Tuesday Night Music Club,[16] released in 1993. Her relationship with Gilbert became acrimonious soon after the album was released, and disputes arose about songwriting credits.[16]Tuesday Night Music Club featured many of the songs written by Crow's friends, including the second single, "Leaving Las Vegas". The album was slow to garner attention, until "All I Wanna Do" became an unexpected smash hit in October 1994.[27] The singles "Strong Enough" and "Can't Cry Anymore" were also released, with the first song ("Strong Enough") charting at No. 5 on theBillboard Hot 100 and "Can't Cry Anymore" hitting the Top 40.[28]Tuesday Night Music Club went on to sell more than 7 million copies in the US andUK during the 1990s. The album also won Crow threeGrammys at the37th Annual Grammy Awards in 1995:Record of the Year,Best New Artist andBest Female Pop Vocal Performance.[16]
Crow collaborated onScott Weiland's 1998 album,12 Bar Blues. Also in 1998, Crow releasedThe Globe Sessions. During this period, she discussed in interviews having gone through a deep depression, and there was speculation about a brief affair withEric Clapton. The debut single from this album, "My Favorite Mistake", was rumored to be about Clapton, but Crow says otherwise—that the song is about a philandering ex-boyfriend.[35][36] Crow has refused to say who the song was about, tellingBillboard magazine on the release of her album, "Oh, there will be just so much speculation, and because of that there's great safety and protection in the fact that people will be guessing so many different people and I'm the only person who will ever really know. I'm really private about who I've had relationships with, and I don't talk about them in the press. I don't even really talk about them with the people around me."[37] Despite the difficulties in recording the album, Crow told theBBC in 2005 that, "My favorite single is 'My Favorite Mistake'. It was a lot of fun to record and it's still a lot of fun to play."[38] The album won Best Rock Album at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999. It was re-released in 1999, with a bonus track, Crow's cover of theGuns N' Roses song "Sweet Child o' Mine", which was included on the soundtrack of the filmBig Daddy. The song won a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000.[39] Other singles included "There Goes the Neighborhood", "Anything but Down", and "The Difficult Kind". Crow's live recording of "There Goes the Neighborhood" won a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the43rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2001.[40]The Globe Sessions peaked at No. 5 on theBillboard 200 chart, achieving US sales of 2 million as of January 2008.[41] Later in 1998, Crow took part in a live concert in tribute toBurt Bacharach, contributing vocals on "One Less Bell to Answer".[42]
Crow has been involved with theScleroderma Research Foundation (SRF) since the late 1990s, performing at fund-raisers and befriendingSharon Monsky. In 2002, as a result of her friend Kent Sexton dying fromscleroderma, she interrupted work on her new albumC'mon, C'mon to record the traditional hymn "Be Still, My Soul", to be played at his funeral. In November of that year it was released as a single, with the proceeds going to SRF.[45]
Her fourth studio album,C'mon, C'mon, was released in 2002, spawning the hit single "Soak Up the Sun". The second single, "Steve McQueen", won the Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy at the45th Annual Grammy Awards in 2003.[46]
Crow opposed the2003 invasion of Iraq, wearing a shirt that read "I don't believe in your war,Mr. Bush!" during a performance onGood Morning America and posting an open letter explaining her opposition on her website.[47] At a performance withKid Rock at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, she wore a large peace sign and a guitar strap with the words "No War".[48] She showed support for injured soldiers in 2003 by playing her guitar and singing to individual patients atWalter Reed Army Medical Center.[49]
She recorded the song "Kiss That Girl" for the filmBridget Jones's Diary. She also recorded a cover version ofThe Beatles' song "Mother Nature's Son" for the filmI Am Sam. Crow sang a duet with rock artist Kid Rock on the crossover hit single "Picture", from Kid Rock's 2001 albumCocky. She also assisted him on the track "Run Off to LA".
Crow collaborated withMichelle Branch on the song "Love Me Like That" for Branch's second album,Hotel Paper, released in 2003.[50]
Her fifth studio album,Wildflower, was released in September 2005. Although the album debuted at No. 2 on theBillboard charts, it received mixed reviews and was not as commercially successful as her previous albums. In December 2005, the album was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, while Crow was nominated for a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy for the first single "Good Is Good" at the48th Grammy Awards. However, she ultimately lost in both categories toKelly Clarkson. The album got a new boost in 2006 when the second single was announced as "Always on Your Side", re-recorded with British musicianSting and sent off to radio, where it was quickly embraced onAdult Top 40. The collaboration with Sting resulted in a Grammy nomination forBest Pop Collaboration With Vocals at the49th Grammy Awards. As of January 2008,Wildflower has sold 949,000 units in the United States.[41]
Also in 2005, Crow contributed "Real Gone", the opening track to thesoundtrack forDisney andPixar's 2006 animated filmCars.[52] Crow was diagnosed with early-stagebreast cancer in mid-February 2006, her doctors stating that, "Prognosis for a full recovery is excellent."[53]
Crow's first concert after her cancer diagnosis was on May 18 of that year inOrlando, Florida, where she played to over 10,000 information technology professionals at the SAP Sapphire Convention. Her first public appearance was on June 12, when she performed at theMurat Theater inIndianapolis,Indiana. She also appeared onLarry King Live onCNN on August 23, 2006. In this show, she talked about her comeback, her breakup withLance Armstrong, her past job as Michael Jackson's backup singer, and her experience as a breast cancer survivor.
