Gary Louris (born March 10, 1955 in Toledo, Ohio) is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter of alternative country and pop music. He was a founding member of the Minneapolis-based band The Jayhawks, and their principal songwriter and vocalist after the departure of Mark Olson; he is often credited with the band's subsequent move from folk-country toward a more progressive, poppier sound.

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Biography

Early life

Gary Louris grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he took piano lessons before becoming a guitarist as a teenager. He graduated from St. John's Jesuit High School in 1973.

1985-2005: The Jayhawks

The Jayhawks were formed in 1985 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Louris had formerly played guitar in a rockabilly band called Safety Last. On May 13, 2003 The Jayhawks returned to the Late Show with David Letterman where they performed their title track "Save it For a Rainy Day" off their "Rainy Day Music" CD. The Jayhawks recorded seven albums prior to going on indefinite hiatus in 2005.

2005-Present: Solo career

Louris is also a member of the intermittent Midwest musical collective/side-project Golden Smog; other members have included fellow Jayhawk Marc Perlman, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Dave Pirner and Dan Murphy from Soul Asylum, Kraig Johnson of Run Westy Run and Chris Mars of The Replacements.

In spring 2005, Louris and Olson toured together billed as "From the Jayhawks: An Evening with Mark Olson & Gary Louris, Together Again."

He co-wrote the Nickel Creek song Jealous of the Moon with Chris Thile in 2005, and it appeared on the Nickel Creek album Why Should the Fire Die? . ^[1] Louris is also a songwriter on the 2006 Dixie Chicks album Taking the Long Way .

Louris wrote and performed "Every Word," the theme song for the 2006 documentary Wordplay . ^{[2] [3]}

In 2008, Louris released his first solo album called Vagabonds . The album was produced by The Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson. ^{[4] [5]} Of Vagabonds , Louris said in an interview: “It wasn’t my intention to recapture the ’70s or anything, that’s just what comes out when I sing,” Louris says. “Once we got the band together for the sessions, it actually reminded me of how the Jayhawks were when we started out. The music is new and exciting for them, and it was good for me to feed off of that.” ^[6] Vagabonds was recorded in Laurel Canyon, which is famous for being the center of the 1970s' singer-songwriter scene. ^[7]

Robinson has also produced a collaboration between Louris and his former Jayhawks bandmate Mark Olson. The album, called Ready for the Flood , was released in November 2008 (January 2009 in the U.S.).

On touring Louris said: "Personally I'm not that into touring anymore. I found that I'm not in a band for that. The type of musician I am I'm not somebody that ad libs and creates. I'm more a recreator who when I tour I tend to recreate parts that I've written so touring and playing live is fun to me to a point." ^[8]

Equipment

A 1968 Gibson SG guitar reputed to have been formerly owned by lead guitarist John King of The Litter is now owned and frequently used by Gary Louris of the Jayhawks and Golden Smog. The Gibson SG guitar was owned from 1977-1986 by Kevin Waddick. Chris Osgood, at the time the guitarist of the legendary Suicide Commandos seminal punk trio, originally suggested that Kevin Waddick buy the guitar and then was the one who later informed Gary Louris that it was for sale. Louris also uses a Martin 000-18 acoustic guitar.

Discography

With The Jayhawks

• The Jayhawks (1986) also known as the Bunkhouse Tapes
• Blue Earth (1989)
• Hollywood Town Hall (1992)
• Tomorrow the Green Grass (1995)
• Sound of Lies (1997)
• Smile (2000)
• Rainy Day Music (2003)
• Live From The Women's Club (volumes one and two)

Safety Last

• Struck By Love (1983''Twin/Tone Records)

With Golden Smog

• On Golden Smog (1992)
• Down By The Old Mainstream (1996)
• Weird Tales (1998)
• Another Fine Day (2006)
• Blood On The Slacks (2007)

Solo

• '' Vagabonds (2008)
• '' Acoustic Vagabonds (2008)

With Mark Olson

• '' Ready For The Flood (2008)

References

1. Hasty, Katie. "Nickel Creek 'Fires' Up For New Album". ''Billboard''. June 9, 2005. Retrieved March 31, 2005.
2. Minnesota Public Radio, Mary Lucia, June 2, 2006, Gary Louris and ''Wordplay'' Accessed June 20, 2008.
3. ''Wordplay'' movie official website. Accessed June 20, 2008.
4. Boston Herald, April 1, 2008, Gary Louris: Meandering To The Morning Accessed June 20, 2008.
5. JamBase Interview, Gary Louris: Meandering To The Morning Accessed June 20, 2008.
6. http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=120&csid2=4&fid1=30242
7. http://www.avclub.com/articles/gary-louris,14206/
8. http://www.jayhawksfanpage.com/news/garyinterview020806.html