Sheryl Crow

The ‘90s was a decade where female singers flourished on the charts and onstage, and Sheryl Crow helped define the sound of “’90s Women Rock.” Armed with a solid roots-rock songwriting sensibility and a positive outlook, she crafted tunes ranging from sunshiny, feel-good rock to poignant ballads. Despite the happy-go-lucky feel of many of her hits, make no mistake: Crow worked hard and overcame many stumbling blocks to earn her the many Grammys and other accolades she has achieved throughout her career.

Born in Kennett, MO, on February 11, 1962, Sheryl Suzanne Crow was destined for a music career, with a trumpet-playing father and a singing mother who both performed in swing orchestras. Crow learned to play piano from her mother, who also served as a piano teacher. By age 13, Crow had written her first song. She continued her musical pursuits, majoring in the field at the University Of Missouri. It was there she joined a cover band, Cashmere, for whom she played keyboards. Another cover band, P.M., followed suit after college, and she also taught music to autistic children and sang advertising jingles.

By 1986 she moved to Los Angeles to make larger inroads into a musical career. In addition to advertising jingles, she landed a slot on Michael Jackson’s “Bad” tour, where she served as a backup singer for two years. Continuing her search for a record deal was not an easy task. For many years labels sought female pop stars, but were not as willing to take a chance on the kind of roots-rock style that Crow favored. This proved a difficult time for Crow, who suffered a couple bouts of depression while struggling to make it. Thankfully, she persevered, launching a career as a session vocalist for renowned artists such as Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Sting, Sinead O’Connor, and Don Henley (whom she toured with as well). Artists, including Eric Clapton, Wynonna Judd and Celine Dion, recorded some of her own songs. Through her session work she met producer Hugh Padgham, who got her the record deal she sought, with A&M records.

Due to Padgham’s pop style, the album did not echo Crow’s sensibilities. The album was shelved, but a couple year’s later then-boyfriend and engineer Kevin Gilbert introduced her to industry pros Bill Bottrell, David Baerwald, David Ricketts, Brian MacLeod and Dan Schwartz. The collective, Tuesday Night Music Club, worked on material together and Crow was the focal point.

Produced by Bottrell, Crow’s official debut, titled after the collective, was released in 1993. The album was a slow burner, but eventually spawned several hits including “Leaving Las Vegas,” “Strong Enough,” “Can’t Cry Anymore” and the wildly-popular-to-this-day “All I Wanna Do.” The album earned her three Grammys in 1995 and made Crow a star.

In 1996, Crow’s self-titled release hit the streets. Many of its songs flew up the charts, including “If It Makes You Happy,” “Everyday Is A Winding Road,” and “A Change Would Do You Good.” It was another favorite at the Grammys, earning Best Rock Album and Best Female Rock Vocal (“If It Makes You Happy”), and it went on to sell triple platinum.

In 1997 she joined Lilith Fair, with whom she toured several times. Her third album, The Globe Sessions, came out in 1998. It spawned two hits, “My Favorite Mistake” and “Anything But Down,” and garnered her another Grammy for Best Rock Album. In 1999 Crow, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Nicks and Sarah McLachlan, among others, performed a live concert in New York’s Central Park. The album Live In Central Park chronicled the event, and Crow’s song from the compilation, “There Goes The Neighborhood,” brought her another Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal. That same year, she also won a Grammy for her cover of Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” which appeared on the movie soundtrack Big Daddy.

Crow served as a producer for several tracks on Stevie Nicks’ 2001 record, Trouble In Shangri-La as well as recorded “Picture,” a duet with Kid Rock that appears on Cocky. By 2002 Crow release C’mon C’mon, which debuted on the charts at number two and produced the smash hits “Soak Up The Sun” and “Steve McQueen.” In September 2005 Crow released Wildflower.