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Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and
record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
in 2020, and has twice been nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist. In 2003, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Costello number 80 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Costello began his career as part of London's
pub rock Pub rock is a rock music genre that was developed in the early to mid-1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement which incorporated roots rock, pub rock was a reaction against the expensively-recorded and produced progressive rock ...
scene in the early 1970s and later became associated with the first wave of the British punk and new wave movement that emerged in the mid-to-late 1970s. His critically acclaimed debut album ''
My Aim Is True ''My Aim Is True'' is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, originally released in the United Kingdom on 22July 1977 through Stiff Records. After years of little success performing in Britain, Costello was signed t ...
'' was released in 1977. Shortly after recording it, he formed the Attractions as his
backing band A backup band or backing band is a musical ensemble that typically accompanies a single artist who is the featured performer. The situation may be a live performance or in a recording session, and the group may or may not have its own name, such ...
. His second album '' This Year's Model'' was released in 1978, and was ranked number 11 by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' on its list of the best albums from 1967 to 1987. His third album '' Armed Forces'' was released in 1979, and features his highest-charting single, " Oliver's Army" (number 2 in the UK). His first three albums all appeared on ''Rolling Stone''s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003. Costello and the Attractions toured and recorded together for the better part of a decade, though differences between them caused a split by 1986. Much of Costello's work since has been as a solo artist, though reunions with members of the Attractions have been credited to the group over the years. Costello's lyrics employ a wide vocabulary and frequent
wordplay Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, phon ...
. His music has drawn on many diverse genres; one critic described him as a "pop encyclopaedia", able to "reinvent the past in his own image". Since 2002, his touring band (featuring a rotating cast of musicians) has been known as the Imposters. Costello has co-written several original songs for films, including "God Give Me Strength" from ''
Grace of My Heart ''Grace of My Heart'' is a 1996 American musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Allison Anders and starring Illeana Douglas, Matt Dillon, Eric Stoltz, Patsy Kensit, and John Turturro. The film charts the music career of Denise Waverly ...
'' (1996, with Burt Bacharach) and "
The Scarlet Tide "The Scarlet Tide" is a song written by T-Bone Burnett and Elvis Costello and performed by Alison Krauss from the 2003 film '' Cold Mountain'' According to Costello, Burnett "always said 'Scarlet Tide' was an anti-fear song." The song was nomina ...
" from '' Cold Mountain'' (2003, with
T-Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...
). For the latter, Elvis was nominated (along with Burnett) for the
Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed ...
and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.


Early life

Declan Patrick MacManus was born on 25 August 1954 at St Mary's Hospital in
Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Padd ...
, London, and is of Irish descent on his father's side. He is the son of Lilian Alda (''née'' Ablett; 1927–2021) and Ross MacManus (1927–2011), a jazz trumpeter and vocalist who performed with the Joe Loss Orchestra, and later as a solo
cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dinin ...
act. MacManus senior had a hit in Australia (as Day Costello) with his cover version of
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' " The Long and Winding Road" in 1970. MacManus lived in Twickenham, attending both St. Edmund's Catholic Primary School in nearby Whitton, and then Archbishop Myers Secondary Modern R.C. School – which is now St Mark's Catholic School – in neighbouring Hounslow. In 1971, the 16-year-old MacManus moved with his mother to
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liv ...
– not far from her home city of
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
– where he formed his first band, a folk duo called "Rusty", with Allan Mayes. After completing his education at
St. Francis Xavier's College , motto_translation = Gentle In Manner; Resolute In Action , established = , religion = Catholic , faculty = 56 , enrollment = 700 , gender = Boys school , language = English, Chinese ...
in Liverpool, MacManus worked at a number of office jobs to support himself, most famously at Elizabeth Arden, where he was employed as a data entry clerk. This is immortalised in the lyrics of "I'm Not Angry" as the "vanity factory". He also worked for a short period as a computer operator at the Midland Bank computer centre in
Bootle Bootle (pronounced ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, which had a population of 51,394 in 2011; the wider Parliamentary constituency had a population of 98,449. Historically part of Lancashire, Bootle's ...
. He moved back to London in 1974, where he formed Flip City, a
pub rock Pub rock is a rock music genre that was developed in the early to mid-1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement which incorporated roots rock, pub rock was a reaction against the expensively-recorded and produced progressive rock ...
band which was active from 1974 until early 1976. Costello's first broadcast recording was with his father in a television commercial for
R. White's Lemonade R. White's Lemonade is a British brand of a carbonated lemonade, which is produced and sold in the United Kingdom by Britvic. Robert and Mary White produced the first R. White's lemonade in Camberwell, south London, in 1845. The White Family took ...
("I'm a Secret Lemonade Drinker") which aired in 1974. His father sang the song, and Costello sang backing vocals; the advertisement won a silver award at the 1974 International Advertising Festival. He continued to write songs and began looking for a solo recording contract. In 1976 he was signed to independent label Stiff Records on the basis of a demo tape. His manager at Stiff,
Jake Riviera Jake Riviera (born Andrew Jakeman, February 1948, in Edgware, Middlesex, England) is a British music business entrepreneur, best known for his management of such performers as Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe and as co-founder (with Dave Robinson) of ...
, suggested that the singer, then calling himself D.P. Costello, using Costello as his surname after his father’s stage name Day Costello, to start using the first name Elvis after
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
.


