Mary Gauthier
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Mary Veronica Gauthier ( ; born March 11, 1962) is a
Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
-nominated American
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
singer-songwriter and author, whose songs have been covered by performers including
Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 17 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, five for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number one on ...
,
Blake Shelton Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music, country singer, songwriter and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin (Blake Shelton song), Austin" from his Blake Shelton (album), self ...
,
Kathy Mattea Kathleen Alice Mattea (born June 21, 1959) is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including four that reac ...
,
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer-songwriter and DJ who rose to fame as the lead singer of the pop band Culture Club. He began his solo career in 1987. Boy George grew up in Eltham a ...
,
Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...
,
Bettye Lavette Bettye LaVette (born Betty Jo Haskins, January 29, 1946) is an American soul singer who made her first record at sixteen, but achieved only intermittent fame until 2005, when her album '' I've Got My Own Hell to Raise'' was released to widespre ...
,
Candi Staton Canzetta Maria "Candi" Staton (, ) (born March 13, 1940) is an American singer–songwriter, best known in the United States for her 1970 cover of Tammy Wynette's " Stand by Your Man" and her 1976 disco chart-topper " Young Hearts Run Free". In E ...
, and Amy Helm. Her songs often deal with marginalization, informed by her experience of adoption, addiction and recovery, and growing up gay in the deep south. Her work demonstrates an "ability to transform her own trauma into a purposeful and communal narrative", such as the lyric "we could all use, a little mercy, now", from her song " Mercy Now". Her Grammy nominated 2018 album ''Rifles & Rosary Beads'', co-written with military veterans and their families, has been hailed as a landmark achievement. She has won awards from the Americana Music Association, International Folk Music Awards, the Independent Music Awards, the GLAMA Awards, and the UK Americana Association.


Early life, addiction and sobriety

Gauthier was born in 1962 in
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, Louisiana, to a mother who gave her to St Vincent's Women and Infants Asylum, where she spent the first year of her life. In adulthood, Gauthier spoke to her biological mother once by phone, but there was no further contact between them. She was adopted by an
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
couple from Thibodaux, Louisiana. Her father was an alcoholic. Struggling with a variety of issues, Gauthier left home young and abused drugs and alcohol, as did her brother, who was three years younger and also adopted. He was later jailed for armed robbery. Gauthier says she had drunk herself unconscious on
sloe gin Sloe gin is a British red liqueur made with gin and Prunus spinosa, blackthorn fruits (sloes), which are the drupe fruit of the ''Prunus spinosa'' tree, which is a relative of the plum. As an alcoholic drink, sloe gin contains between 15 per c ...
by the time she was twelve. When she was fifteen she ran away from home, recalling that "I was a gay kid, and back then, that just didn’t fly. Back then, gay kids were beat up, abused, some ended up taking their own lives. It was horrible, and I just wanted to get away.” She spent the next several years in
drug rehabilitation Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines. The general int ...
,
halfway house A halfway house is a type of prison or institute intended to teach (or reteach) the necessary skills for people to re-integrate into society and better support and care for themselves. Halfway houses are typically either state sponsored for those ...
s, living with friends, and spent her 18th birthday in a jail cell. These experiences provided fodder for her songwriting later on. Spurred on by friends, she enrolled at
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
as a philosophy major, dropping out during her senior year. After attending the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, and working in an upmarket restaurant, she got financial backing to open a
Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the US state of Louisiana and surrounding Gulf Coast states. Whi ...
restaurant in Boston's
Back Bay Back Bay is an officially recognized Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on Land reclamation, reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the ...
neighborhood, calling it Dixie Kitchen. On opening night, 12 July 1990, she was arrested for drunk driving and has been sober ever since. "I eventually got sober when I was twenty seven years old... I started writing songs in earnest at around thirty two years of age", she says. After achieving sobriety from " ainlyalcohol, cocaine and heroin", Gauthier continued to manage, and cook at, the restaurant but was increasingly driven to dedicate herself to songwriting.


