Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus, 25 August 1954) is an English singer and songwriter. He was born in London. He was an important musician in the late 1970s punk rock and new wave music styles. In the 1980s, he played an original style of rock and roll. Later he wrote and performed music in a number of different styles from classical to jazz.
Costello has won multiple awards in his career. These include a Grammy Award. He has twice been nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male. In 2003, Elvis Costello & the Attractions were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2004, "Rolling Stone" ranked Costello number 80 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
After two earlier marriages he married jazz pianist Diana Krall in 2003.
Costello appeared with his friend Burt Bacharach in the 1999 Austin Powers movie The Spy Who Shagged Me. They played "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" during the scene where Mike Myers danced with Heather Graham.
In 2010, Elvis Costello appeared as himself in David Simon's television series, "Treme".
In 2011, Elvis Costello appeared as himself on Sesame Street. He did a song with Elmo and Cookie Monster, titled "Monster Went and Ate My Red 2", a play on "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes".
Studio albums by Elvis Costello (includes albums released with the Attractions and the Imposters):
Costello has also released studio albums in collaboration with Richard Harvey, John Harle, Burt Bacharach, Anne Sofie Von Otter, Bill Frisell, Marian McPartland and Allen Toussaint, as well as five live albums: "Live at the El Mocambo", "Deep Dead Blue", "Costello & Nieve", "My Flame Burns Blue", and "Live at Hollywood High". There have also been many compilations, box sets, and reissues by labels such as Rykodisc, Demon, Rhino, and Universal Music Enterprises.
The Cure
The Cure are a British rock band. They formed in Crawley, West Sussex, England in 1976.
The Cure began in 1976 as 'Easy Cure'. It was formed by Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) together with schoolmates Michael Dempsey (bass), Lol Tolhurst (drums), and local guitarist Porl Thompson.
They began writing and demoing their own songs almost immediately, playing throughout 1977 in Southern England to an ever growing army of fans. In 1978 the 'Easy' was dropped, along with Porl, and an eager trio now known simply as The Cure were quickly signed to Chris Parry's new Fiction label.
In May 1979 their debut album "Three Imaginary Boys" was released to great acclaim, and as the band toured extensively around the UK, the singles “Boys Don't Cry” and “Jumping Someone Else's Train” were released. They supported Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias in 1979. Michael left the band at the end of the year, and Simon Gallup (bass) and Matthieu Hartley (keyboards) joined. In late 1979 the 4-piece Cure embarked on an exploration of the darker side of Robert's songwriting, and emerged with the minimalist classic Seventeen Seconds, along with their first real 'hit single' “A Forest.”
After an intense world tour Matthieu left the group, and in late 1980 the trio recorded an album of mournful atmospheric soundscapes entitled "Faith", which included another successful single in “Primary.”
The band then set out on a second trip around the world, named “The Picture Tour,” and they put out the single “Charlotte Sometimes.” In 1982 The Cure went back into the studio to record the album “Pornography” which had a dark mood. The trip was difficult for the band members, and the single “The Hanging Garden” came out just as Simon left the band.
Robert Smith and Lol Tolhurst were now the only band members. To feel better, the band chose to change the dark mood of the band into a more fun “pop” mood. So they recorded a dance single called “Let's Go To Bed,” and became good friends with the song's film-clip director, Tim Pope. The band continued into 1983 with two more fun singles: “The Walk” and “The Lovecats.”
In 1984 "The Top" was released, a strange hallucinogenic mix, which contained the infectiously psychedelic single “The Caterpillar.”
The world ‘Top Tour’ saw the band expand to a 5-piece, with the addition of Andy Anderson (drums) and Phil Thornalley (bass), and the return of Porl Thompson (guitar).
The new Cure sound was captured live for the album "Concert". Andy and Phil left soon after the end of the tour, and were replaced by Boris Williams (drums) and further returnee Simon Gallup (bass). This new incarnation started work on 1985's The Head On The Door with a very real sense of 'something happening'... The vibrant hit single “Inbetween Days” was followed up by “Close To Me,” and the ensuing world tour paved the way for the massive success of the singles collection "Standing On A Beach" in 1986. That summer saw the band headline the Glastonbury Festival for the first time, and a year of extensive gigs and festivals was crowned by Tim Pope's live concert film The Cure In Orange.
In 1987 The Cure brought out "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me", an immense double album of extreme and extraordinary stylistic range, and with the arrival of Roger O'Donnell on keyboards the 6-piece Cure traveled the world with the 'Kissing Tour', enjoying four more hit singles along the way. The wonderfully atmospheric "Disintegration" was demoed in 1988 and released in 1989, and despite being a work of powerful brooding grandeur, it too gave rise to four hit singles. The 'Prayer Tour' followed, with the band back down to a five-piece following the departure of Lol Tolhurst. It was captured live for the album "Entreat".
In early 1990 Roger O'Donnell left the group, and was replaced by long-time band friend Perry Bamonte, just in time for a series of headlining European festival shows that included the band's second Glastonbury headline slot. The album "Mixed Up" was released, supported by the re-mixed singles “Never Enough,” “Close To Me” and “A Forest,” and in 1991 The Cure at last won some long overdue “home” recognition with a Brit Award for “Best British Group.”
In 1992 they recorded "Wish", a richly diverse multi-faceted guitar driven album hailed by some as their best work to date. It spawned 3 fabulous hit singles, and the glorious ‘Wish Tour' that followed was a worldwide sell out. The sheer power of the shows inspired the release of two live works in 1993, Paris and Show. Immediately after the tour ended, guitarist Porl Thompson left the band again (this time with a smile!), and The Cure headlined the XFM 'Great Xpectations Show' in London's Finsbury Park as a 4-piece. The band also contributed ”Burn” to the film “The Crow” and covered “Purple Haze” for the Hendrix tribute album 'Stone Free'.
In 1994 Boris Williams decided to move on, and in early 1995 Jason Cooper took up residency behind the drum kit, with Roger O'Donnell rejoining once more on keyboards. Work on the next album was interspersed with recording “Dredd Song” for the film “Judge Dredd,” a cover of Bowie's “Young Americans” for an XFM album, and headlining several major European festivals, including the 25th Glastonbury. "Wild Mood Swings" was released in 1996, and went straight into almost every top ten around the world. The Cure hit the road once more with 'The Swing Tour', their longest to date, and released 4 more singles.
Galore, the follow up singles and video compilation to" Standing On A Beach", was released in 1997, after which work took place in 1998 on a variety of projects, including “More than This” for the “X Files” album, and a memorable appearance by Robert in “South Park” In 1999 the band completed the recording and mixing of what many regard as their best studio album so far, the Grammy Nominated" Bloodflowers". With its release in 2000 the band set off on the massive world-wide 'Dreamtour' - playing to more than a million people in 9 months.