Career


1970s

On 25 March 1977, Stiff released Costello's first single, " Less Than Zero". Four months later his debut album, ''
My Aim Is True ''My Aim Is True'' is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, originally released in the United Kingdom on 22July 1977 through Stiff Records. After years of little success performing in Britain, Costello was signed t ...
'' (1977), was released to moderate commercial success (No. 14 in the UK and, later, Top 40 in the US), with Costello appearing on the cover in his trademark oversize eyeglasses, reminiscent of
Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...
. Costello failed to chart with his early singles, which included "Less Than Zero" and the ballad " Alison". Stiff's records were initially distributed only in the UK, which meant that Costello's first album and singles were only available in the US as expensive imports. Angered that no US record company had yet seen fit to release his records, Costello attempted to protest by giving a street performance outside a London convention of CBS Records executives, and was arrested for busking. Costello signed to
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
, (CBS in the U.S.) a few months later. The backing for Costello's debut album was provided by American West Coast band
Clover Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...
, a country outfit living in England whose members would later go on to join
Huey Lewis and the News Huey Lewis and the News are an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually achieving 19 top ten singles across the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Adult Contempo ...
and the Doobie Brothers. Costello released his first major hit single, " Watching the Detectives", which was recorded with Steve Nieve, Steve Goulding (drums) and Andrew Bodnar (bass)—the latter two being members of
Graham Parker Graham Thomas Parker (born 18 November 1950) is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the British band Graham Parker & the Rumour. Life and career Early career (1960s–1976) Parker was born in Hackney, East L ...
's backing band
the Rumour The Rumour was an English rock band in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band for Graham Parker, whose early records (from 1976 to 1980) were credited to Graham Parker & The Rumour. However, The Rumour also ...
. The song, added to the U.S. version of ''My Aim Is True'', contains scathing verses about the vicarious enjoyment of TV violence over a reggae beat. Later in 1977, Costello formed his own permanent backing band, the Attractions, consisting of Steve Nieve (piano), Bruce Thomas (bass guitar), and Pete Thomas (drums; no relation to Bruce Thomas). On 17 December 1977, Costello and the Attractions, as a replacement act for the Sex Pistols, were scheduled to play "Less Than Zero" on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
''; however, in imitation of a rebellious act by Jimi Hendrix on a BBC show, Costello stopped the song mid-intro, yelling "Stop! Stop!" to his band, and played "Radio Radio" instead – a song that criticises the commercialisation of the airwaves, which NBC and Lorne Michaels had forbidden them to play. Costello was subsequently banned from the show (the ban was lifted in 1989) and he received considerable attention as an angry young man. His insistence on performing "Radio Radio" on ''SNL'' proved a boon to his debut album, and its popularity exploded in the U.S. after the performance."Week in Rock History: Elvis Costello Defies 'Saturday Night Live'"
. ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved 18 September 2014
Following a tour with other Stiff artists – captured on the '' Live Stiffs Live'' album, which includes Costello's version of the Burt Bacharach/ Hal David standard " I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" – the band recorded '' This Year's Model'' (1978). Some of the more popular tracks include the British hit "
(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" is a song written by new wave musician Elvis Costello and recorded by Costello with his backing band the Attractions. The song appeared on Costello's 1978 second album, ''This Year's Model''. Written by Costel ...
" and " Pump It Up". His U.S. record company saw Costello as such a priority that his last name replaced the word Columbia on the label of the disc's original pressing. The Attractions' first tour of Australia in December 1978 was notable for a controversial performance at Sydney's Regent Theatre when, angered by the group's failure to perform an encore after their brief 35-minute set, audience members destroyed some of the seating. By the end of the 1970s Costello was firmly established as both performer and songwriter, with Linda Ronstadt and Dave Edmunds having success with his compositions. A tour of the U.S. and Canada also saw the release of the much- bootlegged Canadian promo-only '' Live at the El Mocambo'', recorded at a Toronto rock club, which finally saw an official release as part of the '' 2½ Years'' box set in 1993. In 1979, he released his third album '' Armed Forces'' (originally to have been titled ''Emotional Fascism'', a phrase that appeared on the album's inner sleeve). American editions included a 45rpm EP recorded live at the Hollywood High School Gymnasium in Hollywood in 1978. Both the album and the single " Oliver's Army" went to No. 2 in the UK, and the opening track "
Accidents Will Happen "Accidents Will Happen" is a song written by Elvis Costello and performed by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It first appeared on the 1979 album ''Armed Forces''. Costello wrote the song about his many infidelities during this period of his ...
" gained wide television exposure thanks to its innovative animated music video, directed by
Annabel Jankel Annabel Jankel (born 1 June 1955), also known as AJ Jankel, is a British film and TV director who first came to prominence as a music video director and the co-creator of the pioneering cyber-character Max Headroom and as co-director of the film ...
and
Rocky Morton Rocky Morton (born 1955) is an English director. He is the co-creator of the TV series ''Max Headroom'' and co-director of the 1993 Hollywood Pictures film ''Super Mario Bros''. Various music videos by Tom Tom Club, Talking Heads, Gravity Kills, ...
. Costello also found time in 1979 to produce the debut album of the
2 Tone Two-tone, two tone, or 2 tone, etc., may refer to: Audio and sound * Two-tone analysis, in nonlinear system measurement * Two-tone attention signal * Two-tone chime, such as the "ding dong" sound of a doorbell * Two-tone sequential paging, se ...
ska revival band
the Specials The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are an English 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, Lynv ...
and worked as a backing vocalist on ''This Is Your Life'', an album by new wave band Twist. Costello's standing in the U.S. was bruised for a time when in March 1979, during a drunken argument with
Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has co ...
and Bonnie Bramlett at a Holiday Inn bar in
Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...
, the singer referred to James Brown as a "jive-ass nigger", then upped the ante by pronouncing
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
a "blind, ignorant nigger". Costello addressed the controversy at a New York City press conference a few days later, stating that he had been drunk and had been attempting to be obnoxious to bring the conversation to a swift conclusion, not anticipating that Bramlett would bring his comments to the press. According to Costello, "it became necessary for me to outrage these people with about the most obnoxious and offensive remarks that I could muster." In his liner notes for the expanded version of '' Get Happy!!'' Costello writes that some time after the incident he had declined an offer to meet Charles out of guilt and embarrassment, though Charles himself had forgiven Costello, saying "Drunken talk isn't meant to be printed in the paper." Costello worked extensively in Britain's Rock Against Racism campaign both before and after the incident. In an interview with
Questlove Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American musician, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Tho ...
(drummer for the Roots, whom Costello collaborated with in 2013), he stated: "It's upsetting because I can't explain how I even got to think you could be funny about something like that", and further elaborating with, "I'm sorry. You know? It's about time I said it out loud." Costello is also an avid country music fan and has cited George Jones as his favourite country singer. In 1977, he appeared on Jones' duet album ''
My Very Special Guests ''My Very Special Guests'' is a duet album by American country music artist George Jones released in 1979 on the Epic Records label. Background By the late 1970s, Jones was in such bad shape from his drinking and cocaine addiction that it took ...
'', contributing " Stranger in the House", which they later performed together on an HBO special dedicated to Jones.


1980s

The soul-infused ''Get Happy!!'' was the first of Costello's many experiments with genres beyond those with which he is ordinarily associated. It also marked a distinct change in mood from the angry, frustrated tone of his first three albums to a more upbeat, happy manner. The single, "
I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" is a song written by Homer Banks and Allen Jones. Originally recorded by soul duo Sam & Dave in 1967, the song was famously covered by new wave musician Elvis Costello with his backing band the Attractions in ...
" was an old Sam and Dave song (though Costello increased the
tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
considerably). Lyrically, the songs are full of Costello's signature word play, to the point that he later felt he had become something of a self-parody and toned it down on later releases; he has mockingly described himself in interviews as "rock and roll's Scrabble champion". His only 1980 appearance in North America was at the Heatwave festival in August near Toronto. In January 1981, Costello released '' Trust'' amidst growing tensions within the Attractions, particularly between Bruce and Pete Thomas. In the U.S., the single "Watch Your Step" was released and played live on Tom Snyder's ''Tomorrow'' show, and received airplay on FM rock radio. In the UK, the single " Clubland" scraped the lower reaches of the charts; follow-up single " From a Whisper to a Scream" (a duet with Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze) became the first Costello single in over four years to completely miss the charts. Costello also co-produced Squeeze's popular 1981 album '' East Side Story'' (with Roger Bechirian) and performed backing vocals on the group's hit "Tempted". October saw the release of '' Almost Blue'', an album of country music cover songs written by the likes of
Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...
("Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do?)"), Merle Haggard ("Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down") and Gram Parsons ("How Much I Lied"). The album, which received mixed reviews, was a tribute to the country music that Costello had grown up listening to, especially George Jones. The first pressings of the record in the UK bore a sticker with the message: "WARNING: This album contains country & western music and may cause a radical reaction in narrow minded listeners." ''Almost Blue'' did spawn a surprise UK hit single in a version of George Jones' " Good Year for the Roses" (written by Jerry Chesnut), which reached No. 6. ''
Imperial Bedroom ''Imperial Bedroom'' is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, and his sixth with the Attractions—keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas (no relation). It was released on 2July 198 ...
'' (1982) had a much darker sound, due in part to the lavish production of Geoff Emerick, famed for engineering several Beatles records. It remains one of his most critically acclaimed records, but again it failed to produce any hit singles—" You Little Fool" and the critically acclaimed " Man Out of Time" both failed to reach the Top 40 in the UK. Costello has said he disliked the marketing pitch for the album. ''Imperial Bedroom'' also features Costello's song " Almost Blue", inspired by the music of jazz singer and trumpeter
Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...
, who would later perform and record a version of the song (on ''Chet Baker in Tokyo''). In 1983, he released '' Punch the Clock'', featuring female backing vocal duo ( Afrodiziak) and a four-piece horn section ( the TKO Horns), alongside the Attractions. Clive Langer (who co-produced with Alan Winstanley), provided Costello with a melody which eventually became "
Shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to bef ...
", which featured a trumpet solo by Baker. Prior to the release of Costello's own version, a version of the song was a minor UK hit for former Soft Machine founder Robert Wyatt. Under the pseudonym The Imposter, Costello released "Pills and Soap", an attack on the changes in British society brought on by Thatcherism, released to coincide with the run-up to the 1983 UK general election. ''Punch the Clock'' also generated an international hit in the single " Everyday I Write the Book", aided by a music video featuring lookalikes of the Prince Charles and
Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
undergoing domestic strife in a suburban home. The song became Costello's first Top 40 hit single in the U.S. Also in the same year, Costello provided vocals on a version of the
Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...
song "Tomorrow's Just Another Day" released as a
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
. Tensions within the band – notably between Costello and bassist Bruce Thomas – were beginning to tell, and Costello announced his retirement and the break-up of the group shortly before they were to record '' Goodbye Cruel World'' (1984). Costello would later say of this record that they had "got it as wrong as you can in terms of the execution". The record was poorly received upon its initial release; the liner notes to the 1995 Rykodisc re-release, penned by Costello, begin with the words "Congratulations! You've just purchased our worst album". Costello's retirement, although short-lived, was accompanied by two compilations, ''Elvis Costello: The Man'' in the UK, Europe and Australia, and '' The Best of Elvis Costello & The Attractions'' in the U.S. In 1985, he appeared in the Live Aid benefit concert in England, singing the Beatles' " All You Need Is Love" as a solo artist. (The event was overrunning and Costello was asked to "ditch the band".) Costello introduced the song as an "old northern English folk song", and the audience was invited to sing the chorus. In the same year Costello teamed up with friend
T-Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...
for the single "The People's Limousine" under the moniker of The Coward Brothers. That year, Costello also produced ''
Rum Sodomy & the Lash ''Rum Sodomy & the Lash'' is the second studio album by the London-based folk punk band The Pogues, released on 5 August 1985. The album reached number 13 on the UK charts. The track " A Pair of Brown Eyes", based on an older Irish tune, reached ...
'' for the Irish punk/folk band
the Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse" ...
. 1985 also saw Costello appear in the Alan Bleasdale film ''No Surrender'', playing a small role as a very bad stage magician hired to perform at a seedy Liverpool night club on a bleak New Year's Eve. Growing antipathy between Costello and Bruce Thomas contributed to the Attractions' first split in 1986 when Costello was preparing to make a comeback. Working in the U.S. with Burnett, a band containing a number of
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
's sidemen (including James Burton and Jerry Scheff), and minor input from the Attractions, he produced '' King of America'', an acoustic guitar-driven album with a country sound. It was billed as performed by "The Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates" in the UK and Europe and "The Costello Show featuring Elvis Costello" in North America. Around this time he legally changed his name back to Declan MacManus, adding Aloysius as an extra middle name. Costello retooled his upcoming tour to allow for multiple nights in each city, playing one night with the Confederates, one night with the Attractions, and one night solo acoustic. In May 1986, he performed at
Self Aid Self Aid was an unemployment benefit concert held in Dublin, Ireland on 17 May 1986. The concert performances were primarily by Irish musicians, although Elvis Costello and Chris Rea, both Englishmen of Irish descent, were designated "honorary Ir ...
, a benefit concert held in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
that focused on the chronic unemployment which was widespread in Ireland at that time. Later that year, Costello returned to the studio with the Attractions and recorded '' Blood & Chocolate'', which was lauded for a
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...
fervour not heard since 1978's ''This Year's Model''. It also marked the return of producer
Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave,I Want You". On this album, Costello adopted the alias Napoleon Dynamite, the name he later attributed to the character of the emcee that he played during the
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
-style tour to support ''Blood & Chocolate''. (The pseudonym had previously been used in 1982, when the B-side single "Imperial Bedroom" was credited to Napoleon Dynamite & the Royal Guard; whether the title of the 2004 film '' Napoleon Dynamite'' was inspired by Costello is disputed). After the tour for ''Blood & Chocolate'', Costello split from the Attractions, due mostly to tensions between Costello and Bruce Thomas. Costello would continue to work with Attraction Pete Thomas as a session musician for future releases. Costello's recording contract with Columbia Records ended after ''Blood & Chocolate''. In 1987 he released a compilation album, '' Out of Our Idiot'', on his UK label,
Demon Records Demon Music Group (DMG) is a record company owned by BBC Studios that is mainly concerned with back-catalogue rights and re-issuing recordings as compilations on physical media (CDs and vinyl) via supermarkets and specialist stores. History DM ...
consisting of B-sides, side projects, and unreleased songs from recording sessions from 1980 to 1987. He signed a new contract with Warner Bros. and in early 1989 released '' Spike'', which spawned his biggest single in the U.S., the Top 20 hit " Veronica", one of several songs Costello co-wrote with
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
. At the
1989 MTV Video Music Awards The 1989 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 1989, honoring the best music videos from April 2, 1988, to June 1, 1989. The show was hosted by Arsenio Hall at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. This year four new "genre" cat ...
on 6 September in Los Angeles, "Veronica" won the MTV Award for Best Male Video.


