Few artists in rock history have reinvented themselves as brilliantly or as often as Elvis Costello.
From the furious, punk-rock energy of “Pump It Up” to the heartbreaking vulnerability of “Alison,” the London-born icon was known as the poet of post-punk rock. As Costello hits a major milestone and turns 72, we’re looking back at how he grew into one of the most celebrated and prolific songwriters of his generation.
According to Britannica, Costello was born on August 25, 1954, as Declan Patrick McManus in London, England. The outlet reported the musician was called an “angry young man” for his “snarky, often political, whip-smart lyrics.”
He began his career in the early 1970s in a country rock band, using the name D.P. Costello, an homage to his great-grandmother’s maiden name. After befriending Nick Lowe, he adopted the stage name Elvis Costello as a homage to the King of Rock and Roll.
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In 1977, Lowe produced Costello’s first album, My Aim Is True. The LP contained the songs “Alison,” “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes,” and “Watching the Detectives,” which was added to the US release as the last track on side one.
Shortly thereafter, Costello formed his backing band, The Attractions whose members included Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas, and Bruce Thomas. The band churned out hits such as “This Year’s Girl,” “Lip Service,” “Black and White World,” “Radio Radio” and “Oliver’s Army.”
In 1979, Costello was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards. However, he lost the award to the disco group A Taste of Honey. Other nominees in the category included The Cars, Toto, and Chris Rea.
In the decades after, Costello switched gears from a more raw style of music to a more layered and eclectic sound. He incorporated jazz, classical, country, and traditional pop into his ever-expanding repertoire.
In an interview with The Talks, Costello said of his success, ” I am fortunate to do the job I do because it allows me to play! And when I don’t remember to do it, when I start to intellectualize it or become fearful, that’s when it stops being fun.”
He continued, “There’s many, many beautiful guitar players; I’m not one of them. I know that. With singers as well; I’m not a beautiful singer, but I can sing from the heart. My voice changes with time and experience, for better and for worse.”
“I have people that I’ve played with for a very long time. We are connected by our common understanding of what we’re doing, all the experiences we’ve had over the years… And most of all, there’s a friendship between us which allows us to do it without having to explain everything with a huge long manifesto. It has a lot to do with the trust I’m able to place in them to do our work,” Costello concluded.
Elvis Costello was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016 and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2019.
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