Steven Paul Smith, known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American musician and singer-songwriter. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he gained popularity. Smith's primary instrument was the guitar, though he also played piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and harmonica. He had a distinctive vocal style, characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery", and often used multi-tracking to create vocal layers, textures, and harmonies.
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, known as Sting, is an English musician and actor. He was the frontman, songwriter and bassist for new wave band the Police from 1977 until their breakup in 1986. He launched a solo career in 1985 and has included elements of rock, jazz, reggae, classical, new-age, and worldbeat in his music.
Good Will Hunting is a 1997 American psychological drama film directed by Gus Van Sant, and written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. It stars Robin Williams, Damon, Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård and Minnie Driver. The film tells the story of janitor Will Hunting, whose mathematical genius is discovered by a professor at MIT.
Richard Wayne Penniman, known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Architect of Rock and Roll", Richard's most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s, when his charismatic showmanship and dynamic music, characterized by frenetic piano playing, pounding back beat and powerful raspy vocals, laid the foundation for rock and roll. Richard's innovative emotive vocalizations and uptempo rhythmic music played a key role in the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk. He influenced singers and musicians across musical genres from rock to hip hop; his music helped shape rhythm and blues for generations.
The White Stripes were an American rock duo from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White and Meg White. They were a leading group of the 2000s indie rock and garage rock revival.
Jeffrey Scott Buckley, raised as Scott Moorhead, was an American musician. After a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, Buckley amassed a following in the early 1990s by performing cover songs at venues in East Village, Manhattan, such as Sin-é, while gradually focusing more on his own material. After rebuffing interest from record labels and Herb Cohen—the manager of his father, singer Tim Buckley—he signed with Columbia, recruited a band, and recorded what would be his only studio album, Grace, in 1994.
Christopher John Cornell was an American musician best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary lyricist for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a solo career and contributed to numerous movie soundtracks. Cornell was the founder and frontman of Temple of the Dog, a one-off tribute band dedicated to his late friend Andrew Wood. Several music journalists, fan polls and fellow musicians have regarded Cornell as one of the greatest rock singers of all time.
Either/Or is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Either/Or was recorded in several locations, mostly in Portland, Oregon – while Smith was still a member of Heatmiser – and was produced by Smith, Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf. Either/Or was released on February 25, 1997, on the Kill Rock Stars record label, following Heatmiser's dissolution. Book-ended by its two singles, "Speed Trials" and "Ballad of Big Nothing", Either/Or did not chart in the US, but was acclaimed by critics.
XO is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was recorded from 1997 to 1998 and released on August 25, 1998, by record label DreamWorks; Smith's first solo album on a major record label. Two singles, "Waltz #2 (XO)" and "Baby Britain", were released.
"Wichita Lineman" is a song written by the American songwriter Jimmy Webb in 1968. It was first recorded by the American country music artist Glen Campbell with backing from members of The Wrecking Crew and has since been widely covered by other artists. It has been referred to as "the first existential country song."
"Rooster" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains, featured on their second studio album, Dirt (1992), and released as the fourth single from the album on February 22, 1993. It is the fifth song on the original pressing of the album and sixth on others. The song was written by guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell for his father, Jerry Cantrell Sr., whose childhood nickname was "Rooster" and served with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Cantrell would later name his music publishing company as Rooster's Son Publishing. "Rooster" spent 20 weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 7.
"Nasty" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her third studio album, Control (1986). It was released on April 15, 1986, by A&M Records as the album's second single. It is a funk number built with samples and a quirky timpani melody. The single peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and remains one of Jackson's signature songs. The line "My first name ain't baby, it's Janet – Miss Jackson if you're nasty" has been used in pop culture in various forms. According to musicologist Richard J Ripani, Ph. D, the single is one of the earliest examples of new jack swing music.
Strange Parallel is a documentary short film revolving around the American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. The film was directed by Steve Hanft and released on October 15, 1998, and features interviews with Elliott himself as well as fans, friends and other acquaintances of his.
The discography of Elliott Smith, an American singer-songwriter, consists of six studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums and eleven singles.
"I Know It's Over" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. Recorded in 1985, it is the third track on their third studio album The Queen Is Dead.
New Moon is a posthumous compilation album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, released on May 8, 2007 by Kill Rock Stars. It contains twenty-four previously unreleased songs, most recorded between 1994 and 1997 during the sessions for Smith's albums Elliott Smith and Either/Or.
"Misery" is a song by American band Maroon 5. It was released on June 22, 2010 by A&M Octone Records, as the lead single from their third studio album Hands All Over (2010).
"Love Interruption" is a song by American musician Jack White. It was released by XL Recordings, Columbia Records, and Third Man Records as the lead single from his debut solo studio album, Blunderbuss (2012). The song was made available for digital download on January 31, 2012 and as a 7-inch vinyl single on February 7. Written and produced by White, the track is an Americana song and a blues ballad with lyrics that explore love using violent imagery. It features vocals from White and Ruby Amanfu, and its instrumentation includes the bass clarinet, the Wurlitzer electric piano, and the acoustic guitar. The song received positive reviews from critics, who contrasted it with musical elements prominent in White's earlier musical projects, especially the White Stripes. "Love Interruption" was the first single White released after the White Stripes dissolved, and it reached record charts in multiple countries.
"Take Away" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written by Elliott and Timbaland for her third studio album, Miss E... So Addictive (2001), while production was helmed by the latter, with Elliott and Craig Brockman served as co-producers. The downtempo track features guest vocals from R&B singer Ginuwine. While the album version of "Take Away" credits background vocals by 702 member, Kameelah Williams, the single version replaces Williams's vocals with then-newcomer, Elliott's former protégée Tweet.
Heaven Adores You is a 2014 documentary about the life and music of indie rock singer-songwriter Elliott Smith (1969–2003). It premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival on May 5, 2014.
