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Madeleine Peyroux
Madeleine Peyroux in Toronto
Background information
Born	1974 Athens, Georgia, United States
Occupation(s)	singer, songwriter, guitarist
Instrument(s)	voice, guitar
Label(s)	Rounder, Atlantic
Associated acts	The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band
Website	http://www.madeleinepeyroux.com/

Madeleine Peyroux (born 1974, Athens, Georgia) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Peyroux (pronounced 'Peru' or 'Pear-roo') is noted for her vocal style, which has been compared to that of Billie Holiday.

Early life

Peyroux's family was in academia, and she has described her parents as "hippies". Her father moved the family to Brooklyn when Peyroux was six so he could pursue a career in acting. She grew up in New York City and southern California; when her parents divorced, she moved with her mother to Paris.^[1]

Career

Peyroux started singing at the age of fifteen, when she discovered street musicians in the Latin Quarter in Paris. She joined a group called the Riverboat Shufflers, first by passing round the hat, and then singing. At sixteen she joined The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band and spent two years touring Europe performing jazz standards. Her experiences provided the basis for her first album, Dreamland. The album was released in 1996, and gained widespread attention. Time called it "the most exciting, involving vocal performance by a new singer this year". Peyroux began opening for artists such as Sarah McLachlan and Cesaria Evora, and made appearances at jazz festivals and on the Lilith Fair tour.

Peyroux spent much of the next six years busking in Paris, performing occasionally in clubs in the U.S., and generally living a low-key existence. She continued to contribute to works by other artists, but rarely appeared in clubs under her own name.

In May 2002 she joined multi-instrumentalist William Galison, and together they appeared at such venues as the Bottom Line, Joe's Pub, and the Tin Angel. In 2003 the duo released a seven-song EP entitled Got You on My Mind, which they sold at shows and online. Got You on My Mind was re-released by William Galison in August 2004; the original EP was expanded by the addition of four tracks by Gallison.

Peyroux released her second solo album, Careless Love, in September 2004 to generally positive reviews. It went on to sell over a million copies worldwide. The album opens with a cover of the Leonard Cohen song, "Dance Me to the End of Love" and also includes covers by Bob Dylan ("You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go"), Elliott Smith ("Between The Bars"), and Hank Williams ("Weary Blues"), among others. The only original track on the album was "Don't Wait Too Long" (in collaboration with Jesse Harris and producer Larry Klein).

On September 3, 2006, Peyroux performed a live session for Live from Abbey Road at Abbey Road Studios. She shared her episode with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snow Patrol; it was aired in the UK on Channel 4 and in the USA on the Sundance Channel.^[2]

Her third solo album, Half the Perfect World, was released on September 12, 2006. She collaborated with several artists, including Jesse Harris, Walter Becker, Larry Klein (who also produced the album), and k.d. lang, with whom Peyroux performed a cover of the Joni Mitchell song "River". Other notable covers include "Blue Alert" and "Half the Perfect World" by Leonard Cohen/Anjani Thomas and Smile by Charlie Chaplin, John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons.^[3]

On July 12, 2007, she was awarded Best International Jazz Artist at the BBC Jazz Awards.^[4]

Peyroux is represented by American International Artists, a management group whose other artists include James Carter and Sarah Pedinotti.

Image and Publicity

In an age where celebrities are expected to indulge all of the public curiosities, Peyroux eschews publicity and keeps a low profile. She has dropped "out of sight" for extended periods of time, as when she spent several years busking after the release of her first record.

Many people assume she is French^{citation needed} because of her name, and the fact that she speaks fluent French. Peyroux is an American of French descent; she sings on occasion in French but the majority of her songs are in English.

The ballad "Don't Wait Too Long" was featured in a national television ad campaign for Dockers San Francisco brand apparel. A clip of her recording of "Blue Alert" was used in an Old Navy jeans advertisement in 2007.

Discography

• 1996: Dreamland (Atlantic)
• 2004: Got You on My Mind, with William Galison (Waking Up)
• 2004: Careless Love (Rounder)
• 2006: Half the Perfect World (Rounder)

References

External links

• Madeleine Peyroux — Official site for Madeleine Peyroux
• Madeleine Peyroux on MySpace — Official MySpace page for Madeleine Peyroux
• Madeleine Peyroux — Peyroux's UK record company site
• The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band
• Madeleine Peyroux — brief biography by Richard Skelly for Allmusic
• Madeleine Peyroux Fan site — Information on Madeleine and discussion board
• Madeleine Peyroux singing I'm All Right on YouTube
• Live from Abbey Road official site Film clip, slideshow and brief bio.