1990s

In 1991, Costello released '' Mighty Like a Rose'', which featured the single " The Other Side of Summer". He also co-composed and co-produced, with Richard Harvey, the title and incidental music for the mini-series '' G.B.H.'' by
Alan Bleasdale Alan George Bleasdale (born 23 March 1946) is an English screenwriter, best known for social realist drama serials based on the lives of ordinary people. A former teacher, he has written for radio, stage and screen, and has also written novels ...
. This entirely instrumental, and largely orchestral, soundtrack garnered a BAFTA, for Best Music for a TV Series for the pair. In 1993, Costello experimented with classical music with a critically acclaimed collaboration with the
Brodsky Quartet The Brodsky Quartet is a British string quartet, formed in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, in 1972 as the "Cleveland Quartet". Only Ian Belton and Jacqueline Thomas remain as original members. In addition to performing classical music, and in par ...
on '' The Juliet Letters''. During this period, he wrote a full album's worth of material for
Wendy James Wendy James (born 21 January 1966) is an English singer-songwriter most notable for her work with the pop band Transvision Vamp. Transvision Vamp Born in London to Norwegian parents, James was adopted soon after birth. She left home at the ag ...
, and these songs became the tracks on her 1993 solo album ''Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears''. Costello returned to rock and roll the following year with a project that reunited him with the Attractions, ''
Brutal Youth ''Brutal Youth'' is an album by Elvis Costello, released in 1994. This album contains the first recordings Costello made with his band the Attractions since '' Blood and Chocolate'' (1986). About half the album features a band consisting of C ...
''. In 1995, he released '' Kojak Variety'', an album of cover songs recorded five years earlier, and followed in 1996 with an album of songs originally written for other artists, ''
All This Useless Beauty ''All This Useless Beauty'' is the seventeenth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released in 1996 by Warner Brothers. It peaked at number 28 on the UK album chart, and at No. 53 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It is his t ...
''. This was the final album of original material that he issued under his Warner Bros. contract, and also his final album with the Attractions. In the spring of 1996, Costello played a series of intimate club dates, backed only by Steve Nieve on the piano, in support of ''All This Useless Beauty''. An ensuing summer and fall tour with the Attractions proved to be the death knell for the band. With relations between Costello and bassist Bruce Thomas at a breaking point, Costello announced that the current tour would be the Attractions' last. The quartet performed their final U.S. show in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
, Washington on 1 September 1996, before wrapping up their tour in Japan. Costello would still continue to work frequently with Attractions Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas; eventually, both would be members of Costello's new back-up band, The Imposters. To fulfill his contractual obligations to Warner Bros., Costello released a greatest hits album titled ''
Extreme Honey ''Extreme Honey: The Very Best of Warner Brothers Years'' is a 1997 compilation album by Elvis Costello, spanning the years 1989–1997. The collection contains one exclusive track, "The Bridge I Burned". Costello had originally recorded a cov ...
'' (1997). It contained an original track titled "The Bridge I Burned", featuring Costello's son, Matt, on bass. In the intervening period, Costello had served as artistic chair for the 1995 Meltdown Festival, which gave him the opportunity to explore his increasingly eclectic musical interests. His involvement in the festival yielded a one-off live EP with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, which featured both cover material and a few of his own songs. In 1998, Costello signed a multi-label contract with Polygram Records, sold by its parent company the same year to become part of the
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. Costello released his new work on what he deemed the suitable imprimatur within the family of labels. His first new release as part of this contract involved a collaboration with Burt Bacharach. Their work had commenced earlier, in 1996, on a song called "God Give Me Strength" for the movie ''
Grace of My Heart ''Grace of My Heart'' is a 1996 American musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Allison Anders and starring Illeana Douglas, Matt Dillon, Eric Stoltz, Patsy Kensit, and John Turturro. The film charts the music career of Denise Waverly ...
''. This led the pair to write and record the critically acclaimed album ''
Painted From Memory ''Painted from Memory'' is a collaboration between Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach. It was released 29 September 1998 on Mercury Records, a division of Universal Music Group. The collaboration commenced with "God Give Me Strength", a commissi ...
'', released under his new contract in 1998, on the
Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it ...
label, featuring songs that were largely inspired by the dissolution of his marriage to
Cait O'Riordan Caitlín O'Riordan (born 4 January 1965) is a British musician of Irish and Scottish descent. She played bass guitar for the Irish punk/ folk band the Pogues from 1983 to 1986. She later played with Elvis Costello (her husband from 1986 to 200 ...
. Costello and Bacharach performed several concerts with full orchestral backing, and also recorded an updated version of Bacharach's " I'll Never Fall in Love Again" for the soundtrack to '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'', with both appearing in the film to perform the song. He also wrote "I Throw My Toys Around" for '' The Rugrats Movie'' and performed it with
No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, ...
. The same year, he collaborated with
Paddy Moloney Paddy Moloney ( ga, Pádraig Ó Maoldomhnaigh; 1 August 1938 – 12 October 2021) was an Irish musician, composer, and record producer. He co-founded and led the Irish musical group the Chieftains, playing on all of their 44 albums. He was parti ...
of The Chieftains on "The Long Journey Home" on the soundtrack of the PBS/
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
The Irish in America: Long Journey Home miniseries. The soundtrack won a Grammy in 1999. In 1999, Costello contributed a version of "
She She most commonly refers to: *She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...
", released in 1974 by Charles Aznavour and
Herbert Kretzmer Herbert Kretzmer (5 October 192514 October 2020) was a South African-born English journalist and lyricist. He was best known as the lyricist for the English-language musical adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' and for his long-time collaboration ...
, for the soundtrack of the film '' Notting Hill'', with Trevor Jones producing. For the 25th anniversary of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'', Costello was invited to the programme, where he re-enacted his abrupt song-switch: This time, however, he interrupted the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage", and they acted as his backing group for "Radio Radio".


