David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American
rock and
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of
Whiskeytown.
In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released his debut solo album, ''
Heartbreaker'', to critical acclaim. The album was nominated for the
Shortlist Music Prize
The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as (shôrt–lĭst), was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination. First given as a cash prize in 2001 under ...
. The following year, his profile increased with the release of the UK certified-gold ''
Gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
'', which included the single "
New York, New York
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...
". During this time, Adams worked on several unreleased albums, which were consolidated into a third solo release, ''
Demolition
Demolition (also known as razing and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction (building), deconstruction, which inv ...
'' (2002). Working at a prolific rate, Adams released the
classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...
-influenced ''
Rock N Roll'' (2003), after a planned album, ''
Love Is Hell'', was rejected by his label
Lost Highway. As a compromise, ''Love Is Hell'' was released as two EPs and eventually released in its full-length state in 2004.
After breaking his wrist during a live performance, Ryan Adams took a hiatus and formed a backing band called
The Cardinals
The Cardinals were an American R&B group of the 1950s. Sharing a legacy with the Orioles, The Cardinals are remembered as one of the best R&B ballad acts to come out of Baltimore.
Origins
The Cardinals’ career began in 1946 (one year befor ...
, who supported him on his next four studio albums. In 2009, due to complications from
Ménière's disease
Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that is characterized by potentially severe and incapacitating episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Typically, only one ear is affected in ...
, Adams disbanded The Cardinals and took a break from music. However, he returned to the music scene in 2010, releasing his 13th studio album, ''
Ashes & Fire''. Adams continued his musical journey by releasing his 14th album, ''
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown.
In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...
'' in 2014.
In 2015, Adams gained attention for his cover album ''
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
'', a song-for-song cover of
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
's album of the same name. In 2019, several women accused Adams of sexual harassment, leading to a delay in the release of three planned albums. Adams later issued an apology and eventually released six more albums between 2020 and 2022. In addition to his own material, Adams has also produced albums for
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
,
Jesse Malin,
Jenny Lewis
Jennifer Diane Lewis (born January 8, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and keyboardist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley.
Lewis gained prominence in the 1980s as a child ...
, and
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, 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 A ...
, and has collaborated with
Counting Crows,
Weezer
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...
,
Norah Jones
Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...
,
America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
Minnie Driver
Amelia Fiona Jessica "Minnie" Driver (born 31 January 1970) is a British and American actress and singer. She rose to prominence with her break-out role in the 1995 film ''Circle of Friends (1995 film), Circle of Friends''. She went on to star i ...
,
Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies are an alternative country and folk rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1985 by Alan Anton (bassist), Michael Timmins (songwriter, guitarist), Peter Timmins (drummer) and Margo Timmins (vocalist). The three Timminses ...
,
Leona Naess,
Toots and the Maytals,
Beth Orton
Elizabeth Caroline Orton (born 14 December 1970) is an English musician known for her "folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit, Andrew Weatherall ...
and
Krista Polvere. He has written ''
Infinity Blues'', a book of poems, and ''
Hello Sunshine'', a collection of poems and short stories.
Early life
David Ryan Adams was born on November 5, 1974, in
Jacksonville, North Carolina
Jacksonville is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 72,723, which makes Jacksonville the List of municipalities in North Carolina, 14th-most populous city in North Caroli ...
.
He is the middle child of three, with an older brother and younger sister. His childhood has been described as "dysfunctional". His father left when he was five at which time he, his mother and his siblings had to move in with his grandparents since they became homeless as a result of the divorce. He has said in an interview, "I became who I am now because of my grandparents" and of his grandmother "...she was like a mother to me." His mother remarried when he was 13.
At the age of eight, Adams began writing short stories and limericks on his grandmother's typewriter. In his own words, "I started writing short stories when I was really into
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
. Then later, when I was a teenager, I got really hard into cult fiction:
Hubert Selby, Jr.,
Henry Miller,
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation.
Of French-Canadian ...
." At 14, Adams began learning to play an electric guitar his mother and stepfather had bought him and soon joined a local band named Blank Label. While they quickly disbanded, they did record a short three-track 7-inch record, in 1991.
Adams dropped out of
Jacksonville High School in 10th grade, at the age of 16, subsequently moving into bandmate Jere McIlwean's rental house, just outside Jacksonville. Around this time, he played and performed with a number of local bands, most notably his and McIlwean's The Patty Duke Syndrome. After obtaining his
GED, Adams left Jacksonville for
Raleigh
Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
, shortly followed by McIlwean. The Patty Duke Syndrome broke up in 1994 after releasing a
split 7-inch single with GlamourPuss.
