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Lucy Woodward

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Lucy Woodward
Lucy Woodward at the Aarhus Jazz Festival in Denmark in 2017
Lucy Woodward at the Aarhus Jazz Festival in Denmark in 2017
Background information
Born(1977-10-27)27 October 1977(age 47)[1]
London, England
GenresPop, rock, jazz, R&B
OccupationSinger
Years active2000–present
LabelsAtlantic,GroundUP,Verve
Websitelucywoodward

Lucy Woodwardis an English-American singer-songwriter. She has released records onAtlantic,Verve,andGroundUPand has sung with many artists includingRod Stewart,Barbra Streisand,Snarky Puppy,Celine Dion,Pink Martini,Gavin DeGraw,Joe Cocker,Chaka Khan,Nikka Costa,andRandy Jackson.She co-wroteStacie Orrico's Top 40 hit "(There's Gotta Be) More to Life".[2]

Early life

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A native of London, England, she is the daughter of British conductor Kerry Woodward, who conducted theBBC Singers,and his American wife Julie Woodward, who was an editor ofThe New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.[3]Woodward's parents mounted the first performances ofViktor Ullmann's operaDer Kaiser von Atlantis,which Ullmann composed while interned in aNaziconcentration camp.[4][5]Woodward's family moved toAmsterdamwhen her father was appointed musical director of theNetherlands Chamber Choir.Two years later her parents separated, and she moved with her mother and brother to New York City to live with her grandparents.

Raised on classical andMiddle Eastern music,Woodward studied piano and flute before receiving singing lessons at age 12. She attended high school in The Bronx and sanghouse musicin her friends' basements. During summers she attended music camp and visited her father in the Netherlands, where she frequently locked herself in her father's studio and listened to jazz and R&B records. At the age of 16, Woodward was accepted to theManhattan School of Musicto study jazz, but after a year she decided to drop out to focus on songwriting and performing. She spent the next few years in swing organ trios, includingThe Sugarman 3,working as a session singer, a waitress, and singing jazz standards in restaurants inGreenwich Village.[3]

Career

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Lucy Woodward performing withSnarky Puppy
Lucy Woodward with singerRod Stewart
Lucy Woodward and guitaristCharlie Hunter

In 2003 Woodward signed withAtlantic Recordsand recorded her debut albumWhile You Can,which entered the Top 150 on the Billboard 200.[6][7]The album included Woodward's Top 40 hit "Dumb Girls", which she had written with producerKevin Kadishbefore signing with Atlantic.[2][7]Other songs onWhile You Canwere produced at Jim Henson Studios byJohn Shanks.[3][7]She toured internationally and appeared onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[8]

During the following year, Woodward was asked by producer Jaime Houston to record the big-band tune "It's Oh So Quiet"for the Disney filmIce Princess;the song was later used in various TV shows, commercials, and theBirds of Preytrailer. The song was first recorded byBetty Huttonin 1948 and later covered byBjörkon her 1995 albumPost.Woodward considers it a turning point in her career and the inspiration for much of her second album,Lucy Woodward Is...Hot and Bothered.[9]The album was released in 2008 and distributed exclusively byBarnes & Nobleas part of its Discover Great New Music program.[10][11]It was produced byItaal ShurandTim K.[11]The song "Hot and Bothered" takes its melody from a Yiddish lullaby that Woodward's grandmother sang to her as a baby.[12]

Woodward's third albumHooked!(Verve, 2010)[3]was recorded at Stratosphere Sound in New York City and Jim Henson Studios in Hollywood. It was produced byTony Visconti[13][14]and included contributions by Tim K,Justin Stanley,and Itaal Shur. Woodward wrote much of the album with Dan Petty and Michelle Lewis, saying that she had been inspired by the music ofPeggy LeeandDjango Reinhardt.The album also received comparisons toDusty SpringfieldandBrill Building.[15]The song "Another Woman" was written for her by longtime inspirationNellie McKay,who sang background vocals. Woodward toured throughout the US, including with jazz fusion bandSnarky Puppy,which played on her cover version of "Be My Husband" byNina Simone.In 2011, she was asked byArmed Forces Entertainmentto perform at American military bases in Italy, Turkey, and Spain.

In 2011, Woodward started working with Snarky Puppy bandleaderMichael League.League performed in Woodward's touring band, and Woodward opened for Snarky Puppy with them as her backing band. She sang "Too Hot to Last" on the band's albumFamily Dinner - Volume 1.[14][16][17]

She toured withPink Martiniafter the singerChina Forbeshad surgery.[18][19]From 2012 to 2016 she worked as a background vocalist forRod Stewart,singing on the albumsBlood Red Roses,Another Country,Time,andMerry Christmas, Baby[9]as well as touring internationally with him, including at the2015 BBC Music Awards.[20]

Woodward released her fourth albumTil They Bang on the Door(GroundUP Music) in 2016. The album was co-produced byMichael LeagueandHenry Hey,mixed by Nic Hard, and included musiciansEverett Bradley,Dave Eggar,Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz,and members of Snarky Puppy.[14][21]