2000s

From 2001 to 2005, Costello re-issued his back catalogue in the U.S., from ''My Aim Is True'' (1977) to ''All This Useless Beauty'' (1996), on double-disc collections on the
Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species ...
label. These releases, which each contained second discs of bonus material, ultimately fell out of print by 2007 after Universal Music acquired the rights to Costello's catalogue. Universal subsequently released new deluxe editions of ''My Aim Is True'' and ''This Year's Model'' with new bonus material of full-length concerts from the time of each album's release. These deluxe editions also fell out of print and Universal has reverted to re-releasing Costello's pre-1987 albums in their original context without bonus material. In 2000, Costello appeared at the Town Hall, New York, in Steve Nieve's opera '' Welcome to the Voice'', alongside Ron Sexsmith and John Flansburgh of
They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a dr ...
. In 2001, Costello was artist-in-residence at
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
and wrote the music for a new ballet. He produced and appeared on an album of pop songs for the classical singer Anne Sofie von Otter. He released the album ''
When I Was Cruel ''When I Was Cruel'' is Elvis Costello's 19th album, recorded in 2001 and 2002 and released in the US by Island Records on 23 April 2002. Although formally credited as solo Costello album, this was the first album to feature his new band, The ...
'' in 2002 on
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anothe ...
, and toured with a new band, the Imposters (essentially the Attractions but with a different bass player, Davey Faragher, formerly of
Cracker Cracker, crackers or The Crackers may refer to: Animals * ''Hamadryas'' (butterfly), or crackers, a genus of brush-footed butterflies * '' Sparodon'', a monotypic genus whose species is sometimes known as "Cracker" Arts and entertainment Films ...
). He appeared as himself in the "
How I Spent My Strummer Vacation "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" is the second episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 10, 2002. It was intended to be the ...
" episode of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
''. On 23 February 2003, Costello, along with
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
, Steve Van Zandt, and Dave Grohl, performed a version of
the Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...
's "
London Calling ''London Calling'' is the third studio album by English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records. Th ...
" at the 45th Grammy Awards ceremony, in honour of Clash frontman
Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, f ...
, who had died the previous December. In March, Elvis Costello & the Attractions were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He announced his engagement in May to Canadian
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
singer and pianist Diana Krall, whom he had seen in concert and then met backstage at the
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
in Australia. That September, he released ''
North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...
'', an album of piano-based ballads concerning the breakdown of his former marriage, and his falling in love with Krall. Also that year, Costello made an appearance in the television series '' Frasier'' as a folk singer in the Cafe Nervosa, sending Frasier and Niles on a search for a new coffee bar. On 12 March 2003, Costello filled in for
David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman' ...
on the '' Late Show with David Letterman'' for the evening while Letterman was recovering from an eye infection. The song "Scarlet Tide" (co-written by Costello and T-Bone Burnett and used in the film '' Cold Mountain'') was nominated for a 2004 Academy Award; he performed it at the awards ceremony with
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass- country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed wit ...
, who sang the song on the official soundtrack. Costello co-wrote many songs on Krall's 2004 CD, ''
The Girl in the Other Room ''The Girl in the Other Room'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on March 31, 2004, by Verve Records. In addition to cover versions, it is Krall's first album to include original material, which she co-wrote with ...
'', the first of hers to feature several original compositions. In July 2004, Costello's first full-scale orchestral work, '' Il Sogno'', was performed in New York. The work, a ballet after
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict a ...
'', was commissioned by Italian dance troupe Aterballeto, and received critical acclaim from the classical music critics. Performed by the
London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, the recording was released on CD in September by Deutsche Grammophon. In September 2004, Costello released the album ''
The Delivery Man ''The Delivery Man'' is the 21st studio album by Elvis Costello, released on Lost Highway Records, B0002593-02. It was recorded with the Imposters at Sweet Tea Studio in Oxford, Mississippi. It peaked at No. 40 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Cont ...
'', recorded in Oxford, Mississippi, on Lost Highway Records, and it was hailed as one of his best. A CD recording of a collaboration with Marian McPartland on her show '' Piano Jazz'' was released in 2005. It featured Costello singing six jazz standards and two of his own songs, accompanied by McPartland on piano. In November, Costello started recording a new album with Allen Toussaint and producer Joe Henry. ''
The River in Reverse ''The River in Reverse'' is a 2006 collaboration between Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint. It received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album. Track listing All songs written by Allen Toussaint unless otherwise indicated. #"On Your Way ...
'' was released in the UK on the Verve label the following year in May. A 2005 tour included a gig at
Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...
that Costello considered so dreadful that he said "I don't care if I ever play England again. That gig made up my mind I wouldn't come back. I don't get along with it. We lost touch. It's 25 years since I lived there. I don't dig it, they don't dig me....British music fans don't have the same attitude to age as they do in America, where young people come to check out, say
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...
. They feel some connection with him and find a role for that music in their lives." After
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, Costello and Allen Toussaint performed in New York at a series of Hurricane Relief benefit concerts in September 2006. By week's end, Costello had written "The River in Reverse", performed it with Toussaint and discussed plans for an album with Verve Records executives. The result was Costello's ''The River in Reverse'' which is a collaboration with New Orleanian, Allen Toussaint and recorded with The Crescent City Horns. Costello turned to older songs to reflect the national malaise at the time. In a studio recording of Nieve's opera '' Welcome to the Voice'' (2006, Deutsche Grammophon), Costello interpreted the character of Chief of Police, with Barbara Bonney, Robert Wyatt,
Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-earth ...
and Amanda Roocroft, and the album reached No. 2 in the ''Billboard'' classical charts. Costello later reprised the piece on the stage of the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in 2008, with Sting, Joe Sumner (Sting's son) and Sylvia Schwartz. Also released in 2006 was a live recording of a concert with the Metropole Orkest at the North Sea Jazz Festival, entitled ''My Flame Burns Blue''. The soundtrack for ''
House, M.D. ''House'' (also called ''House, M.D.'') is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on the Fox network for eight seasons, from November 16, 2004, to May 21, 2012. The series' main character is Dr. Gregory House (Hugh La ...
'' featured Costello's interpretation of "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera, with the song appearing in the second episode of Season 2. Costello was commissioned to write a chamber opera by the Danish Royal Opera,
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...
, on the subject of Hans Christian Andersen's infatuation with Swedish soprano Jenny Lind. Called ''The Secret Songs'', it remained unfinished. In a performance in 2007 directed by
Kasper Bech Holten Kasper Holten (born 29 March 1973) is a Danish stage director. From 2011 until 2017 he was Director of Opera for the Royal Opera House in London. He is Vice President of the Board of the European Academy of Music Theatre. Career Born in Copenhage ...
at the Opera's studio theatre ( Takelloftet), finished songs were interspersed with pieces from Costello's 1993 collaborative classical album '' The Juliet Letters'', featuring Danish soprano Sine Bundgaard as Lind. The 2009 album ''
Secret, Profane & Sugarcane ''Secret, Profane & Sugarcane'' is the 2009 studio album by Elvis Costello. It was recorded in Nashville with American songwriter and producer T Bone Burnett, and released on 9 June 2009 on the Hear Music label. The album features bluegrass, ...
'' includes material from ''Secret Songs''. On 22 April 2008, '' Momofuku'' was released on Lost Highway Records, the same imprint that released ''The Delivery Man'', his previous studio album. The album was, at least initially, released exclusively on vinyl (with a code to download a digital copy). That summer, in support of the album, Costello toured with
the Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...
on the final leg of their 2007/2008 Reunion Tour. Costello played a homecoming gig at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on 25 June 2006. and, that month, gave his first performance in Poland, appearing with The Imposters for the closing gig of the
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
theatre festival in
Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...
. In July 2008, Costello (as Declan McManus) appeared in his home city
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
where he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Music from the
University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
. Between 2008 and 2010, Costello hosted
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
/ CTV's series ''
Spectacle In general, spectacle refers to an event that is memorable for the appearance it creates. Derived in Middle English from c. 1340 as "specially prepared or arranged display" it was borrowed from Old French ''spectacle'', itself a reflection of t ...
'' in which Costello talked and performed with stars in various fields, styled similarly to '' Inside the Actors Studio''. Between its two seasons, the show compiled 20 episodes, including one where Costello was interviewed by actress Mary-Louise Parker. Costello was featured on
Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hur ...
's 2008 album ''
Folie à Deux Folie à deux ('folly of two', or 'madness haredby two'), also known as shared psychosis or shared delusional disorder (SDD), is a collection of rare psychiatric syndromes in which symptoms of a delusional belief, and sometimes hallucination ...
'', providing vocals on the track " What a Catch, Donnie", along with other artists who are friends with the band. Costello appeared in Stephen Colbert's television special '' A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All''. In the program, he was eaten by a bear, but later saved by Santa Claus; he also sang a duet with Colbert. The special was first aired on 23 November 2008. Costello released ''
Secret, Profane & Sugarcane ''Secret, Profane & Sugarcane'' is the 2009 studio album by Elvis Costello. It was recorded in Nashville with American songwriter and producer T Bone Burnett, and released on 9 June 2009 on the Hear Music label. The album features bluegrass, ...
'', a collaboration with
T-Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...
, on 9 June 2009. It was his first on the Starbucks Hear Music label and a return to country music in the manner of ''Good Year for the Roses''. Costello appeared as himself in the finale of the third season of ''
30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', tak ...
'' and sang in the episode's celebrity telethon, "
Kidney Now! "Kidney Now!" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the third season of the American television comedy series '' 30 Rock'', and the 58th overall episode of the series. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by s ...
". The episode references Costello's given name when Jack Donaghy accuses him of concealing his true identity: "Declan McManus, international art thief." In May 2009, Costello made a surprise cameo appearance on-stage at the Beacon Theater in New York as part of Spinal Tap's ''Unwigged and Unplugged'' show, singing their fictional 1965 hit "Gimme Some Money" with the band backing him up.