Career
Whiskeytown
Following the breakup of his high school band, The Patty Duke Syndrome, Adams helped found
Whiskeytown with
Caitlin Cary, Eric "Skillet" Gilmore, Steve Grothmann and
Phil Wandscher. Whiskeytown saw Adams move to
alt-country
Alternative country (commonly abbreviated to alt-country; also known as alternative country rock, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative) is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that diffe ...
, describing
punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
as "too hard to sing" in the title track of Whiskeytown's debut album ''
Faithless Street''. Whiskeytown was heavily influenced by a number of country-rock pioneers, most notably
Gram Parsons. The band quickly gained critical acclaim with the release of their second full-length album, ''
Strangers Almanac'', their first
major label
"Big Three" music labels
A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and t ...
release. A third album, ''
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
,'' was completed in 1999, but record label problems delayed its release. It was eventually released by
Lost Highway in 2001, at which time the band was effectively done.
Solo career (2000–2004)
Adams made his solo debut in 2000, with ''
Heartbreaker'' (produced by
Ethan Johns).
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist. She is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana (music), Americana genre ...
sang backup on "Oh My Sweet Carolina". Other backing vocals and instruments were provided by
Gillian Welch,
David Rawlings,
Pat Sansone, and Kim Richey as Adams embraced a style more reminiscent of folk music. It was met with considerable critical success, but sales were slow.
Adams released ''
Gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
'', the follow-up to ''Heartbreaker'', in 2001. It was well received. Adams, however, initially refused to promote the record through radio station meet-and-greets and other music-industry conventions, instead opting for more recording and some live dates. A video was eventually made for the album's first single, "
New York, New York
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...
". The music video featured Adams performing in front of the city's skyline four days before the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
. The video was played often on
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
and
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
after the attacks and became Adams's breakthrough to mainstream music consumers.
Following the success of ''Gold'', in 2002 Adams was blocked by his label from releasing his choice for a follow-up album. This would be the second time, the first being with ''Gold;'' Adams had recorded "the Suicide Handbook" which was rejected on the grounds that it was "too sad". The label opted this time around to cherry pick (without Adams' involvement) from four of Adams' recorded albums it had already dismissed as unreleasable (48 Hours, The Suicide Handbook, The Pinkhearts and The Swedish Sessions) to create ''
Demolition
Demolition (also known as razing and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction (building), deconstruction, which inv ...
,'' released in September 2002. Although the album garnered him more critical attention, it failed to sell as well as ''Gold''. The same year, Adams produced
Jesse Malin's first album, ''
The Fine Art of Self Destruction'', and later worked with Malin to form the punk-rock group
The Finger
"The finger", or the middle finger (as in giving someone the (middle) finger, flipping the bird or flipping someone off) is an obscene hand gesture. The gesture communicates moderate to extreme contempt, and is roughly equivalent in meaning t ...
(under the pseudonyms, "Warren Peace" and "Irving Plaza" respectively), who released two E.P.s which were collected together to form ''
We Are Fuck You'', released on
One Little Indian Records in 2003. He also starred in a
Gap advertisement with Willie Nelson, performing a cover of Hank Williams's "
Move It on Over".
In May 2002, Adams joined Elton John on ''
CMT Crossroads
''CMT Crossroads'' is an American television program broadcast on CMT that pairs country music artists with musicians from other music genres such as alternative rock, pop, R&B, Rock, soul
The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, ...
'', which brings together country artists with musicians from other genres. During the show, John referred to Adams as "fabulous one" and spoke of how ''Heartbreaker'' inspired him to record ''
Songs from the West Coast
''Songs from the West Coast'' is the twenty-sixth studio album by English musician Elton John, released worldwide on 1 October 2001.
Background
For this album, Elton John once again collaborated with long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin, marking ...
'', which at the time was his most successful album in several years. Also in 2002, Adams reportedly recorded a cover of
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1998. The band is composed of lead singer and primary songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikola ...
' debut album ''
Is This It'', though it has never been publicly released.
In 2002 and 2003, Adams worked on recording ''
Love Is Hell'', intending to release it in 2003.
Lost Highway Records
Lost Highway Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. Formed by Luke Lewis in 2000, Lost Highway Records operates as a country music label, based out of Nashville, but the label also issues music by alternative rock and alternativ ...
deemed that it was not commercially viable and was reluctant to release it, leading Adams to go back to the studio. Two weeks later he returned to Lost Highway with ''
Rock n Roll'', which featured guest musicians including
Melissa Auf der Maur
Melissa Gaboriau Auf der Maur (; born March 17, 1972) is a Canadian musician.