In early 2007, Crow was scheduled to sing at an annual benefit concert for theCardinal Glennon Children's Hospital that sportscasterBob Costas hosts every year. Her performance was opposed byCatholic ArchbishopRaymond Leo Burke due to her position on abortion. Burke resigned as chair of the medical center's board of governors when Crow's appearance was confirmed.[54]
Crow wrote a foreword for the bookCrazy Sexy Cancer Tips, a book written byKris Carr that was based on her 2007 documentary filmCrazy Sexy Cancer. Crow contributed hercover of the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" on the soundtrack for theDreamWorks animated filmBee Movie in November 2007.[55] She contributed background vocals toRyan Adams's song "Two" from his albumEasy Tiger.
Crow returned with her sixth studio albumDetours, which was released on February 5, 2008.Detours debuted at No. 2 on the USBillboard 200 chart selling close to 92,000 copies in its first week and an additional 52,000 copies in its second week.[56] In support of the new album, Crow launched a 25-date tour withJames Blunt, and the lineup includedreggae groupToots and the Maytals after being handpicked by Crow who said they are one of her favorite bands.[57]
Detours was recorded at Crow'sNashville, Tennessee farm. Her son, Wyatt, makes an appearance on the song "Lullaby for Wyatt", which is featured in the movieGrace Is Gone.
"Shine Over Babylon" was the first promotional single from the album (download only). The first official single released from the album was "Love Is Free", followed by "Out of Our Heads". As of 2010,Detours had sold more than 700,000 copies worldwide.
A&M Records re-released Crow's debut album,Tuesday Night Music Club, as a deluxe version 2CD/DVD set on November 17, 2009. The released included the single "Killer Life", which charted moderately inadult album alternative radio. The bonus CD contains unreleased songs and B-sides, and a new mix of "I Shall Believe". The DVD features music videos for each of the album's singles.
In August 2008, Crow (in partnership with Western Glove Works) launched a jeans brand, Bootheel Trading Company.[58]
In 2010, Crow contributed the original spoken-word track "My Name Is Mwamaroyi" to theEnough Project andDowntown Records'Raise Hope forCongo compilation. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo's women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo.
In July 2011, Crow performed at the opening night of theCheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.[62] Animal welfare campaigners had urged her not to, alleging animal cruelty at the event. Almost 13,000 people signed a petition calling on Crow not to perform.[63]
On September 20, 2011, it was announced that Crow will write the music and lyrics forDiner, a new musical inspired by the critically acclaimed 1982 filmDiner. The show initially had an intended run onBroadway planned for the fall of 2012 though it eventually opened inArlington County, Virginia in 2014 and was directed and choreographed byTony Award winnerKathleen Marshall.[64]
Crow was invited by journalistKatie Couric to write the theme song for her new talk-show,Katie.[67] The song, titled "This Day", was nominated for aDaytime Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Original Song.[68]
On November 1, 2012, Crow released an original song she called "Woman in theWhite House" that was made available for a free download. As the title suggests, the country-flavored tune defends the idea of a womanpresident. Mixed reviews from critics ranged from "sort of patronizing and gender essentialist" to "good-natured and well-intentioned". The song, praised for its tongue-in-cheek lyrics, was commented on by country singerBrad Paisley, who characterized it as "all in good fun".[69] The song was later released for digital download oniTunes and a portion of the proceeds were donated to theAmerican Red Cross to aid in the recovery effort in the wake ofHurricane Sandy.[70]
Also in 2012,VH1 ranked Crow at No. 25 as one of the100 Greatest Women in Music.[71]
In 2011, Crow separated from her label, A&M Records. The singer followed Nashville neighbor Brad Paisley's advice and, after being introduced to producer Justin Niebank and several Nashville-based songwriters such asChris DuBois,Luke Laird andChris Stapleton, she started her first country music project in 2013.[72][73]
In 2013, Crow signed a recording contract withWarner Music Nashville and, a few months later, released "Easy", the first single from the upcoming album, which became her first top twentycountry radio hit and her highest charting lead single since 2005.[74]Feels Like Home was released on September 10, 2013, and debuted at number seven on theBillboard 200 with first-week sales of over 36,000 copies, becoming Crow's ninth top ten album.[75]
