Dana Fuchs

Dana Fuchs (pronounced Fyooks, born January 10, 1976) is an American singer and songwriter known for a mix of Southern rock, soul, roots, and blues. She played Sadie in the film Across the Universe, her performance described by The New York Times as "triumphal".[1]

Dana Fuchs
Background information
Born (1976-01-10) January 10, 1976
New Jersey, U.S.
GenresBlues rock, blues
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
LabelsRuf
Get Along Records
Websitewww.danafuchs.com

Early life

The youngest of six children,[2] Fuchs was born in New Jersey and raised in the small rural town of Wildwood, Florida. When she was twelve, she sang in the First Baptist Gospel Choir.[3] Her father was an alcoholic and her grandfather died by suicide, which was the start of a series of family tragedies. In her teens she performed in drama class and in a guitar group. She began using illegal drugs, dropped out of school, left home, and worked as a stripper. After moving to New York City, she took a job as a legal secretary before returning to stripping. She entered psychotherapy and group meetings to begin to deal with her struggles. Soon after, her sister, an alcoholic and drug addict, died by suicide[4] and her oldest brother died from brain cancer.[5][6]

Her experience with death and loss became a theme in her music.[7]

Career

In 1998, Fuchs began to concentrate on singing and songwriting[4] influenced by her love for Esther Phillips[7] and Etta James.[2] She performed in blues clubs, and after meeting Jon Diamond, they formed the Dana Fuchs Band and released the album Lonely for a Lifetime (2003). Her raspy voice invited comparisons to rock singer Janis Joplin, and she acted as the singer in Love, Janis, an Off-Broadway musical about Joplin that ran from 2001 to 2003.[8] When director Julie Taymor wanted to make a movie about someone with a voice similar to Joplin's, she hired Fuchs for Across the Universe (2007).[1][2] The movie was nominated for Best Picture at the Golden Globe Awards.[3]

Fuchs' albums Bliss Avenue (2013) and Songs from the Road (2014) reached the Top 10 of the Blues Album Chart of Billboard magazine.[9]

With Jack Livesey, Fuchs wrote and performed songs on the soundtrack for the Big Beach production of Laurie Collyer's independent film Sherrybaby, including the opening and closing title songs.[10] She also worked for MTV during the 1990s and 2000s as the voice of many of its on-air promos.[8]

After fulfilling her contractual obligation with Ruf Records, Fuchs started her own label called Get Along Records.[11] With a successful crowd funding campaign on PledgeMusic, she financed the recording and released her May 2018 album, Love Lives On on the label.[12][13] The album was recorded in Memphis and produced by Kevin Houston[14] with songs co-written with guitarist and band member Diamond.[3]

Charitable works

Fuchs is an ambassador for The Jed Foundation (JED), an organization that tries to prevent suicide and help teens with their emotional health.[15]

Discography
Year Album Producer Label Notes
2003 Lonely for a Lifetime Kenny Aaronson, Jon Diamond and Dana Fuchs Q&W Music
2006 Sherrybaby Soundtrack Jack Livesey Lakeshore Records "Some Kind of Heaven"
"When I Find My Life"
"Anything At All"
"I Lay Me Down"
2007 Live in NYC Kevin Mackall, Peter Moshay and Jon Diamond Antler King Records / Audio & Video Labs, Inc. / Pepper / AKR
2007 Across the Universe Soundtrack T-Bone Burnett, Elliot Goldenthal and Teese Gohl Interscope Records "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"
"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" with Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Teresa Victoria Carpio
"Dear Prudence" with Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Teresa Victoria Carpio
"Because" with Joe Anderson, Teresa Victoria Carpio, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy, Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood
"Helter Skelter"
"Don't Let Me Down" with Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy
"All You Need Is Love" with Teresa Victoria Carpio, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy, Jim Sturgess
2011 Love to Beg Jon Diamond and Dana Fuchs Ruf Records #1167
2013 Bliss Avenue Jon Diamond and Dana Fuchs Ruf Records #1191
2014 Songs from the Road Kevin Mackall and Thomas Ruf Ruf Records #1207
2015 Broken Down Acoustic Sessions Jon Diamond and Dana Fuchs Get Along Records
2018 Love Lives On Kevin Houston, Dana Fuchs and Jon Diamond Get Along Records #3441
2022 Borrowed Time Kevin Mackall and Thomas Ruf Ruf Records #1295

References
  1. Holden, Stephen (September 14, 2007). "Lovers in the '60s Take a Magical Mystery Tour". The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  2. Althoff, Eric (February 11, 2015). "Dana Fuch brings raw energy to songs, comparisons to Janis Joplin". The Washington Times. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  3. Bialas, Michael (February 1, 2017). "Dana Fuchs on Life, Death and Singing Her Heart Out 10 Years After 'Across the Universe'". No Depression. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  4. Friedman, Michael (December 4, 2015). "How Dana Fuchs Found Her True Voice". Psychology Today. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  5. McGee, David (March 2012). "She Doth Teach the Torches To Burn Bright". The Bluegrass Special. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  6. Pater, Harry (October 19, 2017). "Concertverslag: Dana Fuchs – Zaal Hofsteenge, Grolloo 15 Oktober 2017". Blues Magazine. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  7. Hennessy, Christina (March 2, 2015). "Dana Fuchs Band brings on the blues in Fairfield". CT Post. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  8. Cohen, Joyce (May 17, 2012). "A Home Base for a Touring Musician". The New York Times 2. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  9. "Dana Fuchs – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  10. DeYoung, Bill (December 4, 2013). "Dana Fuchs: Black, white & blues". Connect Savannah. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  11. O'Brien, Jon. "Dana Fuchs". AllMusic. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  12. Bialas, Michael (December 28, 2017). "Women Rule This Best of Music List in 2017, Led by One Super Mann — Aimee Mann, That Is". HuffPost. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  13. "Dana Fuchs". pledgemusic.com. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  14. "Dana Fuchs". tojhuset.dk. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  15. "PROTECTING EMOTIONAL HEALTH. PREVENTING SUICIDE". jedfoundation.org. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
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