Gretchen Phillips (born 1963) is an American singer-songwriter known for her humorous and topical songs. Phillips has been openly gay throughout her life and her lesbianism has inspired much of her material.

Background

Phillips grew up in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

. Her parents were musicians, and she played music from childhood. After graduating from the High School for Performing and Visual Arts, she decided move to

Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

in 1981 to become a professional performer and was in a band with

Sara Hickman Sara Hickman (born March 1, 1963) is an American singer, songwriter, and artist.Houston Folk Music Archive(Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University)Guide to the Houston Folk Music Archive(Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library ...

Meat Joy, Girls in the Nose, and Two Nice Girls

Phillips was a member in three influential area bands in the mid-eighties: the punk band Meat Joy (with Jamie Lee Hendrix, Melissa Cobb Unit, John Hawkes-under the name John Boy Perkins, and Tim Pierre Mateer), the rock band Girls in the Nose (with Pam Barger, Kay Turner, Joanna Labow, and Darcee Douglas), and the country/disco/rock/folk/pop band Two Nice Girls (with Pam Barger, Laurie Freelove, Meg Hentges, and Kathy Korniloff). Two Nice Girls attracted national attention with Phillips' song "I Spent My Last $10 (on Birth Control and Beer)" which satirized heterosexual relationships.

Bands and solo projects since Two Nice Girls

Since the break-up of Two Nice Girls, Phillips has been part of The Gretchen Phillips Experience (with Andy Loomis, Thor Harris, John Paul Keenon, and Jo Walston), Dusty Trails (with

Josephine Wiggs Miranda Cordelia Susan Josephine Wiggs (born 26 February 1965), simply known as Josephine Wiggs, is an English multi-instrumentalist rock musician, best known for her work as bassist in the alternative rock bands The Breeders and The Perfect D ...

and Vivian Trimble), Phillips & Driver (with David Driver), Lord Douglas Phillips (with Terri Lord and Darcee Douglas), and The Gretchen Phillips Ministries (with the Experience line-up), as well as performing as a solo artist.

Awards

Two Nice Girls won a

GLAAD Media Award The GLAAD Media Award is a US accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding portrayals of LGBTQ people and the issues that affect their lives. In addition to film and television, the Awards ...

in 1991. Phillips was inducted into the ''Austin Chronicle'' Music Poll's Hall of Fame in 2001.

Personal life

Phillips has been openly gay throughout her life and her lesbianism has inspired much of her material. Phillips has generally resided in

, but has also lived in San Francisco and New York City.

Other

An archive collected by Phillips, including items such as reviews and news articles, video recordings of her shows, and fan mail, is part of Cornell University Library's Human Sexuality Collection. Her name appears in the lyrics of the

Le Tigre Le Tigre (, ; French for "The Tiger") is an American art punk and riot grrrl band formed by Kathleen Hanna (of Bikini Kill), Johanna Fateman and Sadie Benning in 1998 in New York City. Benning left in 2000 and was replaced by JD Samson. ...

song "

Hot Topic Hot Topic, Inc. is an American fast-fashion company specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming, and most of the ...

Discography

*''The Many Moods of Meat Joy'' – Meat Joy *''Chant to the Full Moon, O Ye Sisters'' – Girls in the Nose *''Girls in the Nose'' – Girls in the Nose *''Meat Joy'' – Meat Joy *''2 Nice Girls'' – Two Nice Girls *''Like a Version'' – Two Nice Girls *''chloe liked olivia'' – Two Nice Girls *''Songs to Save Your Soul'' – Gretchen Phillips *''A Taste of LDP'' – Lord Douglas Phillips *''Seitan is Real'' – The Gretchen Phillips Ministries *''Togetherness'' – Phillips & Driver *''Welcome to mMy World'' – Gretchen Phillips *''Welcome to My World and a Half'' – Gretchen Phillips *''Do You Ever Wish For More?'' – Gretchen Phillips *"Eau Du Lesbianism" appeared on Mr. Lady Records'

sampler album A sampler or promotional compilation is a type of compilation album generally offered at a reduced price to showcase an artist or a selection of artists signed to a particular record label. The format became popular in the late 1960s as record labe ...

, '' Calling All Kings & Queens'', in 2001

Notes

External links

Gretchen Phillips' Official WebsiteAustin Chronicle, February 9, 2007: Throws Like a Girl: Catching Gretchen Phillips by Patti Hadad
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Gretchen 1963 births Living people American women songwriters American lesbian musicians Singers from Austin, Texas Singers from Houston LGBTQ people from Texas American LGBTQ singers American LGBTQ songwriters Guitarists from Texas Lesbian singers Lesbian songwriters 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women guitarists 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American women guitarists 20th-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American LGBTQ people