Syd Straw (born 1958) is an American rock singer and songwriter. The daughter of actor Jack Straw (''

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel ''7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. and dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his ch ...

''), she began her career singing backup for

Pat Benatar Patricia Mae Giraldo (''née'' Andrzejewski, formerly Benatar; born January 10, 1953), known professionally as Pat Benatar, is an American rock singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has had two multi-platinum albums, five platinum alb ...

, then took her distinct voice to the indie/alternative scene and joined the ever-evolving line-up of Golden Palominos from 1985 through 1987, appearing on their second and third albums. Straw was a frequent lead singer and occasional co-songwriter for the group, which was spearheaded by drummer

Anton Fier Anton Fier (June 20, 1956 – September 14, 2022) was an American drummer, producer, composer, and bandleader. Family Fier, known as Tony, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Ruthe Marie Fier and Anton J. Fier Jr., a former Marine and electrician. ...

and also featured vocal turns by

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Po ...

Matthew Sweet Sidney Matthew Sweet (born October 6, 1964) is an American alternative rock/ power pop singer-songwriter and musician who was part of the burgeoning music scene in Athens, Georgia, during the 1980s before gaining commercial success in the 199 ...

, Don Dixon,

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disban ...

and others. She left the group in 1987 to establish her solo career. Straw released her first solo album, ''Surprise'', in 1989;"Pantera offers up easy-access disc "
''The Spectator'' – Hamilton, Ont. Krewen, Nick. Jun 20, 1996 Page: 4 it featured contributions by Stipe, Fier, Richard Thompson, Jody Harris,

Peter Blegvad Peter Blegvad (born August 14, 1951) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, writer, and cartoonist. He was a founding member of German/English avant-pop band Slapp Happy, which later merged briefly with Henry Cow, and has released many sol ...

, and a number of other well-known musicians. A second album, ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...

'', appeared in 1996. Recorded with a relatively obscure

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. ...

rock group called the Skeletons, it chronicled a brief and unhappy romance. In 2008, she released a new album, entitled ''Pink Velour,'' on her own label, Earnester Records. According to an earlier interview, the title track “is about my family moving back and forth between the east and the west, and my being kidnapped by my mother on Valentine's Day in 1969, and about not seeing my dad for almost seven years.” A frequent

backup singer A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...

and contributor to duets with other musicians, Straw has also maintained an intermittent acting career, appearing on the television shows ''

The Adventures of Pete & Pete ''The Adventures of Pete & Pete'' is an American comedy television series created by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi for Nickelodeon. It centers around two brothers, both named Pete Wrigley, and their humorous and surreal adventures in suburbia ...

'' and ''

Tales of the City ''Tales of the City'' is a series of nine novels written by American author Armistead Maupin from 1978 to 2014, depicting the life of a group of friends in San Francisco, many of whom are LGBT. The stories from ''Tales'' were originally seria ...

''. Straw's role on ''The Adventures of Pete & Pete'' as a middle-school math teacher was introduced in the episode "Valentine's Day Massacre," and was reprised in the episodes "Hard Day's Pete" and "x=why?" Syd Straw can be heard singing harmony and backing vocals on the

Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, and jazz. A two ...

albums '' Traffic from Paradise'' and '' The Evening of My Best Day''. She is also featured on

Leo Kottke Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945) is an acoustic guitarist. He is known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies. He overcame a series of personal obstacles, including par ...

's '' Peculiaroso,'' which Jones produced. Straw appears on "What Am I Worth" from the

Dave Alvin David Albert Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s ...

album '' King of California''. For a number of years she has given an annual "Heartwreck" live performance on Valentine's Day. In 1994, Straw teamed up with

Wilco Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently d ...

to contribute the song "The T.B. Is Whipping Me" to the AIDS benefit album ''

Red Hot + Country ''Red Hot + Country'' (or ''RH+C'') was the follow-up to '' No Alternative'' in the Red Hot Series of compilation albums, a series produced to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV as well as other related health and social issues. This co ...

