Rufus Wainwright
Born: 1974
Came out to his mom: age 13
Quote: For me, being gay means being one who usually
gets the rotten side of the stick but who can handle it a little
better."
One of the most promising singer/songwriters his generation has seen,
Rufus Wainwright may be new to listeners, but he's been around. Rufus
began
playing piano at the age of six and later decided to become a
professional musician, penning several Canadian film soundtrack cuts in
his teens and performing
with his mother, Kate McGarrigle, of the McGarrigle Sisters. His dad is
American folkie Loudon Wainwright III.
At the tender age of 14, Wainwright was nominated for the Genie Award
(the Canadian equivalent of an Oscar) for best song from a film. At 25,
he won
1999's GLAMA award for best debut artist.
Although his dad's relationship was distant, he credits him with
offering support in music by sending him to boarding school to keep him
from "sitting
at home listening to Verdi's Requiem with all the lights off,"
Wainwright says. "The school in upstate New York was wonderful, like
Brideshead Revisited."
After touring the east coast in cafes, and letting his dad send tapes to
a few producers, David Geffen's DreamWorks signed this low-key pop
phenomenon, giving him free reign to record for two years. Wainwright's
self-titled debut album produced by Jon Brion (who also produced the new
and
improved Aimee Mann), has been critically lauded since its release.
Wainright's been called the "Best New Artist of 1998" (Rolling
Stone), and "one of the most whimsical and original young singer
songwriters to come
around in years" (New York Times). Rufus Wainwright is not to be
missed live, particularly for fans seeking a gay singer whose music
defies categories.
While most of his songs aren't specifically queer, some are sensual and
personal, and the love interest is almost always a man. 'The Greek Song"
recalls a
trip to Greece with aging Warhol star Cherry Vanilla, where the singer
hoped but failed (so he says) to "get laid" by cute Greek
boys.
But most of Wainwright's love songs were inspired by one person. "I met
this guy, and it was one of those 'one look at him and you're dead'
scenarios,"
he says. "That's only happened to me one time; I don't think you ever
get more intense than that. He was totally unavailable and ... you know
the feeling.
You know it will never work, and it'll end tragically, but you can't
help yourself." Perfect songwriting material.
Rufus says his main writing energy goes into making his songs as
palatable as possible. His opera influences add a flair that's been
compared to the late
Jeff Buckley. "A song has to seduce a listener," he says. "And a good
song will stick with you and come back to haunt you when you least
expect it to."
Between his first home in Montreal, and his recent move to Los Angeles,
the individualistic artist takes inspiration from diverse sources. "I'm
obsessed
with the operatic voice," he says. "Acoustically, it's the greatest
voice, the way it travels without a mike. But then I hate it when opera
singers do Christmas
specials and sing 'Jingle Bell Rock.'"
As for his private life, he's open about his drug use, wary of too-gay
environments like bars and nightclubs, and claims he often has sex with
straight men.
And even having a successful recording career leaves him wanting more.
"I want to be Bruce Lee. I want Bruce Lee's body, the voice of Dorothy
[Wizard of Oz], and Einstein's brains."
Just think about that combination for a minute.
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Rufus Wainwright
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