Shawn Colvin is a singer-songwriter and solo recording artist, best known for her 1997 Grammy Award-winning song “Sunny Came Home”.
Albums:
- Night on the Town (album) – vocals on Barren Ground, Stander on the Mountain, Lost Soul, Special Night
- Greatest Radio Hits
Instruments:
Website: www.shawncolvin.com
Shawn Colvin early life and musical beginnings
Shawn Colvin was born in 1956 in Vermillion, South Dakota, and raised in Illinois and Ontario. She began playing guitar at age 10, inspired by folk, rock, and country music. These influences shaped her career as a singer-songwriter, known for her confessional style.
Breakthrough and Grammy success
After years of struggling with personal challenges, Colvin gained recognition in the late 1980s. Her debut album, “Steady On” (1989), won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. In 1996, she reached wider success with “A Few Small Repairs”, featuring “Sunny Came Home,” which earned two Grammys in 1998 for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Musical style and collaborations
Colvin’s music blends folk, rock, and pop, exploring personal themes of relationships and self-discovery. She is known for her narrative-driven songwriting, often drawing from her own life.
Work with Bruce Hornsby
Shawn Colvin recorded Lost Soul on Bruce’s Night on the Town record. She credits him with helping her start out in her career.
Posting on Facebook, Shawn said, “Bruce championed me before I even had a record deal. I made a pest of myself when I met him at Grateful Dead tribute gig in New York back in ‘88 – I pushed my demo tape on him, and by God, he called me the very next day. That never happens. Meant the world to me. Then, when I got the worst review of my life the next year in the New York Times, I called him to whine. He laughed at me and ran off to find the file where he kept all his bad reviews. He read them to me and put it all in perspective. Love this guy.”
Legacy and continued career
Shawn Colvin remains an influential figure in the folk and acoustic genres. Her personal, introspective lyrics and acoustic sound have inspired many singer-songwriters, and her collaborations with artists like Bruce Hornsby have enriched her musical journey. Colvin continues to tour and release music, reflecting her honesty and resilience.