Jenny Lewis | |
|---|---|
 Lewis performing in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jennifer Diane Lewis |
| Born | (1976-01-08)January 8, 1976 (age 49) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Origin | San Fernando Valley, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Indie rock,alternative country,indie folk,indietronica |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals,keyboards,guitar,bass,harmonica |
| Years active | 1982–1998, 2008–present (acting) 1998–present (music) |
| Labels | Team Love,Warner Bros.,Brute/Beaute,Saddle Creek,Barsuk,Third Man |
Jennifer Diane Lewis[1] (born January 8, 1976)[2][1] is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and keyboardist for the indie rock bandRilo Kiley.
Lewis gained prominence in the 1980s as a child actress, appearing in the filmsTroop Beverly Hills (1989) andThe Wizard (1989) and the television seriesBrooklyn Bridge (1991–93). In the mid-1990s, Lewis semi-retired from acting to focus on her musical career, and formed Rilo Kiley in 1998 with fellow former child actorBlake Sennett. Rilo Kiley released four albums before they disbanded in 2014.[3]
Lewis has released five solo albums:Rabbit Fur Coat (2006),Acid Tongue (2008),The Voyager (2014),On the Line (2019), andJoy'All (2023). In addition to Rilo Kiley and her solo career, Lewis has been a member ofThe Postal Service,Jenny & Johnny, andNice as Fuck.[4]
Lewis was born inLas Vegas.[1] Her mother, Linda, was a professional singer, and her father, Eddie Gordon, was a member of the Harmonica Gang.[5][6][7] Lewis is ofAshkenazi Jewish descent.[8]
Lewis made her professional debut in aJell-O commercial. She later appeared in commercials forMattel'sBarbie[9] and Baby Skates[10] dolls,Toys "R" Us toy stores,[11] theBlack & Decker Popcorn Maker,[12] andKellogg'sCorn Pops,[13] among others. She was featured in the short-lived 1986Lucille Ball sitcomLife With Lucy, where she was cast as one of Lucy's grandchildren. She also had small roles on TV shows, such asMurder, She Wrote;The Twilight Zone (1985);Baywatch;The Golden Girls;Growing Pains;Just the Ten of Us;Roseanne;Mr. Belvedere; andBrooklyn Bridge. She also appeared on a kids' week episode of the game showCard Sharks on August 6, 1987, at age 11, winning $500, but she did not win her match.[14]
Lewis appeared in over a dozen teen movies, such asTroop Beverly Hills andThe Wizard in 1989. She was featured in the 1996made-for-TV movieTalk to Me withYasmine Bleeth, as well as the filmsFoxfire,Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even, andPleasantville. She played the part of Evangeline "Eva" Saint Claire in the 1987 film version ofHarriet Beecher Stowe's novelUncle Tom's Cabin, and also appeared in the 1988 made-for-TV filmA Friendship in Vienna, set in Vienna at the start of the Holocaust. She playedBeverly D'Angelo's daughter in the 1996 made-for-TV filmSweet Temptation. She continued acting until 1998, although her final movie –Don's Plum, filmed 1995–96 – went unreleased until 2001. In 2015, she appeared in theNetflix movieA Very Murray Christmas as a waitress and sang a few songs, including "Baby, It's Cold Outside" in a duet withBill Murray.
In 1998, Lewis and friends Pierre De Reeder, Dave Rock, and then-boyfriendBlake Sennett formed the bandRilo Kiley. (Rock was eventually replaced byJason Boesel.) In an interview withNPR'sAll Songs Considered, Lewis remarked that she wanted to name the group Love's Way (after her parents'lounge act in Las Vegas), but Sennett "didn't go for it."[15] Originally asked to sing back-up vocals by Sennett, Lewis refused to join the band unless she was able to sing lead vocals.[16]
Beginning with a country sound, Rilo Kiley gravitated toward a downbeatindie rock sound, gaining the attention ofWarner Bros., who signed the band (via its own imprint, Brute/Beaute Records) for the release of their 2004 albumMore Adventurous, which gained the band some success. Critics such asPitchfork attributed this to the "wise" decision to emphasize Lewis's voice and presence more so than in previous albums.[17] The song "Portions for Foxes" was a hit. Rilo Kiley's 2007 albumUnder the Blacklight was released directly byWarner Bros.