Auf der Maur began performing in 1993 after forming the indie rock band Tinker (band), Tinker while she was a student at Concordia University. She was recruited ...
,
Green Day
Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
's
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972) is an American musician and actor. He is best known for being the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt in 1987. He is als ...
, and Adams's girlfriend at the time,
Parker Posey. Adams' songwriting received additional exposure when
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...
included his song "In My Time of Need", from his debut release, on her 2003 album ''
Dark Chords on a Big Guitar.''
Also released in 2003, Adams formed a punk band called The Finger with
Jesse Malin, Colin Burns, and Johnny T. Yerington.
">/sup> The name derived from notorious early/mid-1990s Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
rock band Finger, of which Adams was a big fan. This light-hearted project allowed both artists to return to their punk backgrounds (Adams began his music career as singer for The Patty Duke Syndrome and Malin began his career in the hardcore punk band Heart Attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
and more famously as the lead singer of D Generation). They began by releasing two EPs: ''We Are Fuck You'' and ''Punk's Dead Let's Fuck'' which were later collected to form the album '' We Are Fuck You'' that was released in 2003.
Adams and Lost Highway Records eventually agreed that the label would release '' Rock N Roll'' as well as ''Love Is Hell'', on the condition that ''Love Is Hell'' be split into two EP installments. ''Rock N Roll'' and ''Love Is Hell, Pt. 1'' were released in November 2003, followed by ''Love Is Hell, Pt. 2'' in December. Both albums were well received by critics, and in May 2004 ''Love Is Hell'' was re-released as a full-length album.
''Love Is Hell'' included a cover of Oasis' " Wonderwall", which Adams had previously performed live, and about which Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Gallagher is the primary songwriter, lead guitarist and a co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis (band), Oasis. After leaving Oasis, he formed Noel ...
once said, "I never got my head round this song until I went to eeRyan Adams play and he did an amazing cover of it." The song earned Adams 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 ...
nomination for " Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance".
While on tour to support ''Love Is Hell'' in January 2004, Adams fractured his wrist during a performance at the Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...
in Liverpool. Adams fell off the end of the stage into the lowered orchestra pit six feet below, while performing "The Shadowlands". Dates from Adams's European and American tours had to be canceled as a result of his injury.
Adams was featured on the album ''True Love'' by Toots and the Maytals, which won the 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 ...
in 2004 for Best Reggae Album, and showcased many notable musicians including Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
, Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold Beck (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023) was an English musician. He rose to prominence as the guitarist of the rock band the Yardbirds, and afterwards founded and fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, ...
, Trey Anastasio, Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani Shelton ( ; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer.
Stefani rose to fame as a member and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, whose hit singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderwebs", an ...
/ No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. For most of its career, the band has consisted of vocalist and founding member Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young. Keyboar ...
, Ben Harper
Benjamin Charles Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and he is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, liv ...
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...
, Manu Chao
Manu Chao (; born José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao Ortega on 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish musician. He sings in French language, French, Spanish language, Spanish, English language, English, Italian language, Italian, Arabic, Catalan language ...
, The Roots
The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...
, Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
, Toots Hibbert, Paul Douglas, Jackie Jackson, Ken Boothe
Kenneth George Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948) is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appeal ...
, and The Skatalites
The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone (song), Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Bus ...
.
The Cardinals (2005–2009)
The year 2005 saw Adams join with backing band the Cardinals
The Cardinals were an American R&B group of the 1950s. Sharing a legacy with the Orioles, The Cardinals are remembered as one of the best R&B ballad acts to come out of Baltimore.
Origins
The Cardinals’ career began in 1946 (one year befor ...
to produce two albums, '' Cold Roses'' and '' Jacksonville City Nights''. ''Cold Roses'', a double album, included backing vocals from Rachael Yamagata on three songs; "Let It Ride", "Cold Roses" and "Friends". His second album of the year, ''Jacksonville City Nights'', featured a duet with Norah Jones
Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...
on "Dear John". As well as releasing two albums with The Cardinals, Adams released the solo album '' 29'' late in the year.
Adams befriended Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...
, after first meeting him at the Jammys awards in New York in 2005. The two performed Jerry Garcia
Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician who was the lead guitarist and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence during the counterculture of the 196 ...
and Robert Hunter's Grateful Dead classic, "Wharf Rat". Adams performed at subsequent outings of Phil Lesh and Friends
Phil Lesh and Friends was an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, former bassist of the Grateful Dead.
Phil & Friends is not a traditional group in that several different lineups of musicians have played under the name, including gro ...
