Elvis Costello

 

Declan Patrick MacManus (born August 25, 1954, in London), better known by his stage name, Elvis Costello, is an English musician, singer, and songwriter of Irish ancestry.  Costello was an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s, and later became associated with the punk rock and new wave musical genres, before establishing himself as a unique and original voice in the 1980s.  While many musicians embrace myriad types of music as influences and preferences, few if any popular music artists have displayed the same level of determination and rigor in successfully pursuing projects encompassing such a wide stylistic range as his. From the Motown and Stax influenced Get Happy!! to the straight country and western of Almost Blue, the mid-1960s Beatles and Beach Boys influenced soundscapes of Imperial Bedroom to the chamber music recital of The Juliet Letters, the classic pop of his album with Burt Bacharach and My Flame Burns Blue to the classical ballet score of Il Sogno, eclectic only begins to describe his work.  His eclecticism extends to his choice of collaborators; he has worked with Tony Bennett, Lucinda Williams, Lee Konitz, and Brian Eno, just a few of the artists not mentioned above.  He has inadvertently made himself capable of challenging Kevin Bacon's role in a musical version of the six degrees of separation game, as his associations span the gamut in the music industry.  He is also a big music fan, and often champions the works of others in print.  He has written several pieces for the magazine "Vanity Fair", including the summary of what a perfect weekend of music would be. His collaboration with Bacharach honored Bacharach's place in pop music history.  Elvis Costello also appeared in a documentary about singer Dusty Springfield. He has also interviewed one of his own influences, Joni Mitchell.  See Elvis Costello LIVE!  Purchase your Elvis Costello tickets today!