2010s

On 15 May 2010, Costello announced he would withdraw from a concert performed in Israel in opposition to Israel's treatment of Palestinians. In a statement on his website, Costello wrote, "It has been necessary to dial out the falsehoods of propaganda, the double game and hysterical language of politics, the vanity and self-righteousness of public communiqués from cranks in order to eventually sift through my own conflicted thoughts." Also in 2010, Elvis Costello appeared as himself in David Simon's television series, '' Treme''. Costello released the album '' National Ransom'' in autumn of 2010. In 2011, Costello appeared as himself on ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...
'' to perform a song with Elmo and Cookie Monster, titled "Monster Went and Ate My Red 2", a play on " (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes". On 26 February 2012, Costello paid tribute to music legends Chuck Berry and Leonard Cohen, who were the recipients of the first annual PEN Awards for songwriting excellence, at the JFK Presidential Library, in Boston, Massachusetts, on 26 February 2012. In September 2013 Costello released ''
Wise Up Ghost ''Wise Up Ghost'' is a collaborative studio album by British singer/songwriter Elvis Costello and American hip hop group The Roots. The album was released on 17 September 2013, by Blue Note Records. The album's first single "Walk Us Uptown" was r ...
'', a collaboration with the Roots. On 25 October 2013, Costello was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the New England Conservatory. His memoir '' Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink'' was released in October 2015. On 12 October 2018, Costello released his first studio album in five years, '' Look Now'', recorded with The Imposters. The album features three songs co-written with Burt Bacharach, and one song co-written with
Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...
. Costello wrote and produced a large majority of the album himself, with help from producer
Sebastian Krys Sebastian Krys (born November 11, 1970) is an Argentine-born American audio engineer, record producer and radio personality. A six-time Grammy and 13-time Latin Grammy winner, Krys has worked with many Spanish language pop and rock artists such as ...
. On 26 January 2020, ''Look Now'' won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the
62nd Grammy Awards The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Ali ...
. Costello was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(OBE) in the
2019 Birthday Honours The 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as ...
for services to music.


2020s

In 2021, Costello released ''Spanish Model'', a remix of 1978's ''This Year's Model'' with Spanish lyrics. Singers from Spanish-speaking parts of the world, with help from Spanish-speaking songwriters, translated all 16 songs of the album into Spanish, with the new vocals set to the original recording and instrumentation by the Attractions. The singers included Juanes, Jorge Drexler,
Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for multiple songs, one of them being "Despacito" featuring rapper Daddy Yankee. Fonsi received his first ...
,
Francisca Valenzuela Francisca Valenzuela (; born March 17, 1987 in San Francisco, California) is an American-born Chilean singer, poet, and multi-instrumentalist. Valenzuela was born and raised in San Francisco, California, where she resided until the age of 12, bef ...
, Fuego, Draco Rosa, and Fito Páez. In 2021, Costello appeared at the Royal Variety Performance playing two songs with the Imposters. He was introduced by the MC Alan Carr as a man who has achieved everything except appearing at the Royal Variety Performance. Between songs Costello informed the audience that he was the second McManus to appear. His father Ross appeared in the 1960's with " If I Had a Hammer". In January 2022, he performed on ''
The Graham Norton Show ''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton ...
''. That same month he released the LP '' The Boy Named If'', recorded with the Imposters.


Personal life


Relationships

Costello has been married three times, the first time in 1974 to Mary Burgoyne, with whom he had a son, Matthew. Toward the end of his first marriage, Costello became embroiled in an on-again/off-again romance with
Bebe Buell Beverle Lorence "Bebe" Buell (born July 14, 1953) is an American singer and model. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's November 1974 Playmate of the Month. Buell moved to New York in 1972 after signing a modeling contract with Eileen Ford, and garnere ...
, then-girlfriend of Todd Rundgren. Buell has said she was the inspiration behind some of Costello's most bitter love songs from the ''Armed Forces'' era, though Costello countered by claiming most of those songs had been written before he met Buell. In 1985, Costello became involved with
Cait O'Riordan Caitlín O'Riordan (born 4 January 1965) is a British musician of Irish and Scottish descent. She played bass guitar for the Irish punk/ folk band the Pogues from 1983 to 1986. She later played with Elvis Costello (her husband from 1986 to 200 ...
, then the bassist of London Irish group
the Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse" ...
, while he was producing the Pogues' album '' Rum Sodomy and the Lash''. They married in 1986 and split up by the end of 2002. Costello became engaged to pianist-vocalist Diana Krall in May 2003, and married her at the home of
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
on 6 December that year. Krall gave birth to twin sons on 6 December 2006 in New York City.


Vegetarianism

A pescatarian since the early 1980s, Costello says he was moved to reject meat after seeing the documentary '' The Animals Film'' (1982), which also helped inspire his song "Pills and Soap" from 1983's ''Punch the Clock''. In January 2013, Costello teamed up with
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
to create an ad campaign backing vegetarian foods produced by the
Linda McCartney Foods Linda McCartney Foods is a British food brand specializing in vegetarian and vegan food. Available in the UK, as well as Norway, Ireland, Austria, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, the range includes chilled and frozen meat analogues in ...
brand.


Football

Costello is a keen football fan, supporting
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
football club
Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has ...
since childhood, and appeared on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
's '' Football Italia'' as a pundit. On 25 May 2005, Costello was due to take the stage with his band at a gig in Norwich, which clashed with Liverpool appearing in the
2005 UEFA Champions League Final The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Liverpool of England and Milan of Italy at the Atatürk Olym ...
against AC Milan.Costello, Elvis (30 May 2005). "Fretting while the scarlet tide make history". ''The Times''. With Liverpool losing 3–0 at half time, Costello was due on stage and began warming up his voice in preparation for the gig, before deciding: "I might as well see the first few minutes of the second half." With Liverpool staging a remarkable comeback (since dubbed the ''Miracle of Istanbul'') by scoring three goals in six minutes and making it 3–3, Costello delayed his appearance on stage for over an hour. With the game going to penalties, after much delay he had no choice but to take the stage, with Costello recalling: "I tried my best to keep my eyes from the TV screen over the bar at the back of the room but the words 'Oh shit, he's missed' might have accidentally crept into the lyrics of 'Good Year for the Roses'". With Liverpool prevailing while he was on stage, an ecstatic Costello broke out into a performance of the club's anthem " You'll Never Walk Alone".