, including a two-night stand at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also known colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheater in the Western United States, western United States near Morrison, Colorado, approximately southwest of Denver. It is owned and operated by the c ...
outside of Denver
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, Colorado and on New Year's Eve 2005 at the Bill Graham Event Center in San Francisco. Throughout 2006, Lesh's live performances included compositions by Adams, including several from ''Cold Roses'' ("Cold Roses", "Let It Ride", and "Magnolia Mountain").
Adams produced Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
's album ''Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 5,00 ...
'', while he and The Cardinals performed as Nelson's backing band. The album was released in October 2006. He also opened for Nelson at the Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre and Urban park, public park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018 and was listed on ...
later that fall, a show that featured Phil Lesh on bass and multiple Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...
songs. Late in 2006, Adams experimented with hip hop music
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...
, adding to his web site 18 albums worth of new recordings under various pseudonyms, featuring humorous and nonsensical lyrics, as well as covers of two 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 ...
songs ("Isis
Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
" and " You're a Big Girl Now").
Adams released his ninth album on June 26, 2007, titled '' Easy Tiger''. The album includes many tracks which were debuted during 2006's tours, as well as other older tracks which were previously unreleased.
On October 23, 2007, Adams released '' Follow the Lights'', an EP featuring three new songs: "Follow the Lights","Blue Hotel" and "My Love for You Is Real", along with live studio versions of other previously released songs and a cover of Alice in Chains' "Down In A Hole". Adams also appeared as a guest musician on Cowboy Junkies' 2007 album and DVD '' Trinity Revisited'', a 20th-anniversary re-recording of their classic album '' The Trinity Session''. In 2007 Adams co-wrote a song with Australian singer-songwriter Krista Polvere for her debut record ''Here Be Dragons''; he also played guitar and piano on the album, which was recorded in New York.
A new album with The Cardinals, ''Cardinology
''Cardinology'' is the tenth studio album by Ryan Adams, and fourth album with his backing band The Cardinals, released on October 28, 2008. The album completed Adams' contract with Lost Highway Records, and marks his final recording session with ...
'' was released on October 28, 2008. Adams has also announced plans to release a book, entitled '' Infinity Blues''. According to Lost Highway chairman, Luke Lewis, there will be an "anthology" release in 2009, featuring several new songs.
On January 14, 2009, Ryan Adams announced that he was quitting the Cardinals after their final show on March 20, 2009, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
. Adams cited hearing loss due to Ménière's disease
Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that is characterized by potentially severe and incapacitating episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Typically, only one ear is affected in ...
as well as disillusionment with the music industry, the media and audience behavior as reasons for his decision. He also stated that he has been working on two new books, in addition to ''Infinity Blues''. The second book, released in the fall of 2009, is entitled ''Hello Sunshine''. Preorders of ''Hello Sunshine'' were shipped on August 18 by publisher Akashic Books.
Post-Cardinals (2009)
In May 2009, drummer Brad Pemberton stated that: "everyone was a bit fried, so it was the right time to step back for a minute. I encouraged Ryan to go and get married, and have a life and find some peace; the guy hasn't really slowed down in ten years, and he needed it as much as we did. Ryan and I have shared too much and are too good of friends to not ever do anything again, but I think we all need to do our own thing for a minute."
The Cardinals, without Adams, have recorded together alongside Gin Wigmore for her debut album.
Adams has dismissed any possibility of a reunion in the near future, saying it wouldn't be right after the death of Cardinals bassist Chris 'Spacewolf' Feinstein.
In August 2009, Adams began posting on the fan-site, Ryan Adams Archive, discussing the possibility of a Whiskeytown reunion, new songs and releasing his many 'unreleased' albums. In August, Adams also began blogging for The Awl. In September 2009, Adams debuted a new song online, entitled "Happy Birthday", and began releasing singles, featuring previously unreleased material, from his new record label, PAX AM.
Casal released a photo-book, '' Ryan Adams & the Cardinals: A View of Other Windows'', in February 2010, documenting his time within the band.
PAX AM and return to music (2010–2013)
In March 2010, Adams announced a new metal
A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
-influenced album, entitled '' Orion'', to be released on his PAX AM label. ''Orion'' was released on vinyl only on May 18, 2010, and was sold through the PAX AM online store. According to Adams's Facebook page, he had completed two unreleased albums, ''Blackhole'' and '' Cardinals III/IV'', and was currently recording new albums in both New York City and Los Angeles.
On October 29, 2010, Adams played his first live show since stepping down from the Cardinals in March 2009, at a benefit hosted by Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and comedian known for his work in comedy films. Apatow is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he wrote, produced, and directed his films ''The 4 ...