Music career

Having recorded her debut, ''Dixie Kitchen'', Gauthier sold her share in the restaurant to finance her second album. ''Drag Queens in Limousines'' was released in 1998, winning several accolades, and led to appearances at eleven major folk festivals, including Newport. After moving to
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
in 2001, she secured a publishing deal with Harlan Howard Songs, followed by her third album, ''Filth and Fire'', in 2002.Quillen, Shay (March 4, 2005).
Mary Gauthier's music provides soundtrack to bleak childhood
. ''Knight Ridder Tribune News''. The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana). p. 3D.
Two years later, she landed a record deal with Lost Highway, a division of
Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum ...
, and released the first of two albums with them.


Mercy Now

''Mercy Now'' won widespread acclaim and propelled Gauthier into the spotlight, making the Top Ten Albums list in many publications. A second album for Lost Highway, ''Between Daylight and Dark'', followed in 2007. Gauthier's next studio record, '' The Foundling'' (2010), was released by Razor & Tie Records. She then made the first of several albums for In The Black Records, ''LIVE at Blue Rock'' (2013), her first live album which was recorded at a ranch outside of
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
. Her eighth studio album, ''Trouble and Love'' (2014), demonstrated her now familiar "brutal honesty balanced by rough-hewn tenderness" to great effect. The following year, Gauthier featured on Eight 30 Records' ''Cold and Bitter Tears: The Songs of Ted Hawkins'', contributing her take on the late Los Angeles busker's signature song, ''Sorry You're Sick''.


''Rifles & Rosary Beads''

Gauthier's next record, ''Rifles & Rosary Beads'' (2018), was co-written with U.S. veterans and their families, arising out of Gauthier's involvement with the Songwriting With Soldiers program. Gauthier noted that "
very Very may refer to: * English's prevailing intensifier Businesses * The Very Group The Very Group Limited is a multi-brand online retailer and financial services provider in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its head offices are based in the ...
day, on average, twenty-two veterans commit suicide", adding that " nderneathso much of the problems in the world is trauma, it's the central issue humanity is dealing with. We've found something powerful here, that brings hope to people who are hurting". The album was released to widespread acclaim, and has been described as "music that's just plain important" ('' The LA Times''), and as being "not only the strongest album of her career but, in its own way, a landmark album." It has won several awards, and secured Gauthier her first
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
nomination.


Accolades, awards and influence

Although rarely in the pop/mainstream spotlight, throughout her career Gauthier has won widespread acclaim and numerous awards for her songs. In 2000, ''Drag Queens in Limousines'' won Best Folk/Singer-Songwriter Song at the first Independent Music Awards. Gauthier was nominated for Best New Artist at the Boston Music Awards, and also for three Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards (GLAMAs), winning best country artist. In 2002, ''Filth and Fire'' was named Best Indy CD of the Year by
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', '' The LA Times'', '' The Daily News'', and ''
Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to th ...
'', and was voted the No. 6 Record of the Decade by '' No Depression'' magazine. Gauthier was named New/Emerging Artist of the Year by the Americana Music Association in 2005. ''The Foundling'' was named the No. 3 Record of the Year by ''The LA Times'' music writer Randy Lewis, in 2010. In 2015, Gauthier was nominated for the Outstanding Music Artist of the Year at the 26th Annual
GLAAD GLAAD () is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization. Originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals in the media and entertainment industries, it has since ...
Media Awards. ''Rifles & Rosary Beads'' earned Gauthier her first Grammy nomination in the category of
Best Folk Album The Grammy Award for Best Folk Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the Folk music, folk genre. Honors ...
(2019), and won Album of the Year at The International Folk Music Awards. She was also nominated for Album of the Year at the Americana Music Honors and Awards, and named International Artist of the Year by the UK Americana Music Association. Numerous artists have recorded Gauthier's songs, including
Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...
,
Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 17 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, five for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number one on ...
,
Blake Shelton Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music, country singer, songwriter and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin (Blake Shelton song), Austin" from his Blake Shelton (album), self ...
, Bobby Bare,
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer-songwriter and DJ who rose to fame as the lead singer of the pop band Culture Club. He began his solo career in 1987. Boy George grew up in Eltham a ...
, Bill Chambers, Mike Farris,
Candi Staton Canzetta Maria "Candi" Staton (, ) (born March 13, 1940) is an American singer–songwriter, best known in the United States for her 1970 cover of Tammy Wynette's " Stand by Your Man" and her 1976 disco chart-topper " Young Hearts Run Free". In E ...
, Amy Helm,
Kathy Mattea Kathleen Alice Mattea (born June 21, 1959) is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including four that reac ...
and
Bettye LaVette Bettye LaVette (born Betty Jo Haskins, January 29, 1946) is an American soul singer who made her first record at sixteen, but achieved only intermittent fame until 2005, when her album '' I've Got My Own Hell to Raise'' was released to widespre ...
. Mike Farris and Bettye LaVette both received Grammy nominations, LaVette for Best Blues Record (2016) for '' Worthy'', the title track of which was written by Gauthier and
Beth Nielsen Chapman Beth Nielsen Chapman (born September 14, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter who has written hits for country and pop music performers. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016. She is a two-time Grammy Award ...
. Farris took home the Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album (2015) for ''Shine for All the People'', which included Gauthier's song "Mercy Now". Her songs have also been featured in several TV shows, including
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
on ABC, Masterpiece Theatre's Case Histories, Showtime's
Banshee A banshee ( ; Irish language, Modern Irish , from , "woman of the Tumulus#Ireland, fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or kee ...
,
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
's
Injustice Injustice is a quality relating to unfairness or undeserved outcomes. The term may be applied in reference to a particular event or situation, or to a larger status quo. In Western philosophy and jurisprudence, injustice is very commonly—but ...
and Paramount Network's
Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
. Her recordings have appeared on playlists by Wally Lamb,
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...
and
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
. She wrote a memoir about the art of songwriting, ''Saved by a Song'' (St. Martin's Press), which was released in 2021. She is a regular on the
Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...
, and currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.


