30-Minute Music Hour

Loudon Wainwright III

Two-time Grammy nominee Loudon Wainwright III has performed in virtually every nook and cranny of American popular culture. He portrayed Captain Calvin Spaulding, the singing surgeon, in the premiere season of TV's "M*A*S*H." His compelling song, "The Man Who Couldn't Cry," was recorded by Johnny Cash on his critically acclaimed 1994 CD American Recordings. Wainwright has been commissioned to write music for clients as varied as NPR and Ted Koppel's "NightLine". He has a long sleeve of movie credits, too, including roles in Big Fish, The Aviator, 40-Year-Old Virgin, Elizabethtown, and Knocked Up, for which he also wrote the sound track. Other TV credits include "Ally McBeal" and "Conan O'Brien." His children Martha and Rufus Wainwright are also wildly popular touring musicians. For all his artistic versatility, music is Loudon's bread and butter, and his knucklehead-savant lyrics and ear for an aggressive melody have set him in a class all his own. On Nov. 16 he'll be performing solo on guitar and banjo in a set that will draw from his 25-album career, including songs from his just released CD, Recovery.

Recorded Nov. 16, 2008