Alejandro Escovedo

ACCOLADES

2023• Inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame

2021• Inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame

2020• Independent Icon Award A2IM Libera Awards

2019• Townes Van Zandt Songwriting Award

2006• Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Performing

1998• Named No Depression Artist of the Decade

1993• Musician of the Year at Austin Music Awards

DISCOGRAPHY

RANK & FILE

1982- Sundown

TRUE BELIEVERS

1986- True Believers

1994- Hard Road (2 discs; included repackaged True Believers)

BUICK MACKANE

1997- The Pawn Shop Years

SOLO

1992- Gravity

1994- Thirteen Years

1996- With These Hands

1998- More Miles Than Money: Live 1994-1996

1999- Bourbonitis Blues

2001- A Man Under the Influence

2002- By the Hand of the Father

2005- Room Of Songs

2006- The Boxing Mirror

2008- Real Animal

2010- Street Songs Of Love

2012- Big Station

2016- Burn Something Beautiful

2018- The Crossing

2020- La Cruzada

2024- Echo Dancing

SOUNDTRACKS

2004- Robbing Peter

2007- Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains

BANDS

-He began his music career with The Nuns, a mid-'70s punk band based in San Francisco.



*The Nuns opened for Sex Pistols’ last show at Winterland in January 1978

*played with Judy Nylon in 1978 in NYC

*The first show he played with Nylon was a pivotal moment: opening at Max’s Kansas City for former Velvet Underground guitarist John Cale.

*co-founded the pioneering alt-country band Rank and File (w/ Chip and Tony Kinman ) in 1980

*formed True Believers (with brother Javier and Jon Dee Graham) 1983

*played national tours supporting Los Lobos

*Buick MacKane 1987-90

*a nod to the influence of the 70's on Escovedo's musical tastes and reflects an edgier, harder rocking sound than any of his solo releases.

*Alejandro Escovedo Orchestra 1987-90 (3-15 piece renowned Austin band)

FACTS

-Lived at Chelsea Hotel during Sid & Nancy days

-Worked at Waterloo Records after True Believers broke up

-Steven Bruton produced his first solo albums

-John Cale, one of his idols, produced THE BOXING MIRROR

-subject of an upcoming documentary by Jonathan Demme

-2008 photoshoot by legendary rock n’ roll photographer Mick Rock

-Tony Visconti produced REAL ANIMAL & STREET SONGS OF LOVE

-In 2003, after having lived with Hepatitis-C for many years, Alejandro fell critically ill and nearly died. Escovedo has been healed of this disease since 2015.

-Friends and admirers around the country organized benefit shows to help the songwriter. This effort grew into the album POR VIDA: A TRIBUTE TO THE SONGS OF ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO in 2004. The 31 contributing musicians included Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, John Cale, Jennifer Warnes, Ian Hunter, The Jayhawks, Los Lonely Boys and Son Volt, as well as family members Pete Escovedo, Javier Escovedo and niece Sheila E.

-In 2005, Escovedo's song "Castanets" appeared on the iPod playlist of George W. Bush, prompting a self-imposed ban on live performances of the song.

*Alejandro performed "Castanets" on December 29, 2007 while opening for Patti Smith in New York City's Bowery Balloom.

THEATRICAL WORK

BY THE HAND OF THE FATHER is the music and selected stories from the theatre-work created by Alejandro Escovedo in collaboration with playwrights Theresa Chavez, Eric Gutierrez and Rose Portillo. The play and music explore the relationships between immigrant fathers and their children. The theatrical work grew out of songs he had written about his father, Pedro Escovedo

FAMILY

-His father emigrated to Texas from Mexico

-His mother and her family were from Texas

-His father played in local mariachi bands in the 1930’s, as sang in major East Bay bands

-Brothers Coke Escovedo and Pete Escovedo, both percussionists, have played with Santana, Azteca and Malo

-Longtime Prince collaborator Sheila E (Pete's daughter and Alejandro's niece)

QUOTES

"Alejandro is an abstract expressionist historian of his and our past, of emotion and desire."

- Jonathan Demme

"Musically, Alejandro Escovedo is in his own genre."

-David Fricke, Rolling Stone

“Escovedo has blended the lyricism of Bruce Springsteen and Jackson Browne with the raw power of the Stooges and the Velvet Underground…the result is music with heart, brains, and a burning sense of adventure.”

- Mark Kemp, Rolling Stone

“A masterwork from one of the genuine lights in rock music.”

-Billboard

“Escovedo’s songs brim with beauty and suffering, love and fear, anger and determination — in short, with life.”— USA Today

“Escovedo keeps getting better at an age when most artists are on cruise control.”

- Chicago Tribune

“Tom Waits. Bruce Springsteen. Bob Dylan. They’re master singer-songwriters who thousands have tried to emulate. This John Cale-produced album proves there’s another name ready for the list.”

- Penthouse