Grayson Capps (born in

Opelika, Alabama Opelika (pronounced ) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Alabama, Lee County in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States censu ...

, United States) is an American

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana music, a genre or style of American music * Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1981 film), an American drama film * ''Americana'' (20 ...

and

blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre, genre and form of rock music, rock and blues music that relies on the chords/scales and instrumental improvisation of blues. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electri ...

singer-songwriter.

Early life

Capps was born in Opelika, Alabama, to parents who were students at

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a tota ...

. He was raised in Brewton, Alabama, as a child, but moved to Fairhope Alabama for high school. He became interested in theater when in

Fairhope, Alabama Fairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, located on the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay. The population was 22,477 at the 2020 census. Fairhope is a principal city of the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metropolitan area, which in ...

, and received a degree in theater from Tulane University. He stayed in New Orleans until

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

Musical career

In the early 1990s, while a student at Tulane, Capps started a band called The House Levelers; the band's music has been described as "thrash-folk". Also while at Tulane, Capps started a blues-rock band called Stavin' Chain. This band released one eponymous album before disbanding. In 2004, several of Capps' songs appeared on the soundtrack of the film ''

A Love Song for Bobby Long ''A Love Song for Bobby Long'' is a 2004 American psychological drama film directed and written by Shainee Gabel, based on the novel ''Off Magazine Street'' by Ronald Everett Capps. It stars John Travolta as the title character, an aging alcoho ...

'', which was based on a novel written by Capps' father. In 2011, Capps and his band the Lost Cause Minstrels released an album, also called ''Lost Cause Minstrels'', on Royal Potato Family Records. Capps released his first solo album, ''If You Knew My Mind'', in 2005 on Hyena Records. His second solo album, ''Wail & Ride'', was released in 2006 on the same label, followed by ''Rott & Roll'' in 2008. ''Rott & Roll'' was recorded with a band known as the Stumpknockers. ''Scarlett Roses'' was released in December 2017.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

noted that "''Scarlett Roses'' is the roots rock record we've been waiting for from Capps." Capps released ''South Front Street'' a career retrospective in 2020. Upon its release AmericanaUK called Capps, "The thinking-man’s songwriter, the troubadours troubadour."

Personal life

Capps is married to

Trina Shoemaker Kathryn "Trina" Shoemaker is an American record producer, sound engineer and mixer best known for her work with Queens of the Stone Age, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, The Wood Brothers, Charley Crockett, The Mountain Goats, Tanya Tucker, Turnp ...

, a recording engineer from Fairhope. They have a son together; Capps also has a daughter from a previous relationship. As of 2013, Capps and his family lived in

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

Discography

*''If You Knew My Mind'' (Hyena, 2005) *''Wail & Ride'' (Hyena, 2006) *''Stavin' Chain'' (

Ruf Records Ruf Records is a German independent record label, which was founded in 1994 by Luther Allison’s manager, Thomas Ruf, to promote Allison's career. The motto of the blues label is "Where Blues Crosses Over". The company's office is located in L ...

, 2007) *''Songbones'' (Hyena, 2007) *''Rott & Roll'' (Hyena, 2008) *''The Lost Cause Minstrels'' (Royal Potato Family, 2011) * Willie Sugarcapps (Royal Potato Family, 2013) * Paradise Right Here Willie Sugarcapps (Royal Potato Family, 2015) *''Love Songs, Mermaids and Grappa'' (Appaloosa, 2015) *''Scarlett Roses'' (Royal Potato Family, 2017) * ''South Front Street'' (Royal Potato Family, 2019) *''Heartbreak, Misery & Death (Royal Potato Family, 2024)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Capps, Grayson People from Opelika, Alabama Living people Tulane University alumni Americana musicians American blues rock musicians Singer-songwriters from Alabama Year of birth missing (living people)