From Loudon:

Male singer-songwriters were a happening commodity back then and I was signed to Atlantic Records in 1969. The first album came out in 1970 and the career's been up and down ever since.

I suppose if you were writing my obituary today you'd refer to 1972's "Dead Skunk" (#1 in Little Rock Arkansas for six weeks) and my 3 appearances on the M*A*S*H TV show in 1975 as Capt. Calvin Spaulding, the singing surgeon. Hopefully you'd mention my two Grammy nominations for the albums I'm Alright (1985) and More Love Songs (1986). And you'd remember and include the fact that Johnny Cash recorded my song "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" for his highly acclaimed 1994 album American Recordings. Undoubtedly your editor would remind you to say something about last summer's BBC II TV show, Loudon And Co. and the topical songs I've been writing for N.P.R. and Ted Koppel's Nightline on ABC. If and when you do write the obituary I'm sure Virgin Records would be happy to supply you with any photos you might require. You'll probably want to finish off the piece with a quote from one of the fabulous songs which have appeared on the 15 great albums I've made. How about this one from the most recent album Grown Man?

"He died on Monday where he lived, it happens to us all
Shot through the air expecting nets, flight and then a fall."
- Human Cannonball, 1995

1 "During the War in the Marine Corps/ They met and then married one day" -Westchester County, 1982
2 "The doctor reached inside of her/He turned me round then pulled me out"-April Fool's Day Morn, 1982
3 "When I was 10 years old I was alive/In the Benedict Canyon on Hutton Drive" -Hollywood Hopeful, 1976
4 "Nothing bad has happened yet/Everyone is happy" -Thanksgiving, 1988
5 "After school we two engaged in pre-pubescent play/At your house afternoons we spent cruising your black driveway/In your junior Thunderbird electric kiddie car/I chauffeured you you lounged in back/Back then you were a star" -Liza, 1974
6 "Tennis courts and golf courses galore" -Westchester County, 1982
7 "My parents should shoulder some blame for calling their kid a strange name" -T.S.M.N.W.A., 1992
8 "I got some boots a harmonica rack/A D-21 and I was on the right track" -Talking New Bob Dylan, 1991
9 "In Delaware when I was younger I would live the life obscene/In the spring I had great hunger/I was Brando, I was Dean" -School Days, 1970
10 "Pennsylvania's Western daughter" -Ode to Pittsburgh, 1970
11 "Don't shave off my beard, don't cut off my hair/It took me 2 years to grow it and it just isn't fair" -Samson & The Warden, 1971
12 "Several stars played guitars and were backed with feeling/By a chop-stick wielding rhythm section" -Bruno's Place, 1970
13 "For 20 odd years I have strummed on guitars/5,000 lost flatpicks, four fingertip scars" -Career Moves, 1993

Loudon Wainwright - One Man Guy The Best Of 1982-86