Adam Duritz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Adam Duritz
Duritz with Counting Crows in 2015
Duritz with Counting Crows in 2015
Background information
Birth nameAdam Fredric Duritz
Born (1964-08-01) August 1, 1964 (age 58)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.[1]
GenresFolk rock, alternative rock, pop rock
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • producer
Years active1990–present
Member of
Formerly of
Websitecountingcrows.com

Adam Fredric Duritz (born August 1, 1964) is an American singer, best known as the frontman for the rock band Counting Crows,[2] of which he is a founding member and principal composer.[3] Since its founding in 1991, Counting Crows has sold over 20 million records,[4] released seven studio albums that have been certified gold or platinum, and been nominated for two Grammy Awards and an Academy Award.[5][6]

Duritz has recorded solo material of his own and has collaborated with other musical acts. He has also founded two record labels, E Pluribus Unum and Tyrannosaurus Records. His work scoring music for film has been recognized by the music industry, notably with an award from BMI for co-writing the song "Accidentally in Love" for the movie Shrek 2.

Career[edit]

Duritz and producer/guitarist David Bryson formed Counting Crows in San Francisco in 1991.[7][8] When Gary Gersh of Geffen Records heard the band's demo tape, he was "blown away". A bidding war between nine different record labels broke out in February 1992. In April, the band—which, by that time, included other members—"signed a deal with Gersh and Geffen believed to be so lucrative that industry wags dubbed them Accounting Crows".[9]

The band's first album, August and Everything After, charted within the top five of the Billboard 200,[10] and the single "Mr. Jones" (1993) was a number-one hit in Canada.[11][12] After the band performed as the music guest on Saturday Night Live, "Mr. Jones" jumped 40 spots in the charts.[13] The album has been certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[14] Six of the band's albums have charted on the Billboard 200[10] and four have been certified gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[14] Counting Crows was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1994.[15] The band also received a 2004 Academy Award nomination for the song "Accidentally in Love", which was included in the film Shrek 2.[5][6][16]

Duritz has collaborated with The Wallflowers (led by Jakob Dylan) on the album Bringing Down the Horse on the track "6th Avenue Heartache"; with Ryan Adams on Gold and the song "Butterfly in Reverse" from Hard Candy; with Peter Stuart on Propeller and Daisy; with Live on V;,[17] with Dashboard Confessional on the track "So Long, So Long" from Dusk and Summer[18] and with Maria Taylor on the song "Waiting In Line."[19]

Duritz also contributed the songs "Spin Around," "You Don't See Me," and "You're a Star" to the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack that was performed by the film's fictional title band. Along with bandmates Dan Vickrey, Bryson, and Immerglück, Duritz co-wrote the song "Accidentally in Love" for the soundtrack of the movie Shrek 2, winning them each an award from BMI.[20][better source needed]

Duritz's lyrics have been described as "morose" and "tortured"[21] and as "wordy introspection",[22] while his vocals have been called "expressive".[21]

In October 2018, Duritz co-founded the Underwater Sunshine Music Festival.[23]

Duritz co-founded the record label E Pluribus Unum in 1997.[24][25] Before the label was purchased by new ownership,[24][25] Duritz had signed Joe 90, Gigolo Aunts, and Neilson Hubbard.[26] In 2007, Duritz launched a record label called Tyrannosaurus Records.[25] Debut artists on the label included Notar and Blacktop Mourning.[25] As of 2015, the label was defunct.[27]

Duritz was executive producer for the film The Locusts[28][29] and produced the ensemble comedy film Freeloaders.[30] He appeared in the 2007 mockumentary film Farce of the Penguins.[31]

Personal life[edit]

Duritz grew up in Baltimore, Maryland; Watertown, Massachusetts; El Paso, Texas; and Berkeley, California. He is the son of Gilbert and Linda Duritz, both physicians. Duritz has a younger sister, Nicole.[32] Duritz attended the prestigious Taft School, and graduated from the Head-Royce School in Oakland, California. He has Russian Jewish ancestry.[33] Duritz attended University of California, Berkeley, but left college two credits short of a degree.[9]

Duritz has dissociative mental health issues.[34][35] He disclosed this mental health issue publicly in 2008.[36][37]

