# Orville Peck

Daniel Pitout (born January 6, 1988), known professionally as Orville Peck, is a South African country musician based in the United States and Canada — and widely known for often wearing a mask and not showing his face publicly.
He released his debut album Pony in 2019 followed by the EP Show Pony the next year. His second studio album Bronco was released in 2022. After a self-imposed hiatus in 2023, Peck released his third studio album Stampede in 2024. W Magazine said that his voice is a "deep, calm bass-baritone that recalls the bygone era of Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison; the (his) haunting guitar riffs drift between rockabilly, blues, and dreamy shoegazing distortions."
On March 31, 2025, Peck is set to make his Broadway debut as the Emcee in the revival of Cabaret at the August Wilson Theatre opposite Eva Noblezada as Sally Bowles.

## Early life

Peck was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and lived there until he was 15. As a child, he taught himself music by playing an acoustic guitar and an old Casio keyboard. His father is a sound engineer and Orville did voice-over work for cartoons and other media as a child. Growing up, he took ballet classes for 12 years and performed in musical theater productions. By his early 20s, he had been on national tours of musicals.
Orville Peck moved to London for a foundation degree in acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2014. He played Jonathan Harris/Peter Pan in the Mischief Theatre production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong at the Apollo Theatre in 2016.

## Career

Peck self-produced his debut album, Pony and released it in 2019 through a collaboration with Sub Pop. He has noted that he "wrote, produced and played every instrument he could" on the album while working in a coffee shop and living with his parents. In June of that year, he performed his songs "Dead of Night" and "Take You Back" live on CBC Radio One's Q. Pony was named to the initial longlist for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize in June 2019. The album received a Juno Award nomination for Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2020.
Also in 2019, Peck started an annual Orville Peck's Rodeo, which takes place in different cities across the US and brings in up-and-comers in the country music genre. He performed "Dead of Night" on Jimmy Kimmel Live on January 29, 2020. Peck announced a tour of selected cities in the United States including performances at the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals. In May 2020, he announced the follow-up to his debut album, an EP titled Show Pony, with a release date of June 12, 2020. In June 2020, he announced the delayed release of Show Pony until August 14, 2020, in recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement and the George Floyd protests. Peck recorded a cover of "Smalltown Boy" for the 2020 pride edition of the Spotify Singles series. The song was released exclusively on Spotify on June 29, 2020, and everywhere else on July 31, 2020.
In April 2021, Peck was featured on American drag queen and singer Trixie Mattel's EP, Full Coverage, Vol. 1. Peck appeared on a duet cover of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash's "Jackson". Although not credited in the liner notes for the EP, Trixie Mattel has confirmed that the whistle part in "Video Games" is Peck's whistle. In June, Peck was revealed to be the sixth artist on Lady Gaga's Born This Way The Tenth Anniversary, with Peck reimagining the song "Born This Way" in a country style.
On March 16, 2023, Peck made an appearance as a guest on the judge's panel on MTV's RuPaul's Drag Race, alongside RuPaul Charles, Michelle Visage, and Ross Mathews. In 2023, Peck was a coach and judge on My Kind of Country. On April 5, 2024, he released a cover of Ned Sublette's "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" with country singer Willie Nelson as the lead single from Stampede, Peck's third studio album and first duets album. The single marked his first release on Warner Records. He announced a headlining North American tour, The Stampede Tour which began on May 28, 2024, in Asheville, North Carolina. In May 2024, Peck released the duet "How Far Will We Take It?" with singer Noah Cyrus, the sister of Miley Cyrus. On June 7, 2024, Peck released the single "Midnight Ride" alongside Kylie Minogue and Diplo.

## Artistry
### Identity

It has been confirmed that Orville Peck is a persona of Daniel Pitout, drummer of the Canadian punk band Nü Sensae. It was previously speculated that Pitout was Peck based on the similarity of their tattoos and Peck's mentioning that he was in a punk band. Pitout was born in Johannesburg as was Peck. Pitout is also listed by ASCAP as the songwriter for Peck's song "Old River" and other songs which match the titles of the songs released by Peck, such as "Roses Are Falling".