Crow duets with Americana artistRodney Crowell on the track "I'm Tied To Ya" from his albumClose Ties which was released in March 2017. Crow's tenth studio album,Be Myself, was released on April 21, 2017.[83] It was co-produced by Crow,Jeff Trott andTchad Blake, and is the first time the latter has appeared on one of Crow's studio albums sinceThe Globe Sessions in 1998.Be Myself was described by Crow as a return to the sound of her nineties work, and intentionally eschews the country-influenced sound of her previous album.[84][85] In an interview withRolling Stone, Crow said that she did not enjoy the country radio promotional process: "It was more political than I expected... You do lots of free [shows] for radio stations in trade for getting played between three and four in the morning. And that's just not how other formats work, and that goes against my grain. I'm too old to allow that for myself, and to spend any night away from my kid for that is not justified."[86]
Crow's 2019 albumThreads features contributions from, among others, Don Henley,Joe Walsh, Sting, Stevie Nicks,Willie Nelson, and Keith Richards. While promoting her UK tour, Crow released "Wouldn't Wanna Be Like You" featuringSt. Vincent and revealed that she intended forThreads to be her final album, citing the impossibility of releasing something that could follow-up such a gathering of artists. She added that she would continue to write and tour and would potentially release short-form music akin toextended plays.[87][88]
In 2019, it was reported that Crow was among hundreds of artists whose material had been destroyed in the2008 Universal fire.[89] Crow had initially toldBBC News that the master and safety back-ups for her first seven albums were lost in the fire. However, in a 2022 interview withThe Line of Best Fit, Crow revealed that her masters had in fact not been lost, stating that "luckily, they found most of mine in a different area."[90][91] In 2022,Sheryl, aShowtime documentary film directed by Amy Scott chronicling her career, premiered at theSouth by Southwest film festival.[92]
Crow announced that she recorded a new studio album, her twelfth,Evolution, on November 3, 2023.[93] The news arrived just ahead of her induction into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame that same day. The album was released March 29, 2024. It was preceded by the single "Alarm Clock".[94] Also in 2024, she contributed guitar to a re-release ofMark Knopfler's "Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero" in aid of theTeenage Cancer Trust.[95] On October 25, 2024, she released the single "Light A Candle", proceeds of which would be donated to theAmerican Red Cross,[96] supporting communities affected by hurricanes and tropical storms in 2024, includingHurricanes Helene andMilton.[97]
Early in her career, Crow performed extensively with a 1962Gibson Country Western guitar which was her personal favorite, but she eventually feared that it would not stand up to the rigors of continued touring and stage use, and in 1999 askedGibson to build her a replica for use on stage. The manufacturer responded by introducing a "Sheryl Crow" model in their Signature Artist Series, which is essentially a re-creation of the square-shouldered 1962-era Country Western model.[103] In 2013, Gibson also introduced a limited edition "Sheryl CrowSouthern Jumbo", a reissue of the slope-shouldered predecessor of the 1962-era Country Western.[103]
Crow has had several high-profile romantic relationships. In the late 1990s, she dated musicianEric Clapton and actorOwen Wilson.[104][105] The song "Safe and Sound" on the albumC'mon, C'mon was dedicated to Wilson and, according to the album's liner notes, was an account of their relationship.[106] Crow began dating cyclistLance Armstrong in 2003. The couple announced their engagement in September 2005, but jointly announced they had split on February 3, 2006.[107] According to Crow, she has been engaged two other times but never married.
In November 2011, Crow was diagnosed with ameningioma, the most common kind ofbrain tumor, usuallybenign, for which she continued to have regular follow-up exams.[118][119]
Crow, Sheryl; White, Chuck (2011).If It Makes You Healthy: More than 100 delicious recipes inspired by the seasons (1st ed.). New York:St. Martin's Press.ISBN978-1429996365.
^"Wyn Cooper: A Serendipitous Career". Academy of American Poets. n.d. Archived fromthe original on September 3, 2009. RetrievedAugust 23, 2009.Cooper, who had been quietly stringing together teaching gigs and establishing his reputation as a poet, was soon receiving royalty checks big enough to allow him to stop working.
^Errico, Marcus (July 10, 1996)."Wal-Mart Bans Sheryl Crow's Next Album". E!.Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. RetrievedAugust 23, 2009.Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, is refusing to carry Crow's upcoming album, because one song says the chain sells guns to kids.
^Hull, Anne; Jones, Tamara (July 20, 2003)."The War After the War".The Washington Post.Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. RetrievedJuly 3, 2013.