In August 2019, Duritz—who had "rocked voluminous dreadlocks" since Counting Crows was formed—revealed that he had shaved his head.[38][39]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Counting Crows singer shares memories of Baltimore". Baltimore Sun. July 9, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  2. ^ Greene, Andy (January 25, 2019). "Counting Crows Finally Record Title Track to 'August and Everything After'". Rolling Stone.
  3. ^ "Adam Duritz of Counting Crows readies for band's 25th anniversary tour". Las Vegas Review Journal. July 7, 2018.
  4. ^ "Counting Crows Sign With Capitol Records for New Studio Album". The Hollywood Reporter. May 19, 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Counting Crows following a logical path in recordings". Canada.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Bio". Official Counting Crows website. Live Grey Bird Foundation. 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2009.
  7. ^ "When Fame Glows Bright, It's Hard to Be Tortured". The New York Times. December 1, 1996.
  8. ^ "Toledo Blade – Google News Archive Search". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  9. ^ a b Rubinstein, Julian (May 14, 1994). "CROWS FLY HIGH". The Washington Post.
  10. ^ a b "Counting Crows Chart History". Billboard.
  11. ^ "Data" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  12. ^ "Counting Crows – Mr. Jones". Powerpop.blog. August 31, 2018.
  13. ^ Dan Kening (July 10, 1994). "Counting Crows Concert is short, sweet, bewildering". Chicago Tribune.
  14. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
  15. ^ "Counting Crows". GRAMMY.com. February 15, 2019.
  16. ^ Kaufman, Gil. Jamie Foxx Gets Two Oscar Nods, 'Aviator' Leads Pack. MTV.com. January 5, 2005.
  17. ^ vanHorn, Teri (July 12, 2001). "Tricky, Adam Duritz Guest on Fifth Live Album, V". MTV.com. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
  18. ^ Moss, Corey (January 19, 2006). "Dashboard Confessional Singer Records Duet With Adam Duritz". MTV.com. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
  19. ^ Dean Brandt (October 24, 2019). "FLOOD | PREMIERE: Maria Taylor Enlists Counting Crows' Adam Duritz for "Waiting in Line"". Floodmagazine.com. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  20. ^ "Dan Vickrey : Awards". IMDb. Retrieved January 19, 2015.[better source needed]
  21. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2005). "Counting Crows biography". VH1.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
  22. ^ Kot, Greg (2004). "Counting Crows: Biography". Rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved March 1, 2007.
  23. ^ "Adam Duritz's Indie Music Underwater Sunshine Festival Reveals 2019 Line-up". Noise11. April 4, 2019.
  24. ^ a b Graff, Gary (July 5, 2009). "Counting Crows spread their wings". The Oakland Press.
  25. ^ a b c d "Counting Crows' Duritz Sets Up New Record Label". Uncut. February 19, 2007.
  26. ^ Magazine, Downtown (June 30, 2016). "Adam Duritz talks Counting Crows tour with Rob Thomas, Jul. 31 show in New York, Alex Chilton and more".
  27. ^ Coplen, Katherine (December 12, 2014). "Counting Crows' Adam Duritz on Bootlegs, Failed Labels, Nana Grizol". NUVO.
  28. ^ "The Locusts (1997)". IMDb. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  29. ^ Rooney, David (September 16, 1997). "Review: 'The Locusts'". Variety. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  30. ^ Siegle, Tatiana (November 11, 2008). "Adam Duritz, Broken Lizard making film". Variety. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
  31. ^ "Farce of the Penguins – Cast & Crew". MTV.com. 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
  32. ^ "Rolling Stone Article -June 30, 1994". monmouth.com. June 30, 1994. Archived from the original on February 24, 2008. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  33. ^ "Maybe We Should All Be Nicer to Adam Duritz". Jewcy. March 28, 2008. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  34. ^ Furness, Dyllan (July 28, 2015). "Counting Crows' Adam Duritz Discusses Mental Health and Metaphors". Miami New Times.
  35. ^ "Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz struggling with 'severe mental illness' and weaning himself off medication, he says". Entertainment Weekly. June 28, 2011.
  36. ^ Duritz, Adam (April 17, 2008). "The Lonely Disease". Men's Health.
  37. ^ Porter, Christopher (September 2, 2009). "The Disconnected Ringleader: Adam Duritz & Counting Crows". The Washington Post.
  38. ^ "Counting Crows Singer Adam Duritz Shaves Off His Signature Dreadlocks". People. August 15, 2019.
  39. ^ "Adam Duritz's Infamous Dreadlocks Are No Longer Hanginaround". Spin.com. August 15, 2019.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Adam Duritz.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adam_Duritz&oldid=1158654853"