Latest news with #SteveEarle
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Q&A: Songwriting legend Steve Earle discusses legacy ahead of Long Center appearance
Genre-bending, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Steve Earle is coming to Lafayette this summer for the first time. Earle has included the stop at the Long Center for Performing Arts on June 18 among 49 others on something of a legacy tour called 'Fifty Years of Songs and Stories.' 'I'm 70,' he said. 'You start thinking about that kind of stuff.' Earle was surprised in late April by an invitation to become just the 76th living member of the Grand Ole Opry. 'This is kind of the biggest thing that has ever happened to me in my life,' he said on stage. The upcoming solo show will feature Earle's country and rock hits throughout the 50 years since he moved to Nashville from Houston at 19, and all the stories that accompany a career and life of wide-spanning musical accomplishment as well as failed relationships and a drug addiction that once made him essentially homeless. Though he's never visited, Earle isn't without a Lafayette connection. His fifth ex-wife (there have been six total), Teresa Ensenat, signed Guns N' Roses to its first record deal, discovering Lafayette native and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Axl Rose. "It was pretty crazy,' Earle said. 'I met (Rose) at a club show in Brooklyn. I run into Slash every once in a while.' Earle, still making music, has also lent his talents to acting, playwriting and book writing. 'That's what I am,' he says. 'I'm a writer.' Right now he lives in New York, waking at 6 a.m. to drive his son, who has autism, to school before 'desperately' working on the last three songs of a musical of the 1983 film 'Tender Mercies.' He hopes to have a draft done by the time his tour finishes. Earle recently discussed his reasons for planning the tour and some of the roads he's travelled along the way. The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity. Q. You mentioned thinking about legacy. When and how does that come up for you? A. The Opry was that. I campaigned pretty hard to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. I started going, and it's not like you make any money. I'm living here in New York. I lost money every time I played the Opry over the last three years, but I went pretty much once a month, and they were appreciative of it. By the time I made (1986 hit album 'Guitar Town'), I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to make credible country records, and that's what I did. My second record, 'Exit Zero,' is every bit as good a record as 'Guitar Town' is. There's some great songs on there I still play, songs I'm proud of. By the time I got to (1988's 'Copperhead Road') I consciously made my idea of a rock record, because I was dead at country as long as I was on that label, and I had seven more albums according to my contract. So it was sort of a desperation move and a survival move. After I got sober and got back (in 1996) I made that acoustic record, and then I made what were essentially rock records, and they were sort of based on Beatles records. And I just missed having steel guitar and fiddle on records. So later I added steel guitar, which I hadn't had in a long time. And I love those instruments. I love those sounds. It was unapologetically a country rock band, which is kind of what I've always been about. You're talking about country, rock, and all these genres in between. Where do you want your name to fit in? I'm always going to kind of be in the cracks. I'm never going to be in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Never going to be in the Rock Hall. I'm in the National Songwriters Hall of Fame. I'm in the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame. And those things are more important to me than they probably would have been if this was 20 years ago, I probably wasn't thinking about that. But now I'm 70 and I am. I'm a writer. I've got some musical talent, but lyrics is what I always did better than anything else. After I got sober, I started writing stuff outside of songs. I started writing some nonfiction stuff, a novel, 11 short stories, some poetry and one play, and now I'm doing the music for the one I'm working on now. Your tour includes big