Health

In July 2018, Costello cancelled the remaining six dates of his European tour on doctor's orders, while recovering from surgery to treat cancer. Costello apologised to his fans and said he initially thought he had recovered enough from the surgery to complete the tour.


Humanitarian causes

Costello sits on the Advisory Board of the board of directors of the Jazz Foundation of America. Costello began working with the Jazz Foundation in 2001, and has been a featured performer in their annual benefit
A Great Night in Harlem A Great Night in Harlem Benefit Concert is an annual series of concerts organized by the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, since 2001 to raise money for the Jazz Foundation's Musician Emergency Fund. Foundi ...
since 2006. Costello has donated his time working with the Jazz Foundation of America to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians, including musicians who survived
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
. He has also performed at a benefit concert for the Seva Foundation.


Collaborations

In addition to his major recorded collaborations with Burt Bacharach, the
Brodsky Quartet The Brodsky Quartet is a British string quartet, formed in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, in 1972 as the "Cleveland Quartet". Only Ian Belton and Jacqueline Thomas remain as original members. In addition to performing classical music, and in par ...
, and Anne Sofie von Otter, Costello has frequently been involved in other collaborations. In 1981, Glenn Tilbrook from Squeeze and
Martin Belmont Martin Belmont (born 21 December 1948) is an English rock and country-blues guitarist, best known for being a founding member of Graham Parker & The Rumour. Life and career Belmont was born in Bromley, Kent, England. After working as a roadie ...
from
the Rumour The Rumour was an English rock band in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band for Graham Parker, whose early records (from 1976 to 1980) were credited to Graham Parker & The Rumour. However, The Rumour also ...
guested on the song " From a Whisper to a Scream" from the album '' Trust''. Around this time he also collaborated with
Chris Difford Christopher Henry Difford (born 4 November 1954) is an English singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member and songwriter of the rock group Squeeze. Musical career Born in Greenwich, London, Difford has written l ...
, also of Squeeze, to write additional lyrics for the song "Boy With a Problem", which appeared on Costello's 1982 album ''
Imperial Bedroom ''Imperial Bedroom'' is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, and his sixth with the Attractions—keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas (no relation). It was released on 2July 198 ...
''. In 1984, Daryl Hall provided backing vocals on the song "The Only Flame in Town" from the album '' Goodbye Cruel World''. The following year he sang with Annie Lennox on the song "Adrian" from the Eurythmics record ''
Be Yourself Tonight ''Be Yourself Tonight'' is the fourth studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 29 April 1985 by RCA Records. Background Largely recorded in Paris, with additional recording in Detroit and Los Angeles, this album saw Eurythmics ...
''. In 1987, Costello began a songwriting collaboration with
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
. They wrote a number of songs together in a short period of time, that were released over a period of years. These songs included: * "Back On My Feet", the B-side of McCartney's 1987 single "
Once Upon a Long Ago "Once Upon a Long Ago" is a song by English musician Paul McCartney, released as his fortieth single on 16 November 1987, from his compilation ''All the Best!'', released two weeks before the single. The track was produced by Phil Ramone and mi ...
", later added as a bonus track on the 1993 re-issue of McCartney's '' Flowers in the Dirt'' * Costello's " Veronica" and "Pads, Paws and Claws" from his album '' Spike'' (1989) * McCartney's "
My Brave Face "My Brave Face" is a single from Paul McCartney's 1989 album, ''Flowers in the Dirt''. Written by McCartney and Elvis Costello, "My Brave Face" is one of the most popular songs from ''Flowers in the Dirt''. It peaked at number 18 in the United Ki ...
", "Don't Be Careless Love", "That Day Is Done" and the McCartney/Costello duet "You Want Her Too", all from McCartney's ''Flowers in the Dirt'' (1989) * "So Like Candy" and "Playboy to a Man" from Costello's '' Mighty Like a Rose'' (1991) * "The Lovers That Never Were" and "Mistress and Maid" from McCartney's '' Off the Ground'' (1993). * "Shallow Grave" from Costello's ''
All This Useless Beauty ''All This Useless Beauty'' is the seventeenth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released in 1996 by Warner Brothers. It peaked at number 28 on the UK album chart, and at No. 53 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It is his t ...
'' (1996). * Costello has also issued solo demo recordings of "Veronica", "Pads, Paws and Claws" and "Mistress and Maid" (a song he did not otherwise record). Two other officially unissued McCartney/Costello compositions also exist as demos ("Tommy's Coming Home" and "Twenty Fine Fingers"). These two tracks, along with other McCartney/Costello demos of tunes they did release, have been widely bootlegged and have been released on the Paul McCartney Archive edition of ''Flowers in the Dirt''. In 1987, he appeared on the HBO special ''
Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin. In Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' (modern ''roi''), likewise gave rise t ...
'', which featured his long-time idol Roy Orbison. In 1988, Costello co-wrote "
The Other End (Of the Telescope) "The Other End (Of the Telescope)" is a song by American band 'Til Tuesday, which was released in 1988 on their third and final studio album '' Everything's Different Now''. The song was written by Aimee Mann and Elvis Costello. Costello recorded ...
" with
Aimee Mann Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...
; this song appears on the
Til Tuesday Til Tuesday (often stylized as til tuesday) was an American new wave band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The band, consisting of Aimee Mann (lead vocals, bass), Robert Holmes (guitar), Joey Pesce (keyboards), and Michael Hausm ...
album ''
Everything's Different Now ''Everything's Different Now'' is the third and final studio album by the American band 'Til Tuesday, released in 1988. (see 1988 in music). Track listing # "Everything's Different Now" (Jules Shear, Matthew Sweet) – 3:56 # "Rip in Heaven" (Aim ...
''. In 1994, he sang " They Can't Take That Away from Me" with Tony Bennett for '' MTV Unplugged'', appearing on the album released from the broadcast. In 2000, Costello wrote lyrics to "Green Song", a solo cello piece by
Svante Henryson Svante Henryson (born 22 October 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a composer, cellist, bass guitarist and double bassist, active within jazz, classical music, and hard rock. Biography Childhood and studies Svante Henryson grew up in Umeå in n ...
; this song appears on the Anne Sofie von Otter album ''
For the Stars ''For the Stars'' is a 2001 album by classically trained Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and Elvis Costello. Track listing # "No Wonder" (3:37) (Elvis Costello) # "Baby Plays Around" (3:13) (Cait O'Riordan, Declan MacManus) # "Go Le ...
''. In 2005, Costello performed with
Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a ...
frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. They played both Costello and Green Day songs together, including " Alison", " No Action", " Basket Case" and " Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)". In late 2005 Costello performed with Allen Toussaint in New York City at some Hurricane Katrina Relief Concerts and produced the studio album ''The River in Reverse''. Also, Costello had a collaborative history with Toussaint, beginning with a couple of scattered album tracks in the 1980s, and skipping ahead to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with the production of ''The River in Reverse''. In 2006, Costello performed with Fiona Apple in the Decades Rock TV special. Apple performed two Costello songs and Costello performed two Apple songs. In 2007, Costello collaborated with the Argentinean/Uruguayan electro- tango band
Bajofondo Bajofondo is a Río de la Plata-based music band consisting of eight musicians from Argentina and Uruguay, which aims to create a more contemporary version of tango and other musical styles of the Río de la Plata region. It was founded in the ...
on the song "Fairly Right" from the album ''
Mar Dulce ''Mar dulce'' is an album by the Argentine/Uruguayan tango fusion band, Bajofondo. The album was recorded in Buenos Aires, Argentina, In the first phase, double bass, violin, bandoneon, guitar and piano were recorded, then strings orchestra und ...
''. In 2008, Costello collaborated with
Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hur ...
on the track " What a Catch, Donnie" from their album '' Folie a Deux''. In Jenny Lewis' 2008 release, ''
Acid Tongue ''Acid Tongue'' is the second studio album and first solo album by American singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis, released in September 2008 through Warner Bros. and Rough Trade Records. Inspired by jam sessions, the album was recorded December 2007-Ma ...
'', Costello provided vocals for the song "Carpetbaggers". In November 2009, Costello appeared live with
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
and the E Street Band at Madison Square Garden and performed the Jackie Wilson song "
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" is an R&B song written by Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner, and Carl Smith. It was recorded by Jackie Wilson for his album '' Higher and Higher'' (1967), produced by Carl Davis, and became a Top 10 ...
". In December 2009, Costello portrayed The Shape on the album '' Ghost Brothers of Darkland County'', a collaboration between rock singer
John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumen ...
and novelist Stephen King. In February 2010, Costello appeared in the live cinecast of Garrison Keillor's '' Prairie Home Companion'', singing some of his own songs, and participating in many of the show's other musical and acting performances. On 30 April 2011, he played the song "Pump it Up" with
the Odds Odds are a Canadian alternative rock band based in Vancouver, British Columbia. They perform music with a power pop style. They were nominated for six Juno Awards in the 1990s. As of 2014, they are on their fifth record label. History Odds (1987� ...
before the start of a
Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce ...
playoff game at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2012, he played ukulele, mandolin, guitar and added backing vocals on Diana Krall's 11th studio album, ''
Glad Rag Doll "Glad Rag Doll" is a 1928 song composed by Milton Ager and Dan Dougherty with lyrics by Jack Yellen. It was Ager and Yellen's first movie theme song, written for the motion picture of the same name (released in 1929) starring Dolores Costello. ...
'' (as "Howard Coward"). On 10 September 2013, he played during the Apple September 2013 Event after the introduction of iTunes Radio, iPhone 5C and 5S at Town Hall, at the Apple campus. On Gov't Mule's album '' Shout!'', released in September 2013, he sang on the track "Funny Little Tragedy". In March 2014, Costello recorded '' Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes'' with Rhiannon Giddens,
Taylor Goldsmith Taylor Dawes Goldsmith is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He serves as the lead singer, guitarist, and chief songwriter of American folk rock band Dawes. Early life Goldsmith has a younger brother, Griffin. They ...
,
Jim James James Edward Olliges Jr. (born April 27, 1978), professionally known as Jim James or Yim Yames, is an American vocalist, guitarist, producer, and primary songwriter of the rock band My Morning Jacket. He has also released several solo albums. ...
and Marcus Mumford. During the 2016 Detour, he performs with Larkin Poe.