. He was backed by Marshall Vore, Sebastian Steinberg
Sebastian Steinberg (born February 20, 1959) is an American double bass, bass player, best known for his work in the band Soul Coughing.
Biography
Steinberg played with Soul Coughing throughout the band's entire history, from 1992 to 2000. In 200 ...
and former Cardinal Jamie Candiloro, who were billed as "The Ryan Adams Band". They debuted three new songs and were joined onstage by Mandy Moore for "Oh My Sweet Carolina".
In November 2010, Adams announced the release of '' Cardinals III/IV'', his twelfth studio album, which was recorded in 2006. This album is his fifth with The Cardinals
The Cardinals were an American R&B group of the 1950s. Sharing a legacy with the Orioles, The Cardinals are remembered as one of the best R&B ballad acts to come out of Baltimore.
Origins
The Cardinals’ career began in 1946 (one year befor ...
and was released on December 14, 2010, through PAX AM.
In 2011, Adams announced a European tour, and noted that he was working on a new studio album with producer Glyn Johns
Glyn Thomas Johns (born 15 February 1942) is an English recording engineer and record producer. He has worked with many of the most famous rock recording acts from both the UK and abroad, such as the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Who, ...
.
On April 21, 2011, Adams was the surprise opener for an Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist. She is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana (music), Americana genre ...
show at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. He performed several new songs, as well as "Oh My Sweet Carolina" with Emmy, a track they recorded for 2000's '' Heartbreaker''.
On June 16, 2011, through his Twitter account, Ryan suggested that his album ''Blackhole'' could be released around Christmas.
In the September 2011 issue of ''Q Magazine
''Q'' was a British popular music magazine. It was founded in 1986 by broadcast journalists Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series ''The Old Grey Whistle Test''. ''Q'' was published in print in the ...
'', Ryan revealed details of his first solo release since leaving The Cardinals
The Cardinals were an American R&B group of the 1950s. Sharing a legacy with the Orioles, The Cardinals are remembered as one of the best R&B ballad acts to come out of Baltimore.
Origins
The Cardinals’ career began in 1946 (one year befor ...
, entitled '' Ashes & Fire''. He also discussed the possibility of releasing a third book, ''Phoenix'', which he says concerns "a loveable rat."
In early 2012, Ryan was nominated for a Brit Award for Best International Male. On June 18, 2012, Adams released a live box set chronicling his return to live performances, entitled '' Live After Deaf''. His album ''Ashes & Fire'' was nominated for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
On April 21, 2013, Adams released an EP, ''7 Minutes in Heaven'', with his newly formed punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
band Pornography
Pornography (colloquially called porn or porno) is Sexual suggestiveness, sexually suggestive material, such as a picture, video, text, or audio, intended for sexual arousal. Made for consumption by adults, pornographic depictions have evolv ...
, featuring Make Out vocalist Leah Hennessey and frequent collaborator Johnny T. Yerington. In July 2013, Adams collaborated as a producer with rock band Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, 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 A ...
at his PAX AM Studio, which resulted in Fall Out Boy's '' PAX AM Days'' EP. On March 19, 2013, Ryan played a live show with a full band for the first time since the Cardinals disbanded. The show was for Noel Gallagher's Teenage Cancer Trust benefit. The venue's website stated that Ryan was playing new songs from a forthcoming album.
Self-titled studio album, PAX AM Single Series, ''1989'' and ''Prisoner'' (2014–2018)
On July 1, 2014, stories emerged that a self-titled album, ''Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown.
In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...
'', would be released on September 9, 2014. Since this announcement, Adams has released a 7-inch vinyl EP, entitled ''1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
'' and announced tour dates through mid October 2014. He debuted several new songs from the self-titled album in a series of festival concerts in late July 2014. On September 9, 2014, the self-titled album ''Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown.
In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...
'' was released on PAX-AM records.
In addition to the self-titled album, Adams announced a project he calls the "PAX AM Single Series", with a new seven-inch release each month. Adams stated, "I'm going to release a single every month until I can't do it any more." The first of these releases, the ''1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
'' EP, was released in August 2014 and is described by Adams as, "pay nghomage to the halcyon days of the earliest releases from ecord labels Dischord, SST, Touch & Go and their ilk." In 2014 and 2015, Adams continued to release digital singles, with each single being accompanied by at least 2 B-sides. Singles in 2014 included "Jacksonville", "Vampires", and "Do You Laugh When You Lie?", while singles in 2015 included "No Shadow" (featuring actor Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for ...
, who had previously appeared on his self-titled album), "Blue Light", "I Do Not Feel Like Being Good", "Willow Lane", and "Burn in the Night". Often selling out within minutes of being released through PAX AM's website, the singles remain available for digital download.