'', produced by the

Red Hot Organization Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture. Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...

Discography

Albums

* 1989: ''Surprise'' (

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

) – reissued in 2000 on Koch with two bonus tracks) * 1996: ''

'' (Capricorn) * 2001: ''Live at the Triple Crown'' (TAO) with The Adventures Of... * 2005: ''Whole Wide World: Uncollected Songs'' (self-released) * 2008: ''Pink Velour'' (Earnester)

Compilation albums

* 1985: various artists – ''Luxury Condos Coming to Your Neighborhood Soon'' (Coyote) – track 13, "Listening To Elvis" * 1988: various artists – '' Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films'' ( A&M) – track 4(c), "Blue Shadows on the Trail" * 1990: various artists – ''Rutles Highway Revisited (A Tribute to

The Rutles The Rutles () were a rock band that performed visual and aural pastiches and parodies of the Beatles. This originally fictional band, created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes for a sketch in Idle's mid-1970s BBC television comedy series '' Rutland ...

)'' (

Shimmy Disc Shimmy Disc is a New York City-based independent record label founded in 1987 by Mark Kramer. Before it was sold to the Knitting Factory, artists like Bongwater, Daniel Johnston, Fly Ashtray, Galaxie 500, King Missile, Boredoms, Ruins, Wee ...

) – track 1–7, "I Must Be In Love" (with

Marc Ribot Marc Ribot (; born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer. His work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, rock, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Wai ...

) * 1992: various artists – ''Downtown Does The Beatles Live at the Knitting Factory 1992'' (Knitting Factory) – track 10, " Don't Let Me Down" (with

Arto Lindsay Arthur Morgan "Arto" Lindsay (born May 28, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer, record producer and experimental composer. He was a member of the pioneering 1970s no wave group DNA, which featured on the 1978 compilation ''No New York''. In ...

, Mark Ribot,

Joey Baron Bernard Joseph Baron (born June 26, 1955 in Richmond, Virginia) is an American avant-garde jazz drummer who plays frequently with Bill Frisell and John Zorn. Music career Baron was born on June 26, 1955, in Richmond Virginia. When he was nine, h ...

, and Greg Cohn) * 1993: Chris Stamey and Friends – ''Christmas Time'' (East Side Digital) – track 10, "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presents, Dear" * 1994: various artists – ''Beat the Retreat – Songs by Richard Thompson'' (

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerou ...

) – track 5, "For Shame of Doing Wrong" (with

Evan Dando Evan Griffith Dando (born March 4, 1967) is an American musician and frontman of the Lemonheads. He has also embarked on a solo career and collaborated on songs with various artists. In December 2015 Dando was inducted into the Boston Music Awards ...

) * 1994: various artists – ''

'' ( Mercury Nashville) – track 16, "The T.B. Is Whipping Me" (with

) * 1994: various artists – ''A Live Christmas Extravaganza'' (Deko) – track 2, "X-Mas Twist" * 1995: various artists – ''Live from Mountain Stage Volume 8'' (Blue Plate) – track 9, "Golden Dreams" * 1998: various artists – ''I WANNA BE KATE: The Songs of Kate Bush'' (Brown Star Records) "The Man With The Child In His Eyes" * 1998: various artists – ''Real: The Tom T Hall Project'' (Sire/ Delmore) – track 10, "Harper Valley P.T.A." (with the Skeletons) * 2000: various artists – ''One Step Up / Two Steps Back: The Songs of

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

'' (Capitol) – track 12, "Meeting Across the River" * 2001: various artists – ''Daddy-O Daddy! Rare Family Songs of Woody Guthrie'' (Rounder) – track 8, "My Daddy (Flies a Ship in the Sky)" * 2020: various artists – ''I WANNA BE KATE: The Songs of Kate Bush – Remastered and Expanded'' (Brown Star Records) "The Man With The Child In His Eyes"

Appears on

* 1985: The Golden Palominos – '' Visions of Excess'' (

Celluloid Celluloids are a class of materials produced by mixing nitrocellulose and camphor, often with added dyes and other agents. Once much more common for its use as photographic film before the advent of safer methods, celluloid's common contemporar ...

