The Austin-American Statesman called it “an exquisite portrait of strength and vulnerability.” Her Nonesuch debut These Four Walls (2006) was lauded by People Magazine as “the most self-assured album of her career” and “one for the ages” by the Washington Post. Polaroids (2004) is a showcase for the first half of her recording career. Her next studio album, Whole New You (2001) found Colvin examining her new motherhood and the responsibilities of family. Holiday Songs And Lullabies (1998), recorded while Colvin was eight and a half months pregnant with her daughter Caledonia, followed. The murder-ballad “Sunny Came Home” gave Colvin a Top 10 hit, a platinum-selling album and two of Grammy’s biggest honors: Record of the Year and Song of the Year. In 1996, she released A Few Small Repairs (1996), which would prove to be her breakthrough. Her first album, Steady On won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording.Ĭolvin continued to win fans and critics with her subsequent releases, Fat City (1992) and Cover Girl (1994). She began honing her skill, and was soon signed to Columbia records. Leventhal inspired Colvin to find her own voice as a songwriter. Moving to New York at the decade’s end she remained in the country music field as a member of the Buddy Miller Band until she met producer, guitarist, and co-writer John Leventhal. By the late 1970s Colvin was singing in a Western Swing band in Austin, Texas-the city she now calls home. She made her first public appearance on campus at the University of Illinois at age 15. A small-town childhood in the university town of Carbondale, Illinois, drew her to the guitar by the age of 10. In the 27 years since the release of her debut album, Colvin has won three Grammy Awards, released eleven albums, written a critically acclaimed memoir, maintained a non-stop national and international touring schedule, appeared on countless television and radio programs, had her songs featured in major motion pictures, and created a remarkable canon of work.Ĭolvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota, where she lived until she was eight. As a storyteller, Colvin is both keen and warm-hearted, leavening even the toughest tales with tenderness, empathy, and a searing sense of humor. Her songs are slow-release works of craft and catharsis that become treasured, lifetime companions for their listeners. It will probably be a standard in 4040, too.Ĭheck out Ant Clemons' cosmic, soulful performance of "Ain't No Sunshine" above and click here to enjoy more episodes of ReImagined At Home.In an era when female singer-songwriters are ever more ubiquitous, Shawn Colvin stands out as a singular and enduring talent.
Giving this oft-covered soul classic a whirl, Clemons reminds music lovers exactly why Withers' signature song has staying power far beyond his passing in 2020. With a dose of vocoder and slapback, Clemons recasts the lonesome-lover blues as the lament of a shipwrecked android. In the latest episode of ReImagined At Home, check out how singer/songwriter Ant Clemons pulls at the song's edges like taffy. Maybe it's for all of those reasons and one more: "Ain't No Sunshine" is flexible.
Why has Bill Withers' immortal hit, "Ain't No Sunshine," endured for decades? And, furthermore, why does it seem set to reverberate throughout the ages?Ĭould it be because it's blues-based? Because it's relatable to anyone with a pulse? Because virtually anyone with an ounce of zeal can believably yowl the song at karaoke?
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