cities like Chicago and Dallas. Any particular reason for stopping in Lafayette and Anderson, Indiana? No, your agency lets the word out that you're going to be touring, and you get offers, and you start trying to put together something that you can actually reach. I've toured my bus in the States and Europe. Here, it makes a difference on shows I can do, because we sleep on the bus nearly every night and sometimes we're running 500 miles after a show. It just came up that was interesting, you know, my ex-wife signed Guns N' Roses. So I've always known (Lafayette) is where Axl Rose was from, right? So I knew those guys before their first record came out, because my ex-wife worked with them. How much time have you spent in Indiana in general? A fair amount. I know a lot of that whole Seymour crowd just because John Mellencamp was a thing when I came along, and I played Farm Aid from the beginning. So I played the center of the state, I've also played the Chicago part of Indiana a little bit, too, because Chicago has been a pretty good market for me. And, you know, I spent some time chasing Yank Rachel around, who's the monster mandolin player, originally from Mississippi, but he lived most of his life in northern Indiana. Do you truly enjoy playing your hits again and again? I know not every artist does. Look, I don't understand why somebody has a song that's successful, and I've got a few songs that have become important to people. I've got two that are definitely going to be around after I'm gone. Copperhead Road, a Tennessee State Song now, one of several, because there's about 15 of them. There's a whole generation of people in the Southeast, in the Southwest, that that song is part of their lives. And (2000's) Galway Girl is a very big deal in Ireland, and it's played at every wedding – it's Galway City Football Club's team song, which it took over for 'My Dear Old Galway Bay' after 150 years. 'It's just, I have some songs that people care about; why wouldn't I play those songs every night? Look, it pisses me off when Radiohead doesn't do 'Creep.' Why would they not play that? It's a great track. To have a song that means so much to people, and being able to see that as you play it, what's that feeling like? Back to legacy. It makes you feel good. It's as close to immortal as you're gonna get, Hoss. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Q&A: Songwriting legend Steve Earle talks legacy, plans Long Center show
Sunday World
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Steve Earle reveals the old Irish pal who can claim to be the true 'Galway Girl'
'The Galway Girl will be remembered in at least one place in the world long after I'm gone.' American singer and songwriter Steve Earle says that one of his most famous songs, The Galway Girl, is likely to be remembered long after he's forgotten. It's one of my all-time favourite songs and Steve, who will play The Helix in Dublin next October 25 on his Fifty Years Of Songs And Stories tour, says he wrote it while living in Galway back in the late 1990s. It wasn't written about a particular Galway girl, but Steve says he's happy for his Dublin-born friend Joyce Redmond to claim it. 'It's a composite character, but one of my dearest friends, a woman called Joyce Redmond, absolutely has my permission to go around saying she's The Galway Girl,' Steve says. 'We've never been romantically involved. Joyce grew up in Howth, but her grandmother is from Aran and she went to Galway years ago and she sings in sessions. 'The part of the song about meeting someone on 'The Long Walk' in Galway was her. She used to go for a walk there every morning and feed the swans, and I was just wandering around and we met. She was the one showing me around the pubs and where the good sessions were and all that stuff, so if anyone gets to be The Galway Girl it's Joyce.' Steve Earle Today's News in 90 seconds - Thursday, May 1 Steve, whose hits include Copperhead Road, first recorded The Galway Girl with Sharon Shannon, but he credits Irish singer songwriter Mundy with making it a major hit. 'The Galway Girl will be remembered in at least one place in the world long after I'm gone. It's become part of culture there (in Ireland). And I have the Mundy version to thank for that – that's when it really happened (became a hit).'