### Influences

In an interview with National Public Radio on June 18, 2019, Orville said: "I've never raised cattle or anything like that, but I think I've been a cowboy my whole life." Peck strongly identifies with 1970s era country music and lists classic stars Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Bobbie Gentry, Reba McEntire, and Dolly Parton as his influences. Outside of country music, Peck has mentioned Roy Orbison, Oasis, Whitney Houston, and Lana Del Rey in addition to film directors David Lynch and John Waters as being influences.

## Personal life

Peck is gay. A shirtless selfie of Peck appeared in Out in April 2024, and an interview in the July 2024 issue of Paper was accompanied by semi-nude photos.
In 2008, Pitout posed unmasked for Gayletter. He has given various accounts of how he came to adopt a mask:
* In a 2019 interview with Vogue: "I just woke up one day and it was on my face, and it has always been there."
* In 2020: "The only reason I don't talk about it in depth is not because I want to dodge any questions, but because I want people to have their own take on it. I don't want to lay it out and pin it down. I just don't think that's important."
* In 2023: "fringed mask? I grew up loving country where there was an intersection between theatricality and very honest songwriting. Dolly's a perfect example—the big wigs, the crazy outfits, but it's her. For me, I was obsessed with the Lone Ranger, cowboys hiding their face, so that's what I wanted to do."
As of July 2024, Peck lives in Los Angeles. His home was featured in Architectural Digest in 2023.

## Awards and honors

Accolades for Orville Peck :
| Year | Award | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Category | Result |
| 2019 | Polaris Music Prize | Pony | Album of the Year | Longlisted |
| 2020 | Libera Awards | Himself | Best Breakthrough Artist | Won |
| 2020 | Libera Awards | Pony | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2020 | Libera Awards | Pony | Best Country Album | Won |
| 2020 | Libera Awards | "Dead of Night" | Video of the Year | Nominated |
| 2020 | Juno Awards | Pony | Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2021 | GLAAD Media Awards | Show Pony | Outstanding Breakthrough Artist | Nominated |
| 2021 | Queerty Awards | "Summertime" | Indie Music Vid | Nominated |
| 2022 | Queerty Awards | "Born This Way" | Anthem | Nominated |
| 2022 | Tom of Finland Foundation | Himself | Cultural Icon Award | Won |
| 2022 | Polaris Music Prize | Bronco | Album of the Year | Longlisted |
| 2023 | GLAAD Media Awards | Bronco | Outstanding Music Artist | Nominated |
| 2023 | Juno Awards | Bronco | Country Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2023 | Canadian Country Music Awards | Himself | Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year | Nominated |
| 2024 | GLAAD Media Awards | Himself | GLAAD Vito Russo Award | Won |
In June 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ pride parade, Queerty listed him among the 50 heroes "leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people".
In June 2022, Peck was given the Cultural Icon Award by the Tom of Finland Foundation, "for artistic achievement and immeasurable contributions to the art and culture of our community"; the award was previously presented to Rob Halford, Henry Rollins, Clive Barker, and John Waters. The USPTO registered "Orville Peck trademark (serial number 88665699) on June 2, 2020.

## Discography
### Studio albums

Overview of full-length studio albums by Orville Peck :
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Details | SCO | UK Amer. | UK DL | UK Cou. | US | US Cou. | US Folk | US Indie | US Rock |
| Pony | Released: March 22, 2019 Label: Sub Pop Format: CD, LP, cassette, digital download, streaming | — | 8 | — | 12 | — | — | — | 27 | — |
| Bronco | Released: April 8, 2022 Label: Columbia Format: LP, digital download, streaming | 22 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 80 | 11 | 4 | — | 13 |
| Stampede | Released: August 2, 2024 Label: Warner Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming | 19 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 159 | 33 | 18 | — | — |

### Extended plays

Overview of extended plays by Orville Peck :
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Details | UK Amer. | UK DL | US Cou. | US Folk | US Rock | US Sales |
| Show Pony | Released: August 14, 2020 Label: Columbia Format: vinyl, digital download, streaming | 8 | 17 | 46 | 8 | 50 | 20 |
| Bronco: Chapter 1 | Released: February 11, 2022 Label: Columbia Format: Streaming | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bronco: Chapters 1 & 2 | Released: March 11, 2022 Label: Columbia Format: Streaming | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Stampede: Vol. 1 | Released: May 10, 2024 Label: Warner | 27 | 38 | — | — | — | — |