On December 5, 2014, "Gimme Something Good", a song from the ''Ryan Adams'' album, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.
On August 5, 2015, Adams announced via Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
that he was going to cover and release his version of Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
's 2014 album '' ''1989''''. He released multiple clips via Twitter and Instagram showcasing his takes on Swift's songs. Adams' ''1989'' was released on September 21, 2015. It debuted at No. 7 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, one position ahead of Swift's ''1989'', which was in its 48th week on the chart. Adams said in October 2016 that he would never cover another full album again following the recording of ''1989''.
On December 6, 2016, Ryan Adams announced a new album, ''Prisoner
A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a Sentence (law), se ...
''. It was released on PAX AM/Blue Note
Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...
on February 17, 2017. The album's first single "Do You Still Love Me?" was released on December 7, 2016 and the second single, "To Be Without You" was released on December 23, 2016.
In 2018, Adams released a stand-alone single, "Baby I Love You", and contributed one song, "20th Call of the Day", to the '' Juliet, Naked'' soundtrack.
''Wednesdays'', ''Big Colors'', ''Chris'', and further albums (2019–present)
In January 2019, Adams announced his plans to release three albums that calendar year. The first, '' Big Colors'', was due to be released April 19 and feature 15 tracks. The second, '' Wednesdays'', was to feature 17 tracks and did not yet have a confirmed release date. The release of all three albums was put on hold after the ''New York Times'' broke allegations of sexual misconduct. After a five-month silence, Adams returned in July 2019, posting a soundboard recording of a song titled "I'm Sorry and I Love You". On December 11, 2020, Adams eventually surprise-released ''Wednesdays'', which features "I'm Sorry and I Love You" as well as several tracks originally announced for inclusion on ''Big Colors''. A music video for "I'm Sorry and I Love You" was uploaded to YouTube on December 15, 2020. Its description mentions that ''Wednesdays'' is the first in a trilogy of albums, including ''Big Colors'' and ''Chris''.
On April 23, 2021, Adams surprise-released "Do Not Disturb" as the lead single from the revised edition of ''Big Colors''. The album was released on June 11, 2021, with a different track listing from the one announced in 2019.
On March 2, 2022, Adams announced his first headlining show since the ''New York Times'' article. It sold out within hours and took place at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
on May 14. Additional concerts were announced later in March, with another batch announced in June. On March 25, Adams released ''Chris'' as the final installment of the trilogy. It was followed by four other albums: ''Romeo & Juliet'' on April 25, ''FM'' on July 22, ''Devolver'' on September 23, and ''Nebraska'' on December 7, a cover of the Bruce Springsteen album of the same name. ''Devolver'' was released as a free download along with a statement from Adams thanking his fans for their support. He announced further shows in Fall and Winter of 2022 and then his long-awaited return to the U.K. for April 2023. On December 26, 2022, Adams released a cover of the 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 ...
album '' Blood on the Tracks'', and on April 14, 2023, he released a cover of the Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment[(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'' is the second studio album by the English Rock music, rock band Oasis (band), Oasis. Released on 2 October 1995 by Creation Records, it was produced by Owen Morris and the group's lead guitarist and chief ...]
'', which also included covers of b-sides from that album's singles.
On January 1, 2024, Adams surprise-released four more studio albums: ''Sword & Stone'', ''Star Sign'', ''Heatwave'' and ''1985'', as well as a live version of ''Prisoner''.
Personal life
Relationships and health
Adams was engaged to singer-songwriter Leona Naess, but the engagement ended in 2003. From 2003 to 2005 Adams dated actress Parker Posey. In 2008, Adams began dating singer-songwriter and actress Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her 1999 debut single "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot ...
. They became engaged in February 2009 and they were married on March 10, 2009, in Savannah, Georgia. On January 23, 2015, Adams and Moore announced in a joint statement that they were separating. The divorce was finalized in June 2016.
In 2007, Adams stated that he doesn't drink or take drugs. He revealed that he had endured "an extended period of substance abuse" that ended in 2006. He indicated that he routinely snorted heroin mixed with cocaine, and abused alcohol and pills. He beat his addiction with the assistance of his girlfriend at the time, Jessica Joffe, using Valium therapy and occasionally attending twelve-step meetings. In the following years, he made several statements indicating he was "newly sober" and he told TMZ
''TMZ'' is an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested ...
in June 2022 that he had reached nine months of sobriety. He celebrated one year of sobriety with the free release of his album ''Devolver'' on September 23, 2022.