Irish Independent
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Sharon Shannon, Steve Earle and Mundy among first acts for twentieth Sligo Live
Much loved folk and traditional artist, Sharon Shannon, brings her 'Big Band' show to Sligo Live Festival 2025, with a host of outstanding guests, Steve Earle, Mundy, Camile O'Sullivan and Liam Ó Maonlaí, joining band members including Gerry O'Connor, Richie Buckley and Alan Connor. in a very special Knocknarea Arena ATU show on Saturday, October 25 at 8.30 pm. Plus, Sligo Live will feature two Hawk's Well shows on Sunday, October 26th. A special afternoon concert sees the return of the amazing Norwegian Daniel Herskedal Trio at 3 pm, followed by an 8pm concert by Americana star, Mary Gauthier and her special guest Jaimee Harris. Tickets for all three shows are available now on-line from and in person or by phone (071) 916 1518 from the Hawk's Well box office. Following the overwhelming success of her Shane MacGowan tribute, The Sharon Shannon Big Band returns with another powerful and heartfelt production. This October, Sharon and her extraordinary ensemble of musicians and singers—including the legendary Steve Earle, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Mundy and Camille O'Sullivan—celebrate Ireland's world-famous musical tradition. Drawing from the rich anthology of Irish music and the traditions it has inspired, this show is a vibrant journey through the songs that define us: songs of love and heartache, emigration and longing, resilience and rebellion, and the timeless beauty of Ireland's landscapes. The ensemble breathes new life into cherished old ballads while giving fresh treatments to beloved classics. A special highlight of the evening will see Sharon, Mundy, and Steve Earle come together on stage to perform the world-famous 'Galway Girl'—a rare moment uniting the artists who each helped make the song a global sensation. Joining Sharon on stage will be an exceptional line-up of musicians, including Alan Connor, Richie Buckley, and Gerry O'Connor, who each bring their own artistry to create a performance that is intimate and unforgettable. Together, they blend the spirit of traditional Irish music with contemporary creativity, honouring the legacy of our song tradition with power and grace. This is more than a concert -it's a celebration of who we are as a people, and an invitation to experience the deep emotional resonance of Ireland's music. From the poignant strains of our ballads to the raucous joy of our reels and jigs, this show will stir your soul and lift your spirits. Join The Sharon Shannon Big Band and Guests for an unforgettable evening that bridges past and present, capturing the very heart of Irish life and culture. In a co-promotion with Music Network and Sligo Jazz Project on the afternoon of Sunday 26th October, prepare to be transported into the extraordinary soundworld of Norwegian composer and brass virtuoso Daniel Herskedal. A true innovator of the tuba and bass trumpet, Herskedal's music is cinematic, deeply expressive, and unlike anything you've heard before. Joined by the incredibly talented Helge Lien on piano and master percussionist Andreas Norbakken, this world-class trio returns to Sligo following a 2022 Sligo Jazz Project performance described by Nils Kavanagh, Young Jazz Musician of that year, as 'truly inspiring and uplifting. A scintillating performance'. Herskedal has beguiled audiences across Europe with his groundbreaking compositions, pushing the boundaries of his instruments to the limit. His genre-spanning work includes award-winning jazz recordings, major film scores, and creative collaborations that boldly navigate uncharted waters. Later on Bank Holiday Sunday, October 26th at 8.00pm in Hawk's Well, Sligo Live present an intimate evening with Americana and Alt-Country singer-songwriter, Mary Gauthier, with very special guest, Jamiee Harris. What lesbian moves to Nashville at 40 to start a troubadour career? Who goes from playing open mics to playing the Newport Folk Festival within a year? It's been 25 years since Mary Gauthier, now revered songwriter, released her groundbreaking debut album 'Drag Queens in Limousines'. Eighteen months later, the response was so incredible that she hung up her chef's coat, moved to Nashville, and started to make her mark as an exciting new voice in the songwriting world. 'Drag Queens in Limousines' is an anthem for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. It turns out, that's all of us at one time or another. By writing about what matters most to her, having the courage to sing what's often too hard for us to say, and delivering the work authentically, Mary Gauthier opened the gate and widened the path that many who came after her have travelled. Recently, Mary's classic song 'Mercy Now' featured on the major Netflix series 'Yellowstone'. Join us in celebrating twenty-five years of the unique, courageous songs of Mary Gauthier. Mary's very special guest, Jaimee Harris, is poised to become the next queen of Americana-Folk, a slightly edgier Emmylou Harris for the younger generation. Her new album draws comparisons to Patty Griffin, Ryan Adams, and Kathleen Edwards – all writers who know how to craft a heartbreakingly beautiful song with just enough grit to keep you enthralled. Harris writes about the basic human experience, in a way that is simple, poetic, and often painfully relatable. General admission standing tickets for Sharon Shannon Big Band are €49.00 plus €3.00 fees and €4.00 plus €3.00 fees for limited reserved seating. Daniel Herskedal are €18.00 plus €2.00 fees. Mary Gauthier Tickets are €29.50 plus €2 fees and all are available on-line now at and in person or by phone (071) 916 1518.