In 2011, Sennett hinted that Rilo Kiley had disbanded.[18] Lewis confirmed the band's split in 2014.[19]
A retrospective of Lewis's career by Jessica Roy in 2016 commented that Lewis was a style icon to a certain type of music-loving young people in the 2000s. Roy commented:
For a particular brand of suburban girl who fancied herself cooler than her peers, Jenny was a fire-haired figure of worship. With her endless supply of cool sunglasses, vintage dresses, and hats ... she was a beacon of hope for introspective teens ... as a microgenerational sad-girl touchstone, many of us have our own Jenny Lewis Anecdote, our lives touched by her magnificent tweeness in different ways.[20]
In 2004,Conor Oberst invited Lewis to record a solo record for record labelTeam Love. Described by Lewis as "a kind of soul record"[citation needed],Rabbit Fur Coat (released January 24, 2006) features contributions from Oberst,M. Ward, andMaroon 5 guitaristJames Valentine.Ben Gibbard ofDeath Cab for Cutie guests on a cover ofThe Traveling Wilburys' "Handle With Care".The Watson Twins provide accompaniment on the album, billed as Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins. Lewis toured with the Watson Twins in support of the album three times in 2006 and appeared with her band on theLate Show with David Letterman,The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,Late Night with Conan O'Brien andLater with Jools Holland. They also appeared on a Washington, D.C.–based children's music program calledPancake Mountain, performing the song "See Fernando". The album received positive reviews, withEntertainment Weekly writing, "Consider Lewis theEmmylou Harris of theSilverlake set"[21] andRolling Stone commenting that "her girlishly seductive vocals are more versatile than ever".[22]The A.V. Club,Spin, andNPR music criticMeredith Ochs named it among the best albums of the year.[23][24][25]
In 2008, Lewis released a second solo album, this time without the Watson Twins, titledAcid Tongue.
On July 29, 2014, Lewis releasedThe Voyager. The album took five years to complete and is a reflection on Rilo Kiley's break-up and the death of her father.[26] The release of the album was preceded by the single "Just One of the Guys".[27] The music video for "Just One of the Guys" was released on July 15, 2014, throughGQ and stars Lewis,Anne Hathaway,Kristen Stewart,Brie Larson, andTennessee Thomas, former drummer ofThe Like (now disbanded).[28] Lewis also directed the music video.
On July 8, 2014, Lewis began "The Voyager" tour at theOttawa Bluesfest in Ontario, Canada. She spent July of that year touring the United States. Her tour included performances atNewport Folk Festival,Lollapalooza,Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, theRed Rocks Amphitheatre, the 2014iTunes Festival in London, two performances at theAustin City Limits Music Festival, and the Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas.
On January 23, 2019, Lewis announced the release date of her new albumOn the Line would be March 22, 2019.[29] The lead single "Red Bull & Hennessy" garnered positive acclaim.[30]
On June 9, 2023, Lewis released a new album,Joy'All. She'd started writing forJoy'All while on tour to promote her previous albumOn the Line (2019), shortly before the start of theCOVID-19 pandemic. Work resumed on the album in early 2021, when Lewis participated in a virtual songwriting workshop hosted byBeck.[31] The album was produced byDave Cobb, who Lewis met while visitingLucius at RCA Studio A inNashville, Tennessee.[32]
In 2002, Lewis was asked to contribute vocals for the bandThe Postal Service. Lewis performed in the video for "We Will Become Silhouettes", and toured with the band in 2013 and again in 2023.
In 2003, Lewis contributed vocals to several tracks on theCursive albumThe Ugly Organ.
In 2005, Lewis contributed to theUNICEF benefit song "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?", along with Sennett andJimmy Tamborello.
In 2006, Lewis made a cameo in Episode 25,Season 1 ofBob Dylan'sTheme Time Radio Hour, and six of her songs (three with theWatson Twins and three with Rilo Kiley) were featured in various episodes of the show.
In 2007, Lewis contributed vocals to various songs onJohnathan Rice's albumFurther North, and she appeared in the music video for "We're All Stuck Out In The Desert (And We're Gonna Die)". She provided vocals for a track onDntel'sDumb Luck LP.
In 2008, Lewis contributed backing vocals to several songs on theElvis Costello and the Imposters albumMomofuku.
Later that year, Lewis voiced the role of the assistant director forWalt Disney Pictures' animated filmBolt (2008), and she also provided the song "Barking at the Moon".[33]
In March and April 2009, Lewis traveled to Australia for the first time, as an act for theV Festival, as well as a supporting act forSnow Patrol and performing one soloSydney show.
On April 18, 2009, Lewis performed at theCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festival inIndio, California.
On May 5, 2009, Lewis performed onThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.[34]
Lewis makes an appearance on the track "Hard Enough", taken from the 2010 albumFlamingo by fellow Las VeganBrandon Flowers.
In 2013, Lewis created the music score forTribeca Film's featureVery Good Girls. She provided original music and also included older music from her previous band,Rilo Kiley, such as the song "Go Ahead".[35]
In 2014, Lewis contributed an exclusive track toHBO'sGirls, in collaboration withVampire Weekend'sRostam Batmanglij titled "Completely Not Me". The song was featured in the Season 3 premiere "Females Only". The song is the second track onGirls Volume Two: All Adventurous Women Do.[36]
In 2016, Lewis contributed toShe & Him's second Christmas album,Christmas Party, appearing on the track "Winter Wonderland".[37]
On June 25, 2019, Lewis performed "Wasted Youth" onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[38]
On October 28, 2019, Lewis is featured on the fifth issue ofArchie Comics' comic book seriesJughead's Time Police, released on October 30.[39]
On November 13, 2019, it was announced Lewis would be an opening act forHarry Styles on the North American leg of his 2020Love On Tour.[40]
In 2023, Lewis toured to support her new albumJoy'All. She also made appearances on dates forThe Postal Service reunion tour.[41]
In 2010, Lewis formed the duo Jenny and Johnny with her then-boyfriend, musicianJohnathan Rice, and the pair released an album titledI'm Having Fun Now onWarner Bros. Records. In 2015, Rice and Lewis wrote the song "Cold One" for the filmRicki and the Flash.