### Singles
#### As lead artist

Overview of singles by Orville Peck :
| Title | Year | Album |
| "Big Sky" | 2018 | Pony |
| "Dead of Night" | 2019 | Pony |
| "Turn to Hate" | 2019 | Pony |
| "Summertime" | 2020 | Show Pony |
| "No Glory in the West" | 2020 | Show Pony |
| "Smalltown Boy" (Spotify Singles) | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Unchained Melody"/"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (as The Unrighteous Brothers with Paul Cauthen) | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Born This Way" (The Country Road Version) | 2021 | Born This Way The Tenth Anniversary |
| "Miss Chatelaine" (Iron Hoof Remix) (with k. d. lang) | 2021 | Non-album singles |
| "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" | 2022 | Non-album singles |
| "This Masquerade" | 2023 | A Song for Leon: A Tribute to Leon Russell |
| "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" (with Willie Nelson) | 2024 | Stampede: Vol. 1 |
| "Midnight Ride" (with Kylie Minogue and Diplo) | 2024 | Stampede |
| "Death Valley High" (with Beck) | 2024 | Stampede |
| "Permanently Lonely" | 2024 | Skincare |
| "Happy Trails" | 2024 | Non-album single |

#### As featured artist

Overview of singles featuring Orville Peck :
| Title | Year | Album |
| "Jackson" (Trixie Mattel featuring Orville Peck) | 2021 | Full Coverage, Vol. 1 |

### Guest appearances

| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
| "Intro" | 2020 | Diplo | Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 1: Snake Oil |
| "I'm Making Believe" | 2023 | King Princess | A Small Light (Songs from the Limited Series) |
| "This Is Nowhere" (Long Version) | 2023 | — | Hilda: Season 2 (Original Series Soundtrack) |
| "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" (Live at The Hollywood Bowl) | 2023 | — | Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 (Live at The Hollywood Bowl) |
| "Friends of Dorothy" | 2025 | The Wiggles | Wiggle Up, Giddy Up! |

### Music videos

Overview of Orville Peck music videos :
| Title | Year | Director |
| "Big Sky" | 2018 | Deni Cheng |
| "Dead of Night" | 2019 | Michael Maxxis |
| "Turn to Hate" | 2019 | Orville Peck Carlos Santolalla |
| "Hope to Die" | 2019 | Blake Mawson |
| "Nothing Fades Like the Light" | 2019 | Deni Cheng |
| "Queen of the Rodeo" | 2020 | Austin Peters |
| "Summertime" | 2020 | Drew Kirsch Taylor Fauntleroy |
| "No Glory in the West" | 2020 | Isaiah Seret |
| "Legends Never Die" (featuring Shania Twain) | 2020 | Cameron Duddy |
| "Jackson" (with Trixie Mattel) | 2021 | Assaad Yacoub |
| "C'mon Baby, Cry" | 2022 | Austin Peters |
| "Daytona Sand" | 2022 | Austin Peters |
| "The Curse of the Blackened Eye" | 2022 | Austin Peters |
| "Hexie Mountains" | 2022 | Austin Peters |

## Filmography

Television work by Orville Peck :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2021 | The Boulet Brothers' Dragula | Guest judge | Season 4, episode 3 |
| 2021 | This Is Pop | Host | Season 1, episode 5 |
| 2021 | Miley Cyrus Presents: Stand by You | Himself | Performed "Cowboy Take Me Away" with Cyrus |
| 2022 | Trixie Motel | Guest | Episode 3 |
| 2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Guest Judge | Season 15, episode 12 & 16 (Performer) |
| 2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked | Himself | Episode: "Untucked: Wigloose: The Rusical!" |
| 2023 | My Kind of Country | Himself | Winning coach |
Theatre work by Orville Peck :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2008 | West Side Story | Action | Royal City Musical Theatre |
| 2008 | The Producers | Ensemble | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| 2010 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | Joseph's Brother | Royal City Musical Theatre |
| 2016-2017 | Peter Pan Goes Wrong | Jonathan | Apollo Theatre, West End |
| 2025 | Cabaret | The Emcee | August Wilson Theatre, Broadway |