Shawn Mullins
(born March 8, 1968 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a singer-songwriter who specializes in folk rock, instrumental rock, and adult alternative music. He is best known for the 1998 single, "Lullaby," which hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and was nominated for a Grammy Award.
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SHAWN MULLINS TICKETS
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History
Mullins cultivated an interest in music beginning in his days at
Clarkston High School in
Clarkston, Georgia (where he made the acquaintance of friend and mentor
Amy Ray of the
Indigo Girls). Later, he honed his craft in his college days at
North Georgia College and State University as a solo acoustic musician and bandmaster of the military marching band. In dramatic contrast to his present easygoing image, Mullins has something of a martial side in his past. He attended
North Georgia College and State University on an
Army ROTC scholarship with an intention of possibly pursuing a military career. Although he quickly abandoned this notion in favor of songwriting, the contract nonetheless obliged him after graduation to serve a short term as an inactive
Infantry officer in the
Individual Ready Reserve component of the
U.S. Army Reserve. He served in an inactive status, reaching the rank of 1st lieutenant before fulfilling his service obligation and resigning honorably.
Soon, he added a drummer (Mickey Hendrix) and bassist (Carlton Brown) to form the
power pop trio billed as "Shawn Eric Mullins with Twice Removed", a combo that would help carry him to campus-wide and regional notoriety. Eventually the "Twice Removed" trio parted ways under amicable terms, and Mullins began using a variety of collaborative lineups while building his reputation as a solo artist.
His critical breakthrough came when his song "Lullaby," from the album
Soul's Core
, became a radio and video hit. One of his more famous songs, "All In My Head," was featured on the hit television sitcom "Scrubs." This song was written after an e-mail was sent out by the producers of the new show Scrubs was searching for a theme song. Mullins wrote a demo version and sent it in within a 24 hour period. It wasn't selected as the theme song but the demo version was used in a season one episode of the series. In the video for "Lullaby", directed by
Roger Pistole, actress
Dominique Swain appeared. Another single, "Shimmer," was included on the soundtrack for the TV show
Dawson's Creek
and was a minor hit. "Shimmer" was also used in Australia as part of its promotional campaign during the Sydney
2000 Summer Olympics
and it is still considered in Australia as the unofficial anthem of the games. To date, he has yet to match the overwhelming commercial success of "Lullaby," which was also released as a live performance on the charity album
Live in the X Lounge II
in 1999. In early 2002, he formed the
supergroup The Thorns with
Matthew Sweet and
Pete Droge.
He supported
John Kerry during the 2004 Presidential election campaign, playing a benefit for him in
Georgia along with former
Senator Max Cleland and others.
In 2006, Mullins released his first album on new label
Vanguard Records,
9th Ward Pickin Parlor, as well as a new single, entitled "Beautiful Wreck", from the album. The single enjoyed modest success (surprisingly on country radio), and was featured in the popular
Cities 97 Sampler, Volume 18 (his second time being included on the compilation).
On
March 11,
2008, Mullins released his second album on Vanguard, entitled
Honeydew.
Influences
Mullins's earlier work was influenced by acoustic and power-pop groups such as the
Violent Femmes,
The Producers and the
Indigo Girls. However, his most significant and enduring influences are
rock singer-songwriters like
James Taylor and
country musicians such as
Kris Kristofferson.
His style, most notably in "Lullaby," shows significant influence from the Blue Aeroplanes.
He is known for playing many cover songs during his live performances, including "
Copperhead Road" by
Steve Earle as well as introducing some lighthearted, quirky elements into his studio and stage performances.
Selected events
Mullins was featured on the
Triple M Musical Challenge
segment, in which musicians performed songs which were opposite of their usual style. Mullins performed
Wham!'s "
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go". On
January 20th,
2009, Mullins performed at Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony.
Discography
Albums
- Everchanging World
(1991)
- Better Days
(1992)
- Big Blue Sky
(1994)
- Jeff's Last Dance, Volume 1
(1995)
- Eggshells
(1996)
- Soul's Core
(1998, Sony) US #54, Platinum
- Jeff's Last Dance, Volume 2
(1995)
- First Ten Years
(1999)
- Beneath the Velvet Sun
(2000)
- Essential Shawn Mullins
(2003)
- 9th Ward Pickin Parlor
(2006)
- Honeydew
(2008)
- Live at the Variety Playhouse
(2008)
Collaborations
- Sister Hazel's 2006 single, "Mandolin Moon".
- "Send Me" on Keni Thomas's debut album "Flags of Our Fathers"
- His cover of the David Bowie song ""Changes"" is featured in the movie The Faculty.
- His cover for the George Harrison song "What Is Life" is featured in the movie "Big Daddy" during the end credits.
- "All in My Head" is featured in the Scrubs
Soundtrack.
- Producer on Callaghan's 2009 record "London To Lawrenceville"