Joan Osborne

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Joan Osborne


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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Joan Elizabeth Osborne
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Born = birth date and age|1962|7|8
Anchorage, Kentucky, U.S.
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Instrument = Vocals
Guitar
Genre = Rock
Folk
Country rock
Blues
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Years_active = 1989–present
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URL = http://www.joanosborne.com/
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Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "One of Us," and for her work with members of The Grateful Dead.

Biography

Originally from the Louisville suburb of Anchorage, Kentucky, Osborne moved to New York City in the late 1980s, where she formed her own record label, Womanly Hips, to release a few independent recordings before signing to Mercury Records, "Soul Show" was her first Album. Her second (and first major label) album is "Relish" (1995), which became a hit on the strength of the single "One of Us." The song was much more pop-oriented than the rest of the album, which was steeped in country, blues and folk music. "Right Hand Man" and "St. Teresa" were minor hits following the success of "One of Us."Her audience grew significantly with her appearance at Lilith Fair, which placed her in the same school of female singer-songwriters as Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. Her third studio album was "Righteous Love", a long-delayed release, which fell off the charts quickly.

She was featured in the 2002 documentary film "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" and toured with legendary Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers. She and her band accompanied the Dixie Chicks for a national tour in the summer of 2003, during which time she also joined veteran San Francisco jam-rockers the Dead as a vocalist, and released her fourth album, titled "How Sweet It Is", a collection of classic rock and soul covers.

During 2005 and 2006, Joan Osborne performed on numerous occasions with Phil Lesh and Friends. In February 2007, she appeared on the Grand Ole Opry.

In November 2006, she released "Pretty Little Stranger", her self-described "Nashville album." It includes one song "After Jane" about a relationship with a woman (Osborne herself has had relationships with women.) [ [http://www.afterellen.com/archive/ellen/Print/2006/12/holidaygift.html AfterEllen.com - Holiday Gift Guide ] ] [ [http://www.glaad.org/programs/cim/birepresentations.php GLAAD: Cultural Interest Media ] ]

In May 2007, she issued "Breakfast in Bed", a return to the soul music that she had covered on "How Sweet It Is". "Breakfast in Bed" also featured the two songs ("Heatwave" and "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted") that she had covered for the film "Standing in the Shadows of Motown".

She sings lead vocals on the cover of "Spoonful" on Vivian Campbell's solo album "Two Sides Of If". She also provided some vocals for "Wayfaring Stranger" on Spearhead's 1997 album "Chocolate Supa Highway". She is featured on the Holmes Brothers 2007 collection "State of Grace" performing "Those Memories of You", an old Allan O'Bryant and Bill Monroe bluegrass tune.

Osborne's next album, "Little Wild One", will be released in September 2008.

Personal life

In a 2003 interview, Joan talked about her bisexuality. "I definitely have had far more encounters with men, but I’ve had a few erotic encounters with women. I always kind of thought of myself as straight, but then there were exceptions to that of women who I thought were particularly sexy and attractive and they felt the same about me. So I thought ‘Why not?’ I will say that the women I’ve been attracted to have been on the more voluptuous side of the curve." [ [http://www.velvetparkmedia.com/?p=274#more-274 Velvetpark - Dyke Culture in Bloom » Blog Archive » Joan Osborne, Interview by Kelly McCartney Vp issue 3 ] ]

In December 2004 she gave birth to her first child, a daughter. The father is purported to be a longtime member of The Dead, with whom Joan toured extensively with, but this rumor has never been confirmed. The pictures and the name of the child have never been released.

Discography

Albums

*"Soul Show" (1991)
*"Relish" (1995) USA # 9; UK # 5
*"Early Recordings" (1996)
*"Righteous Love" (2000) USA # 90
*"How Sweet It Is" (2002)
*"One of Us" (2005)
*"Christmas Means Love" (2005)
*"Pretty Little Stranger" (2006)
*"Breakfast in Bed" (2007) USA # 160
*"Little Wild One" (2008) USA # 193

External links

* [http://www.joanosborne.com/ Joan Osborne] Official Website
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* [http://www.velvetparkmedia.com/?p=274#more-274/ Joan Osborne] Interview by Kelly McCartney, Velvet Park Magazine, Winter 2003 issue no 3

References