Sheryl Crow celebrates her birthday today. The acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist was born on February 11, 1962 in Kennett, Missouri. Both Crow’s parents were musical, with her father (a lawyer) playing trumpet and her mother a piano teacher. While attending the University Of Missouri, Sheryl sang in a band called Cashmere and was also a member of the Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women.
After graduating, Crow worked as a music teacher in Missouri but also teamed up with producer Jay Oliver who found her work singing jingles. She climbed to further success as a backup singer for Michael Jackson on his massive Bad Tour between 1987 and 1989 and often sang with Jackson on “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.” She would also work as a vocalist for such artists as Stevie Wonder, Don Henley, Jimmy Buffett, the Go-Go’s Belinda Carlisle and more.
Armed with an impressive resume, Crow began work on her solo debut in 1992 but the record was scrapped with Crow saying it was “too produced” and “slick.” But in 1993, Sheryl released Tuesday Night Music Club — named after a casual gathering of songwriting and musician friends — and the track “All I Wanna Do” became a hit in 1994, cementing Crow’s status as a star artist in her own right.
Crow has since released 10 studio albums, racked up 9 Grammy wins out of 32 nominations and sold over 50 million records. But even though she can be considered a pop star, Sheryl has always stayed true to her rock and country roots and in 2017 she appeared on the bill for Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour, which also saw performances that year from Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Jason Isbell and more.
On July 9 the tour swung by American Family Insurance Amphitheater in Milwaukee as part of Summerfest. Crow’s career-spanning set on the stop kicked off with her classic “Everyday Is A Winding Road” from her 1996 self-titled album. The festival slot also saw Sheryl performing well-known tunes like “My Favorite Mistake,” “Can’t Cry Anymore,” “If It Makes You Happy,” “Strong Enough” and “Soak Up The Sun.” Sheryl would welcome guitarist Lukas Nelson for a cover of Gregg Allman’s “Midnight Rider” to close out the set.
To celebrate Sheryl Crow’s birthday, watch the singer-songwriter perform at Summerfest 2017 below via the JamBase Live Video Archive:
[Originally Published: February 11, 2021]