) * 1986: Beat Rodeo – ''Home in the Heart of the Beat'' ( I.R.S.) * 1986: The Golden Palominos – '' Blast of Silence (Axed My Baby for a Nickel)'' (Celluloid) * 1987: The dB's – ''The Sound of Music'' (I.R.S.) * 1987:

Victoria Williams Victoria Williams (born December 23, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter and musician, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, although she has resided in Southern California throughout her musical career. Diagnosed with mul ...

– ''Happy Come Home'' (Geffen) * 1988:

Eric Ambel Eric "Roscoe" Ambel (Born August 20, 1957) is a New York City–based guitarist and record producer, originally from Batavia, Illinois. He has worked with a wide range of artists including Nils Lofgren, The Brandos, Steve Earle, the Yayhoos, ...

– ''Roscoe's Gang'' ( Enigma) * 1988: Face to Face – ''One Big Day'' ( Mercury) * 1989:

Boo Hewerdine Mark "Boo" Hewerdine (born 14 February 1961) is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. His work includes lead singer and creative force behind The Bible, formed in the 1980s, and reformed in 1994, as well as solo recordings and work f ...

and

Darden Smith Darden Smith (born March 11, 1962, in Brenham, Texas) is an Austin-based singer-songwriter known for his lyrics and for weaving folk and Americana influences with rock, pop, and the musical roots of his home state.Keith Kachtick, "Quick Chan ...

– ''Evidence'' (

Chrysalis A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

) * 1989: Mark Bingham – ''I Passed for Human'' (Dog Gone) * 1989:

Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as "Someday, Someway," a US top 40 hit in 1982, "Cynical Girl," and " Whenever You're on My Mind." He is ...

– ''

Good Evening Greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship (usually cordial) or social status (formal or informal) between indiv ...

'' (Warner Bros.) * 1989:

Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle'' and for his collaborations with ...

– ''

Tokyo Rose Tokyo Rose (alternative spelling Tokio Rose) was a name given by Allied troops in the South Pacific during World War II to all female English-speaking radio broadcasters of Japanese propaganda. The programs were broadcast in the South Pacific an ...

'' (Warner Bros.) * 1990:

– ''King Strut and Other Stories'' ( Silvertone) * 1990: Bloomsday – ''Fortuny'' (

Island An island or isle is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be ...

) * 1990:

Was (Not Was) Was (Not Was) is an American pop rock group founded in 1979 in Detroit, Michigan, by David Weiss and Don Fagenson, who adopted the stage names David Was and Don Was. Their song catalog features an eclectic mix of pop and rock styles, often ...

– ''

Are You Okay? ''Are You Okay?'' is the fourth album by art-funk ensemble Was (Not Was). It was released in 1990. It was their last album for 18 years until 2008's '' Boo!'' In UK and Europe, the album cover is replaced into a picture of the band. Track list ...

'' ( Fontana) * 1990:

Roy Nathanson Roy Jay Nathanson (born May 17, 1951) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader, actor and teacher. He became the leader and principal composer of the Jazz Passengers, a six piece group that he founded with Curtis Fowlkes in 1987. They h ...

– ''Little Fred'' ( Les Disques du Crépuscule) * 1991: Barkmarket – '' Vegas Throat'' ( Def American Recordings) * 1991:

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental Pop music, pop and R&B. He released his first solo ...

– ''Another Hand'' (

Elektra Electra was a daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek mythology. Electra or Elektra may also refer to: Greek mythology *Electra (Pleiad), one of the Pleiades * Electra, one of the Danaids, daughter of Danaus and Polyxo * Electra (Oc ...

) * 1992:

Freedy Johnston Freedy Johnston (born Frederic John Fatzer in 1961) is a New York City–based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas. Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation, and disappoint ...

