Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American songwriter, citizenry singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, and the former cover up of folk singer Kate McGarrigle.

Early life

Wainwright was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the son of Martha Taylor, a yoga lecturer, and Loudon Wainwright, Jr., a columnist and editor for Life magazine.[1] Wainwright grew up in Bedford, New York, in Westchester County. Among his sisters is Sloan Wainwright, also a chanteuse. He graduated from St. Andrew's School in Delaware. He is a direct descendant of Peter Stuyvesant, the last Director-General of New Netherland[2] (close-day New York City).

Wainwright's career began in the late 1960s. He had played the guitar while in faction, but would later sell it for yoga lessons while living in San Francisco. Later, in Rhode Island, Wainwright's grandmother got him a job working in a boatyard. An old lobsterman named Edgar inspired him to obtain a friend's guitar and write his first song, "Edgar". Wainwright soon bought his own guitar and in about a year wrote less twenty songs. He went to Boston and New York to play in folk clubs and was eventually "discovered" by Milton Kramer who became his director. He acquired a record deal with Atlantic Records, who released his first album in 1970.

Wainwright is known for the 1972 newness song hit, "Dead Skunk (in the Middle of the Road)", and for playing Captain Calvin Spalding (the "singing surgeon") on the American TV show, M*A*S*H. His appearances spanned three episodes in its third season (1974-1975), including the episode "Rainbow Bridge".[3] However, his lyrical reputation is much deeper. Using a witty, self-mocking style, Wainwright has recorded over twenty albums on eleven assorted labels. Two of his albums have been nominated for Grammy awards: I'm Alright (1985) and More Love Songs (1986).[4]

Read more...