Legacy

Costello has worked with Paul McCartney,
Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...
, Tony Bennett, Burt Bacharach, Allen Toussaint,
T Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...
, Lucinda Williams,
Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his c ...
, Kid Rock, Lee Konitz,
Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop a ...
, and Rubén Blades. Costello, in print, often champions the works of others. He has written several pieces for the magazine ''
Vanity Fair Vanity Fair may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Literature * Vanity Fair, a location in '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1678), by John Bunyan * ''Vanity Fair'' (novel), 1848, by William Makepeace Thackeray * ''Vanity Fair'' (magazines), the ...
'', including a summary of what a perfect weekend of music would be. He has contributed to two
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...
tribute albums and covered Jerry Garcia/ Robert Hunter tunes "Ship of Fools", "
Friend of the Devil "Friend of the Devil" is a song recorded by the Grateful Dead. The music was written by Jerry Garcia and John Dawson and the lyrics are by Robert Hunter. It is the second track of the Dead's 1970 album '' American Beauty''. The song is large ...
", "It Must Have Been the Roses", " Ripple" and "Tennessee Jed" in concert. His collaboration with Bacharach honoured Bacharach's place in pop music history. Costello appeared in documentaries about singers Dusty Springfield, Brian Wilson, Wanda Jackson, Ron Sexsmith and
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mo ...
-based Stax Records. He has interviewed one of his own influences, Joni Mitchell, and appeared on the release ''A Tribute to Joni Mitchell'' performing "Edith and the Kingpin". He performed the title track of the
Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians an ...
tribute collection, ''Weird Nightmare''. He appeared on the
Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave,Gram Parsons tribute album ''The Return of the Grievous Angel'', performing the Parsons song "Sleepless Nights". He was instrumental in bringing Sexsmith to a wider audience in 1995 by championing his debut album in ''Mojo'' magazine, even appearing on the cover with Sexsmith's debut album. In 2004, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' ranked him No. 80 on their list of the ''100 Greatest Artists of All Time''. In 2012, Costello was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork – the Beatles' ''
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26May 1967, ''Sgt. Pepper'' is regarded by musicologists as an early concept album that advanced the roles of sound composi ...
'' album cover – to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life that he most admires, to mark his 80th birthday. On being chosen, Costello remarked, "I always dreamed that I might one day stand in the boots of
Albert Stubbins Albert Stubbins (17 July 1919 – 28 December 2002) was an English footballer. He played in the position of centre forward, although his career was limited by the onset of World War II. While playing for Liverpool, he won the League Champions ...
he Liverpool footballer who appeared in the original artwork He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
"


Tribute albums

* 1998: '' Bespoke Songs, Lost Dogs, Detours & Rendezvous'' – (various artists) * 2002: ''Almost You: The Songs of Elvis Costello'' – (various artists) * 2003: ''The Elvis Costello Songbook'' – Bonnie Brett * 2004: ''A Tribute to Elvis Costello'' – Patrik Tanner * 2004: ''Davis Does Elvis'' – Stuart Davis * 2008: ''Every Elvis Has His Impersonators: 7 Homemade Remade Elvis Costello Songs'' – Elastic No–No Band


Discography


Studio albums

''(including those with the Attractions, The Costello Show, and the Imposters)'' *''
My Aim Is True ''My Aim Is True'' is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, originally released in the United Kingdom on 22July 1977 through Stiff Records. After years of little success performing in Britain, Costello was signed t ...
'' (1977) *'' This Year's Model'' (1978) *'' Armed Forces'' (1979) *'' Get Happy!!'' (1980) *'' Trust'' (1981) *'' Almost Blue'' (1981) *''
Imperial Bedroom ''Imperial Bedroom'' is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, and his sixth with the Attractions—keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas (no relation). It was released on 2July 198 ...
'' (1982) *'' Punch the Clock'' (1983) *'' Goodbye Cruel World'' (1984) *'' King of America'' (1986) *'' Blood & Chocolate'' (1986) *'' Spike'' (1989) *'' Mighty Like a Rose'' (1991) *''
Brutal Youth ''Brutal Youth'' is an album by Elvis Costello, released in 1994. This album contains the first recordings Costello made with his band the Attractions since '' Blood and Chocolate'' (1986). About half the album features a band consisting of C ...
'' (1994) *'' Kojak Variety'' (1995) *''
All This Useless Beauty ''All This Useless Beauty'' is the seventeenth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released in 1996 by Warner Brothers. It peaked at number 28 on the UK album chart, and at No. 53 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It is his t ...
'' (1996) *''
When I Was Cruel ''When I Was Cruel'' is Elvis Costello's 19th album, recorded in 2001 and 2002 and released in the US by Island Records on 23 April 2002. Although formally credited as solo Costello album, this was the first album to feature his new band, The ...
'' (2002) *''
North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...
'' (2003) *'' Il Sogno'' (2004) *''
The Delivery Man ''The Delivery Man'' is the 21st studio album by Elvis Costello, released on Lost Highway Records, B0002593-02. It was recorded with the Imposters at Sweet Tea Studio in Oxford, Mississippi. It peaked at No. 40 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Cont ...
'' (2004) *'' Momofuku'' (2008) *''
Secret, Profane & Sugarcane ''Secret, Profane & Sugarcane'' is the 2009 studio album by Elvis Costello. It was recorded in Nashville with American songwriter and producer T Bone Burnett, and released on 9 June 2009 on the Hear Music label. The album features bluegrass, ...
'' (2009) *'' National Ransom'' (2010) *'' Look Now'' (2018) *'' Hey Clockface'' (2020) *'' The Boy Named If'' (2022)