Adams has Ménière's disease
Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that is characterized by potentially severe and incapacitating episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Typically, only one ear is affected in ...
and tinnitus
Tinnitus is a condition when a person hears a ringing sound or a different variety of sound when no corresponding external sound is present and other people cannot hear it. Nearly everyone experiences faint "normal tinnitus" in a completely ...
. A flyer advising of Adams' condition is affixed to the first several rows of seats at his concerts, with the admonition for audience members to refrain from taking flash photos or using autofocus
An autofocus (AF) optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus on an automatically or manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system h ...
assist beams when photographing at his shows. Adams has also openly spoken about experiencing depression and anxiety
Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...
.
Disputes with fans and other artists
At a concert in October 2002, at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium
Ryman Auditorium (originally Union Gospel Tabernacle and renamed Grand Ole Opry House for a period) is a historic 2,362-seat live-performance venue and museum located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in the downtown core of Nashville, Tennesse ...
, someone in the audience yelled out a request for "Summer of '69
"Summer of '69" is a song recorded by the Canadian singer Bryan Adams from his fourth album, ''Reckless (Bryan Adams album), Reckless''. It is an up-tempo rock song about a dilemma between settling down or trying to become a rock star. The tra ...
", a song by the similarly named Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...
. Adams reacted with a stream of expletives, and ordered the house lights turned on, ''The Tennessean
''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, w ...
'' newspaper reported. He eventually found the fan who made the joke-request, paid him $30 cash as a refund for the show, ordered him to leave, and said he would not play another note until he had left. In a 2014 interview, Ryan Adams denied that the audience-member was asked to leave "for screaming a Bryan Adams song", but rather because the man was drunk: "The reason why the guy was asked to leave by me was because I was doing an a-capella three-piece with Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, and myself of ' Bartering Lines', and in between the quiet parts the guy was screaming." In April 2015, Ryan Adams, who had since become friends with Bryan Adams, played "Summer of '69" at the end of another performance at the Ryman in Nashville, an act described 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.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' as "an olive branch to the city that was once his home".
Adams left an angry message on critic Jim DeRogatis's answering-machine, in response to a scathing review DeRogatis gave of an Adams show in 2003.
During filming of the BBC's long-running show ''Songwriter's Circle'', where Adams was joined by American folk-singer Janis Ian
Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink; April 7, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter who was most commercially successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her signature songs are the 1966/67 hit "Society's Child, Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" an ...
and New Zealand's Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for being a principal member of Split Enz and for being the lead singer of Crowded House. He was also a member of Fleetwood Mac from 2018 ...
, it was reported that he refused to participate in a number of the songs performed on the night and was generally dismissive of collaborating with the others. The fallout from the show resulted in an online to-and-from argument between Adams, Ian, and members of the public, who cited Adams's rude behavior and eccentric demeanor toward his colleagues. In August 2017, Adams singled out Father John Misty
Joshua Michael Tillman (born May 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Father John Misty, is an American musician. He is known for his satirical lyrics and eccentric performance style.
Tillman began his career in Seattle in the early 2000s. O ...
for criticism, while a month earlier he made derogatory remarks about the Strokes
The Strokes are an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1998. The band is composed of lead singer and primary songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikola ...
through social media.
Harassment allegations
On February 13, 2019, ''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 ...
'' reported that seven women (including Phoebe Bridgers
Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and Electronic music, electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four Grammy Aw ...
and ex-wife Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her 1999 debut single "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot ...
) said Adams offered to assist them with their music careers, then pursued the women romantically. They also claimed that Adams retaliated when they spurned his advances, hindering their careers and harassing them in text messages and on social media. The accusations surfaced in the context of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...
. Adams initially denied the accusations but in July 2020, he issued a statement in the ''Daily Mail
The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...
'' apologizing for his actions.
Recognition
Adams is recognized for his highly prolific songwriting and a singing style that resembles that of a country rocker, even though he played punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
in the early part of his career. Adams has frequently experimented with different genres, although for the major part of his career his musical style has been alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
. He is also one of the few artists to emerge from the alt-country scene into mainstream commercial success.
His musical style and dynamism has been praised by various artists like Frank Turner
Francis Edward Turner (born 28 December 1981) is an English Punk rock, punk and Folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire. He began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primaril ...
, Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
, Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
, Norah Jones
Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...
, Wesley Schultz, Jared Followill and Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Gallagher is the primary songwriter, lead guitarist and a co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis (band), Oasis. After leaving Oasis, he formed Noel ...
. American author Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
is historically a fan of Adams, stating in 2007, "I won't say Adams is the best North American singer songwriter since Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
... but I won't say he isn't either".
