Loudon Wainwright III

"LW3" redirects here. For the film, see Lethal Weapon 3. For the Paralympic skiing classification, see LW3 (classification).

Loudon Wainwright III
bleached-out image of Loudon Wainwright III wearing sunglasses and playing an acoustic guitar on on outdoor stage
Background information
Birth nameLoudon Snowden Wainwright III
Born (1946-09-05) September 5, 1946 (age 78)
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.
OriginBedford, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, actor
Instruments
DiscographyLoudon Wainwright III discography
Years active1967–present
Labels
Websitelw3.com
Wainwright at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2015, at which he and Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens both received a lifetime achievement award.[1]
President's Day
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimming Song", "Motel Blues", "The Man Who Couldn't Cry", "Dead Skunk", and "Lullaby". In 2007, he collaborated with musician Joe Henry to create the soundtrack for Judd Apatow's film Knocked Up. In addition to music, he has acted in small roles in at least eighteen television programs and feature films, including three episodes in the third season of the series M*A*S*H.

Reflecting upon his career in 1999, he stated, "You could characterize the catalog as somewhat checkered, although I prefer to think of it as a tapestry."[2] In 2017, Wainwright released his autobiography, Liner Notes: On Parents & Children, Exes & Excess, Death & Decay, and a Few of My Other Favorite Things. He is the brother of singer Sloan Wainwright and has four children, including musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, and Lucy Wainwright Roche. He has been married and divorced twice, including to folk singer Kate McGarrigle.

  1. ^ Thomas, Huw (April 22, 2015). "BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards: Cat Stevens, Loudon Wainwright honours". BBC News. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  2. ^ "Loudon Wainwright III". Lw3.com. June 20, 1999. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2012.