Collaborative albums

* ''The Courier'' (1988, soundtrack for the
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
, orchestral music by Declan MacManus, 8 songs by other artists including U2 and Hothouse Flowers) *'' G.B.H.'' (1991, with Richard Harvey) *'' The Juliet Letters'' (1993, with the
Brodsky Quartet The Brodsky Quartet is a British string quartet, formed in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, in 1972 as the "Cleveland Quartet". Only Ian Belton and Jacqueline Thomas remain as original members. In addition to performing classical music, and in par ...
) *'' Jake's Progress'' (1995, with Richard Harvey) *''
Deep Dead Blue ''Deep Dead Blue'' is a live album by Elvis Costello with Bill Frisell recorded at the Meltdown Festival in 1995. Review The Allmusic review by Steve Huey states "It's no real surprise that the two work well together, given the musical affinit ...
'' (1995, with Bill Frisell) *''
Painted from Memory ''Painted from Memory'' is a collaboration between Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach. It was released 29 September 1998 on Mercury Records, a division of Universal Music Group. The collaboration commenced with "God Give Me Strength", a commissi ...
'' (1998, with Burt Bacharach) *''
For the Stars ''For the Stars'' is a 2001 album by classically trained Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and Elvis Costello. Track listing # "No Wonder" (3:37) (Elvis Costello) # "Baby Plays Around" (3:13) (Cait O'Riordan, Declan MacManus) # "Go Le ...
'' (2001, with Anne Sofie von Otter) *'' Piano Jazz'' (2005, with Marian McPartland) *'' My Flame Burns Blue'' (2006, with Metropol Orkest) *''
The River in Reverse ''The River in Reverse'' is a 2006 collaboration between Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint. It received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album. Track listing All songs written by Allen Toussaint unless otherwise indicated. #"On Your Way ...
'' (2006, with Allen Toussaint) *''
Wise Up Ghost ''Wise Up Ghost'' is a collaborative studio album by British singer/songwriter Elvis Costello and American hip hop group The Roots. The album was released on 17 September 2013, by Blue Note Records. The album's first single "Walk Us Uptown" was r ...
'' (2013, with the Roots) *''
Lost on the River Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography * Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland *Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
'' (2014, as a member of
The New Basement Tapes The New Basement Tapes is a British-American musical supergroup made up of members Jim James, Elvis Costello, Marcus Mumford, Taylor Goldsmith, and Rhiannon Giddens. The group is best known for '' Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes'', t ...
) *'' The Resurrection Of Rust'' (2022, with Rusty)


Filmography


As actor

* 1979 film debut as "The Earl of Manchester" in '' Americathon''. Costello and the Attractions mime the song "Crawling to the U.S.A." in the film, which also appears on its soundtrack album. * 1984 as "Henry Scully" in the UK TV series, '' Scully'' * 1984 as "Stone Deaf A&R Man" in '' The Bullshitters'', a movie made by members of the comedy troupe
The Comic Strip The Comic Strip are a group of British comedians who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series ''The Comic Strip Presents...'', which was labelled as a pioneering example of the alternative comedy scene. The ...
, first aired on Channel 4 * 1985 as inept magician "Rosco de Ville" in the
Alan Bleasdale Alan George Bleasdale (born 23 March 1946) is an English screenwriter, best known for social realist drama serials based on the lives of ordinary people. A former teacher, he has written for radio, stage and screen, and has also written novels ...
film, '' No Surrender'' * 1987 as "Hives the Butler" in the
Alex Cox Alexander B. H. Cox (born 15 December 1954) is an English film director, screenwriter, actor, non-fiction author and broadcaster. Cox experienced success early in his career with '' Repo Man'' and '' Sid and Nancy'', but since the release and c ...
film, '' Straight to Hell'', starring
Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, f ...
and Courtney Love. Costello's "Big Nothing" (AKA "Town Called Big Nothing") appears in the film and on its soundtrack album. * 1994 as himself on ''
The Larry Sanders Show ''The Larry Sanders Show'' is an American television sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show. The series was created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein and aired from August 15, 1992, to May 31, 1998, on the HBO ...
'' in the episode "People's Choice" * 1996 as himself on ''
The Larry Sanders Show ''The Larry Sanders Show'' is an American television sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show. The series was created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein and aired from August 15, 1992, to May 31, 1998, on the HBO ...
'' in the episode "Everybody Loves Larry" * 1997 as a barman in '' Spice World'' * 1999 as himself in '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'', performing Burt Bacharach's "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" (with Bacharach), which also appears on its soundtrack album. * 1999 as a younger version of himself in ''
200 Cigarettes ''200 Cigarettes'' is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Risa Bramon Garcia and written by Shana Larsen. The film follows multiple characters in New York City on New Year's Eve 1981. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of brothers ...
'' * 2001 as himself performing "Fly Me to the Moon" on the series finale of ''
3rd Rock from the Sun ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' is an American television sitcom created by Bonnie and Terry Turner, which originally aired from January 9, 1996, to May 22, 2001, on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, ...
'' * 2002 as himself on the episode "
How I Spent My Strummer Vacation "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" is the second episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 10, 2002. It was intended to be the ...
" of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
'' * 2003 as Ben on '' Frasier'', in the season 10 episode "Farewell Nervosa" * 2003 as himself in '' I Love Your Work'' * 2004 as himself in the UK TV '' Dead Ringers'' New Year Special, apparently and reportedly having serendipitously entered a filming venue. * 2004 as himself in '' Two and a Half Men'' – Season 2, Episode 1 * 2004 as himself in '' De-Lovely'' * 2006 as himself in ''
Delirious Delirious may refer to: * A state of delirium Film and television * ''Delirious'' (1991 film), an American comedy directed by Tom Mankiewicz, starring John Candy * ''Delirious'' (2006 film), an American comedy-drama directed by Tom DiCillo, sta ...
'' * 2006 as himself in '' Before the Music Dies'' * 2006 as himself in '' Putting the River in Reverse'' * 2006 as himself in '' Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'' * 2008 as himself in '' A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!'' * 2009 as himself on the ''
30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', tak ...
'' episode "
Kidney Now! "Kidney Now!" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the third season of the American television comedy series '' 30 Rock'', and the 58th overall episode of the series. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by s ...
" * 2010 as himself on '' Treme'' * 2017 as himself in '' Ex Libris – The New York Public Library'' * 2017–2019 as Pete's Dad (voice) in '' Pete the Cat'' (Season 1)


As part of soundtracks

* 1983, "Party Party" appears in the film of the same name and on its soundtrack album. * 1991, "
Days A day is the time period of a full rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. In everyday life, the word "day" often refers to a solar day, which is the length between two ...
" (a cover of the Kinks song) appears in the film ''
Until the end of the World ''Until the End of the World'' (german: Bis ans Ende der Welt; french: Jusqu'au bout du monde) is a 1991 science fiction adventure drama film directed by German filmmaker Wim Wenders. Set at the turn of the millennium in the shadow of a world- ...
'' and on its soundtrack album. * 1995, "My Dark Life," a collaboration with
Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop a ...
, appears on the album ''
Songs in the Key of X ''Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files'' is a 1996 compilation album released in association with the American science fiction television series ''The X-Files''. The album contained a mixture of songs that were either fea ...
''. * 1996, "God Give Me Strength," a collaboration with Burt Bacharach, appears in the film ''
Grace of My Heart ''Grace of My Heart'' is a 1996 American musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Allison Anders and starring Illeana Douglas, Matt Dillon, Eric Stoltz, Patsy Kensit, and John Turturro. The film charts the music career of Denise Waverly ...
'' and on its soundtrack album. Nominated for
Satellite Award for Best Original Song The Satellite Award for Best Original Song is an annual award given by the International Press Academy The International Press Academy (IPA) is an American association of professional entertainment journalists, representing both domestic and for ...
. * 1998, "My Mood Swings" appears in the film '' The Big Lebowski'' and on its soundtrack album. * 1998, "I Throw My Toys Around," a collaboration with
No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, ...
, appears in the film '' The Rugrats Movie'' and on its soundtrack album. * 1999, "
She She most commonly refers to: *She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...
" (a cover of the Charles Aznavour song) appears in the film '' Notting Hill'' and on its soundtrack album. The song peaked at No. 19 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. * 2003, "The Scarlet Tide," written by Costello and
T-Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...
and performed by
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass- country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed wit ...
, appears in the film '' Cold Mountain'' and on its soundtrack album. Nominated for
Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed ...
and Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media. * 2019, "I Want You" appears twice in the critically acclaimed British film '' Only You''.


Bibliography

*1980: ''A Singing Dictionary'' sheet music *1983: sheet music *2016: memoir


References


Further reading

* Paumgarten, Nick (8 November 2010)
"Brilliant Mistakes"
Profiles. ''The New Yorker''. Vol. 86, no. 35. pp. 48–59. * Perone, James E. (1998). ''Elvis Costello: A Bio-Bibliography''. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. .


External links

*
Official Elvis Costello Lost Highway Records Artist Page
* * *
The Elvis Costello Wiki
(moved 2007 from origina
The Elvis Costello Home Page
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