Sheryl Crow Biography
Sheryl Crow is a renowned American singer-songwriter who has made her iconic career in music. Her music involves a blend of rock, pop, and country music. The 62-year-old has spent over three decades in the industry, and during her career, she has produced several hits and has been a recipient of multiple Grammy Awards. The combination of her talent and dedication to the craft allowed her to sell around 50 million albums worldwide.
Early Life
Sheryl Suzanne Crow was born in Kennett, Missouri, on February 11, 1962. Her childhood was spent in a musically rich environment, as her mother and father were also musicians. The weekends were special for the family, as it was then that the parents played piano and trumpet for jazz bands.
At the young age of 5, Crow began playing piano and by the time she was 6, she could play by ear. By the age of 13, she had even composed her first song. This was bound to happen as the surroundings had fostered her love for music.
She attended Kennett High School, where she showed her excellence in the field of academics and sports as well. She graduated in 1980 from high school and enrolled at the University of Missouri, Columbia, to pursue a majors in music education. This curriculum involved learning music composition, performance, and teaching as well.
After her graduation, she shifted to St. Louis, Missouri, where she taught music to children with special needs.
Beginning of the Career
While Crow was teaching music to the kids at St. Louis, she totally realised her passion for the field. This motivated her to pursue a full-time career in the field. Eventually, she shifted to Los Angeles to fulfil her dreams. She started working for commercials as a jingle singer. She got her first big break when she was selected as a backup singer for Michael Jackson’s international ‘Bad Tour’. This selection was based on a video that she had made for the audition.
After selection, she toured with the entire entourage for 2 years. Meanwhile, she continued to write songs and these compositions were recorded by artists such as Wynonna Judd and Eric Clapton. During her stint as a backup singer, she worked with several big artists, such as Foreigner, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Sting, and Don Henley. This allowed her to polish her skills and gain more exposure in the industry.
Rise to Fame with Tuesday Night Music Club
During the early 1990s, every Tuesday night, Crow began meeting songwriters who would father for creative sessions in a warehouse. This group was the Tuesday Night Music Club, which would attempt to finish a song each night before heading home. A very famous composition of this club was ‘Leaving Las Vegas’ which became a part of Crow’s debut album.
In 1993, Crow released her first album, the ‘Tuesday Night Music Club’. This album was subjected to praise from all around the world while also attracting certain criticisms. However, the album led to Crow receiving a global stage as one of the songs from her album, ‘All I Wanna Do’, put her on the charts. This also led her to win certain awards during the 1994 Grammy Awards. It was here that she won 3 awards: Best Record and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Female for ‘All I Wanna Do’ along with ‘Best New Artist’.
The Continuation of Success
As her debut album was a widespread success, she was more than motivated to release more albums, which eventually led to her being proclaimed a major artist in the industry. Her second album was named ‘Sheryl Crow’, which was released in 1996. This album received a Grammy for Best Rock Album, with one of its songs ‘If It Makes You Happy’ receiving the best female rock vocal performance.
She released another album in 1998 titled ‘The Globe Sessions’, which also received a Grammy for best rock album similar to the last album, another song titled ‘There Goes the Neighborhood’ won the best female rock vocal performance.
In 2002, she released a single ‘C’mon C’mon’ that became very popular and was a hit among the crowds. These albums were a testament to her immense talent and appeal, which attracted the listeners.
Other Famous Projects
Apart from the abovementioned projects, Crow has also released several other albums that were very well received by the audiences. She released an album in 2005 titled ‘Wildflower,’ which was a collection of introspective songs. She also released the album ‘Detours’ in 2008, which was a combination of socially conscious songs and personal reminiscences. In 2010, she released ‘100 Miles from Memphis’, in collaboration with artists such as Justin Timberlake and Keith Richards.
Sheryl had previously announced that her last album would be ‘Threads’, which was released in 2019. But she promised the audience that she would perform tours and continue to record singles. However, keeping her fan’s contentment in mind, she came out of her retirement and released the album ‘Evolution’ in 2024.
Along with music, Crow has also contributed her talents as an actress. She has been a part of a few movies and television shows as well. Sheryl’s first movie was ‘The Minus Man’, which was released in 1999. Subsequently, she also wrote songs for several movies and television shows as well, while also making an appearance in a few of them.
Personal Life
Crow has not really been a public personality, as she has not disclosed much about her life in the public domain. The exceptions here are that she has not married and has adopted two sons: Wyatt Steven, who was born in 2007 and Levi James, born in 2010. The experiences that she has had as a mother have influenced her personality as well as her artistic outlook.
Born | February 11, 1962 |
Religion | Not publicly stated |
Father | Wendell Crow |
Mother | Bernice Crow |
Partner | Currently Single |
Children | Two adopted sons: Wyatt Steven (2007) and Levi James (2010) |
Residence | Nashville, Tennessee |
Education | B.A in Music Education from the University of Missouri |
First Album | Tuesday Night Music Club (1993) |
First Movie | The Minus Man (1999) |
Awards | Nine Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year |