Education, publications and writing

Gauthier's book
"Saved by a Song"
was published in 2021 by St Martin's Press. Gauthier's songs are taught at several universities, including Alice Randall's "Country Lyric in American Culture” class at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
. Her short stories have been published in several books and magazines, including ''Amplified'' (Random House), ''The Blue Rock Review'', an arts magazine based in Wimberley, Texas, and the ''Capitola Review'', a handcrafted, numbered, limited edition publication. Gauthier has been featured in various books on country and Americana music, with chapters dedicated to her in "They Came To Nashville", by Marshall Chapman, and "Right By Her Roots: Americana Women and Their Songs", by Jewly Height. Gauthier also features in a Dutch book on country music, "De Bezem Door Nashville (The Broom Through Nashville)", by Harry de Jong, with photographs by Henk Bleeker.


Discography

* ''Dixie Kitchen'' (1997) * ''Drag Queens in Limousines'' (1999) * ''Filth and Fire'' (2002) * '' Mercy Now'' (2005) * ''Between Daylight and Dark'' (2007) * ''Genesis (The Early Years)'' (2008) – A 15-track compilation from the first three albums * '' The Foundling'' (2010) – No. 13 ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Americana chart * ''The Foundling Alone'' (2011) – Acoustic demos of songs in development, from ''The Foundling'' * ''Live at Blue Rock'' (2012) – 11 mixed new and old tracks plus hidden track, "Mercy Now" * ''Trouble and Love'' (2014) – No. 22 Billboard Americana chart * ''Rifles & Rosary Beads'' (2018) – Co-written with U.S. veterans and their families * ''Dark Enough to See the Stars'' (2022)


References


External links

*
Gauthier's Lost Highway webpage

Article on Mary Gauthier and Iris DeMent
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gauthier, Mary 1962 births American alternative country singers American women singer-songwriters American folk singers American women country singers American country singer-songwriters Cajun people American lesbian musicians American LGBTQ singers American LGBTQ songwriters LGBTQ people from Louisiana Living people People from Thibodaux, Louisiana Singers from New Orleans American adoptees Lesbian singers Lesbian songwriters Lost Highway Records artists Independent Music Awards winners Singer-songwriters from Louisiana Country musicians from Louisiana Proper Records artists Signature Sounds artists 20th-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American LGBTQ people American lesbian writers