Discography
Studio albums
*'' Heartbreaker'' (2000)
*''Gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
'' (2001)
*''Demolition
Demolition (also known as razing and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction (building), deconstruction, which inv ...
'' (2002)
*'' Rock n Roll'' (2003)
*'' Love Is Hell'' (2004)
*'' Cold Roses'' (2005)
*'' Jacksonville City Nights'' (2005)
*'' 29'' (2005)
*'' Easy Tiger'' (2007)
*''Cardinology
''Cardinology'' is the tenth studio album by Ryan Adams, and fourth album with his backing band The Cardinals, released on October 28, 2008. The album completed Adams' contract with Lost Highway Records, and marks his final recording session with ...
'' (2008)
*'' Orion'' (2010)
*'' III/IV'' (2010)
*'' Ashes & Fire'' (2011)
*''Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown.
In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...
'' (2014)
*''Prisoner
A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a Sentence (law), se ...
'' (2017)
*'' Wednesdays'' (2020)
*'' Big Colors'' (2021)
*''Chris'' (2022)
*''Romeo & Juliet'' (2022)
*''FM'' (2022)
*''Devolver'' (2022)
*''Sword & Stone'' (2024)
*''Star Sign'' (2024)
*''Heatwave'' (2024)
*''1985'' (2024)
*''Blackhole'' (2024)
*''Another Wednesday'' (2025)
*''Changes'' (2025)
Cover albums
*''1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
'' (2015) (Taylor Swift)
*''Nebraska'' (2022) (Bruce Springsteen)
*''Blood on the Tracks'' (2022) (Bob Dylan)
*''Morning Glory'' (2023) (Oasis)
Bibliography
*''Sad American Mythology'' (2009)
*'' Infinity Blues'' (2009)
*'' Hello Sunshine'' (2009)
*''Negative Space'' (2023)
*''100 Problems'' (2023)
Awards and nominations
{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
, -
! scope="col" , Award
! scope="col" , Year
! scope="col" , Nominee(s)
! scope="col" , Category
! scope="col" , Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable",
, -
! scope="row" rowspan=7, Grammy Awards
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 ...
, rowspan=3, 2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
, ''Gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
''
, Best Rock Album
,
, rowspan=7,
, -
, "New York, New York
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...
"
, Best Male Rock Vocal Performance
,
, -
, " Lovesick Blues"
, Best Male Country Vocal Performance
,
, -
, 2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, " Wonderwall"
, Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
,
, -
, rowspan=3, 2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, ''Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown.
In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...
''
, Best Rock Album
,
, -
, rowspan=2, "Gimme Something Good"
, Best Rock Song
,
, -
, Best Rock Performance
,
, -
!scope="row", iHeartRadio Music Awards
The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a music awards show that celebrates music heard throughout the year across List of radio stations owned by iHeartMedia, iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia's digital music platf ...
, 2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
, ''1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
''
, Best Cover
,
,
, -
!scope="row" rowspan=3, NME Awards
The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding o ...
, 2002
, rowspan=3, Himself
, rowspan=3, Best Solo Artist
,
,
, -
, 2003
,
,
, -
, 2004
,
,
{, class="wikitable sortable"
, -
! Year
! Association
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
, -
, 2001
, Shortlist Music Prize
The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as (shôrt–lĭst), was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination. First given as a cash prize in 2001 under ...
, Album of the Year
, '' Heartbreaker''
,
, -
, 2004
, Denmark GAFFA Awards
, Best Foreign Songwriter
, rowspan=5, Himself
,
, -
, 2007
, Q Awards
The Q Awards were the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine '' Q''. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards became one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards. Locations for the awards ceremony included Abbey Road Studios ...
, Q Merit Awards
,
, -
, 2008
, NME Awards
The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding o ...
USA
, Best American Alternative/Independent Solo Artist
,
, -
, 2012
, Brit Awards
, International Male Solo Artist
,
, -
, 2013
, O Music Awards
, Must Follow Artist on Twitter
,
, -
, 2017
, Americana Music Awards
, Song of the Year
, "To Be Without You"
,
References
External links
Official website
PAX AM's site
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Ryan
1974 births
Living people
21st-century American singer-songwriters
American alternative country singers
American country singer-songwriters
American folk rock musicians
American male singer-songwriters
American rock singers
American rock songwriters
Bloodshot Records artists
Country musicians from North Carolina
Lost Highway Records artists
People from Jacksonville, North Carolina
People with Ménière's disease
People with mood disorders
Singer-songwriters from North Carolina
The Cardinals (rock band) members
Whiskeytown members
The Finger (band) members