In 2016, the trioNice as Fuck, comprising Lewis, Erika Forster (ofAu Revoir Simone), andTennessee Thomas (ofThe Like), debuted at aBernie Sanders benefit. The group opened on a number of tour dates forM. Ward.[42][43]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Baby Makes Five | Laura Riddle | TV series; episode: "Pilot" |
| 1983 | It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown | Ruby (voice) | TV film |
| 1985 | Suburban Beat | Jennifer Morgan | TV film |
| 1985 | The Twilight Zone | Sarah (ghost child) | TV series; segment: "If She Dies" |
| 1986 | Convicted | Shelley Forbes | TV film |
| 1986 | Webster | Kim | TV series; episode: "The Truth Hurts" |
| 1986 | Life With Lucy | Becky McGibbon | TV series; 13 episodes |
| 1987 | Uncle Tom's Cabin | Evangeline "Little Eva" St. Claire | TV film |
| 1987 | The Golden Girls | Daisy (A Sunshine Cadet) | TV series; episode: "Old Friends" |
| 1987 | The Charmings | Sara | TV series; episode: "A Charming Halloween" |
| 1988 | A Place at the Table | Rachel Singer | TV film |
| 1988 | Who Gets the Friends? | TV film | |
| 1988 | My Father, My Son | Maya | TV film |
| 1988 | Trading Hearts | Yvonne Rhonda Nottingham | Film |
| 1988 | A Friendship in Vienna | Inge Dournenvald | TV film |
| 1988 | Mr. Belvedere | Kimberly | TV series; episode: "Braces" |
| 1988 | Growing Pains | Judy Jones | TV series; episode: "Ben's First Kiss" |
| 1988 | Baby M | Tuesday | TV miniseries |
| 1989 | Troop Beverly Hills | Hannah Nefler | Film |
| 1989 | Just the Ten of Us | Pamela | TV series; episode: "Puberty Blues" |
| 1989 | Have Faith | Angela | TV series; episode: "The Teacher" |
| 1989 | Shannon's Deal | Neala Shannon | TV film; later adapted as a TV series of the same name |
| 1989 | The Wizard | Haley | Film |
| 1989 | Roseanne | Diane | TV series; episode: "Five of a Kind" |
| 1989 | Free Spirit | Chris | TV series; episode: "Hallowinnie" |
| 1989 | Baywatch | Alex | TV series; episode: "Shelter Me" |
| 1990 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter | Melanie Benson | TV film |
| 1991 | Brooklyn Bridge | Katie Monahan | TV series; 18 episodes |
| 1991 | Line of Fire: The Morris Dees Story | Ellie | TV film |
| 1991 | Shannon's Deal | Neala Shannon | TV series; 11 episodes |
| 1991 | Runaway Father | Marcia | TV film |
| 1991 | Daddy | Melissa Watson | TV film |
| 1992 | Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even | Corinne | Film |
| 1994 | Murder, She Wrote | Leslie Walden | TV series; episode: "A Murderous Muse" |
| 1994 | Runaway Daughters | Laura Cahn | TV film; originally aired as an episode of the TV seriesRebel Highway |
| 1996 | Sweet Temptation | Jade Larson | TV film |
| 1996 | Run a Mile in My Shoes | Short film | |
| 1996 | Foxfire | Rita Faldes | Film |
| 1996 | Talk to Me | Kelly Reilly | TV film |
| 1997 | Little Boy Blue | Traci Connor | Film |
| 1998 | Pleasantville | Christin | Film |
| 1999 | Get Real | Meg O'Donnell | TV series; episode: "Anatomy of a Rumor" |
| 2000 | Once and Again | Jenny | TV series; episode: "Cat-in-Hat" |
| 2001 | Don's Plum | Sara | Film; filmed 1995–96, but unreleased until 2001 |
| 2008 | Bolt | Assistant Director (voice) | Film; also has two songs featured on the film's soundtrack |
| 2010 | American Dad! | Amy (voice) | TV series; episode: "Merlot Down Dirty Shame" |
| 2014 | Comedy Bang Bang | Herself | TV series; replacement bandleader, filling in forReggie Watts (episode: "Zach Galifianakis Wears a One-Armed Jacket") |
| 2015 | A Very Murray Christmas | The Waitress | TV film; Netflix Original |
| 2019 | Jenny Lewis' On the Line Online | Host | JennyLewis.com streaming special |
…singer Jenny Lewis in 1976 (age 42)
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