– ''

Can You Fly ''Can You Fly'' is the second album by singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston. It was released in 1992 on Bar/None Records. ''Can You Fly'' appeared on '' Fast Folk''s year-end list of the ten best albums of 1992,Allen, Jim"The Ten Best Albums of 199 ...

'' ( Bar/None) * 1992:

– '' Requiem for What's His Name'' ( Les Disques Du Crépuscule) * 1993:

– ''

Museum of Heart ''Museum of Heart'' is an album by the American musician Dave Alvin, released in 1993. Alvin considered the album to be mainly in the soul blues style. He promoted ''Museum of Heart'' by touring with his band, the Guilty Men. Production The album ...

'' ( HighTone) * 1993:

– '' Traffic from Paradise'' (

Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint. Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and ...

) * 1993:

Vic Chesnutt James Victor Chesnutt (November 12, 1964 – December 25, 2009) was an American singer-songwriter from Athens, Georgia. His first album, ''Little'', was released in 1990. His commercial breakthrough came in 1996 with the release of '' Sweet ...

– ''Drunk'' ( Texas Hotel) * 1994: Dave Alvin – '' King of California'' (HighTone) * 1994: Doug Legacy with the Zydeco Party Band – ''King Cake Party'' (Wildcat) * 1994:

Grant McLennan Grant William McLennan (12 February 19586 May 2006) was an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter-guitarist. He co-founded the Go-Betweens with Robert Forster in Brisbane in 1977. In addition to his work with the Go-Betweens (1977–89, ...

– '' Horsebreaker Star'' (Atlantic / Beggars Banquet) * 1994:

– '' Peculiaroso'' (

Private Music Private Music was an American independent record label founded in 1984 by musician Peter Baumann as a "home for instrumental music". Baumann signed Ravi Shankar, Yanni, Suzanne Ciani, Andy Summers, Patrick O'Hearn, Leo Kottke, and his forme ...

) * 1995:

Tony Trischka Anthony Cattell Trischka (born January 16, 1949) is an American five-string banjo player. Sandra Brennan wrote of him in 2021: "One of the most influential modern banjoists, both in several forms of bluegrass music and occasionally in jazz and ...

– ''World Turning'' ( Rounder) * 1998: Richard Buckner – ''Since'' (

MCA MCA may refer to: Astronomy * Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars Aviation * Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways * Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gene ...

) * 2000: John Greaves – ''The Caretaker'' (

Blueprint A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing or engineering drawing using a contact print process on light-sensitive sheets. Introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842, the process allowed rapid and accurate production of an unlimited numbe ...

) * 2000: The Schramms – ''100 Questions'' (Blue Rose) * 2000: Christy McWilson – ''The Lucky One'' (HighTone) * 2002:

Wayne Kramer Wayne Kramer may refer to: * Wayne Kramer (filmmaker) (born 1965), South African film writer and director * Wayne Kramer (guitarist) (born 1948), American guitarist {{Hndis, Kramer, Wayne ...

– ''Adult World'' ( MuscleTone) * 2003: Rickie Lee Jones – '' The Evening of My Best Day'' ( V2) * 2004:

One Ring Zero One Ring Zero is a modern music group led by Joshua Camp and Michael Hearst that melds many genres and sounds to create a unique type of music. Instruments Hearst plays the theremin and guitar, and Camp plays the accordion and piano. They both ...

– ''As Smart as We Are'' (Urban Geek Records) * 2014:

– '' Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994-2014'' ( Nonesuch) * 2015:

Bill Wells Bill Wells (born c. 1963)Strong, Martin C. (2003) "Bill Wells", in ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, is a Scottish bassist, pianist, guitarist and composer. Biography Wells is completely self-taught, and began performing in clubs in ...

& Friends – ''Nursery Rhymes'' (Karaoke Kalk)

As composer

* 1990: David Halley – ''Stray Dog Talk'' ( Demon) – track 9, "Dream Life" (co-written with David Halley)

References

''Not The Last Straw''
(2004 interview)

Discography

Albums

Compilation albums

Appears on

As composer

References

External links