In 2017, she performed with the Danish group TipToe Big Band at theAarhus Jazz Festival.[22]A year later she worked with theWDR Big BandandChris Walden.She has also sung with the Dave Richards Big Band in Los Angeles and with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra.[23][24]Woodward recently performed with thehr-Bigbandwith arrangements and conducting byJim McNeely.[25]

In 2018, Woodward was asked to perform a duo tour with jazz guitaristCharlie Hunter.[26]As the tour progressed, they decided to create an album of pop covers together, which led to their albumMusic!Music!Music!(2019). The album included songs byBlind Willie Johnson,Bessie Smith,Nina Simone, andTerence Trent D'Arby.[27]The duo's tour for the album included a performance onNPR Music'sMountain Stage.[28]

Woodward contributed songs to the soundtracks forLast Vegas,The Blind Side,Ice Princess,Music and Lyrics,What a Girl Wants,First Daughter,andAccepted.Her version of "It's Oh So Quiet" appeared in the Disney filmIce Princess.She co-wrote theStacie OrricoTop 40 worldwide hit "There's Gotta Be More to Life", which earned her a BMI Christian Music Award in 2003 and a BMI Songwriter's Pop Award in 2004. Originally called "More to Life", the song was written withKevin Kadishand Sabelle Breer for Woodward's 2003 Atlantic debut but was released instead on the Japanese import version of the album as a bonus track. In 2010, Woodward co-wrote and recorded "Daylight as Sunset" for Earthrise Soundsystem's debutThe Yoga Sessions.Woodward also appeared in the 2011Garry MarshallfilmNew Year's Evewhere she played the backing vocalist forJon Bon JoviandLea Michele.[29]Woodward was featured in the September 2011 issue ofItalian Vogueas one of the year's top up-and-coming female recording artists.[30]

A frequent visitor toKenyaandRwanda,Woodward organizes an annual benefit concert for the Cura Orphanage outside Nairobi at Jim Henson Studios.[31]She has performed for theUN Mine Action Serviceand at theMillennium Development Goals Awards.Woodward sang forDesmond Tutuat a benefit for the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation.[32]

Woodward,Holly Palmer,and songwriterMichelle Lewisfirst came together to sing at a Christmas Party in 2010 and decided soon after to write swing and boogie songs under the name The Goods.[33]They released the single "I'm So Happy That It's You" in May 2013, followed by a five-song debut EP later that year and a holiday EP titledGet Your Holiday Goods!in 2018.[34]

Woodward appeared onRandy Jackson's 2008 albumRandy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1,singing the duet "Willing to Try" withRichie SamboraandTravis Tritt.[35]Woodward has also sung background vocals forCeline Dion,Rod Stewart,Carole King,Joe Cocker,Nikka Costa,Gavin DeGraw,andMonkey Houseon the 2016 albumLeft.[36][37]

Awards and honors

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  • BMI Christian Music Award, "There's Gotta Be More to Life", 2003
  • BMI Songwriter's Pop Award, "There's Gotta Be More to Life", 2004

Discography

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Albums

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As guest

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  • Groove Collective,"Up All Night"(1999)
  • The Scumfrog, "Bacon" (2004)
  • Home & Garden, "Domesticated" (2008)
  • Randy Jackson,Randy Jackson Music Club Vol. 1,"Willing To Try" (2008)
  • Earthrise Soundsystem, "Daylight as Sunset" (2009)
  • Charles Walker & the Dynamites, "Love Is Only Everything" (2012)
  • The Joshua Shneider Lovespeaks Orchestra,The Joshua Shneider Lovespeaks Orchestra(2013)
  • Snarky Puppy,Family Dinner - Volume 1,"Too Hot To Last" (2013)
  • David Ricard Big Band,Holiday Swingin(2015)
  • Guilt by Association Vol. 4(Compilation),"Shapes of Things" (2016)
  • Phat Cat Swinger,The Phat Cat Swinger Christmas Album,"Frosty" (2018)
  • Chris Grey & The BlueSpand, "Feed The Monkey" (2018)
  • Broken Brass Ensemble, "Piece Of Your Heaven" (2019)
  • Drifter, "True Love" (2021)
  • Steve Shapiro, "Extremely Moderate" (2022)
  • Dennis van Aarssen, "Stay For Christmas" (2022)

Singles

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  • "Dumb Girls" – 2003 (#112)
  • "Blindsided" – 2003
  • "Trouble With Me" – 2004
  • "Slow Recovery" – 2007/2010
  • "Ragdoll" – 2010
  • "Be My Husband" – 2012
  • "Happy That It's You!" – 2013
  • "Kiss Me Mister Histrionics" – 2016
  • "Live Live Live" – 2016

Film & TV

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References

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  1. ^Kergan, Wade."Lucy Woodward".AllMusic.Retrieved27 November2020.
  2. ^ab"AOL Music Exposes Lucy Woodward".Billboard.3 January 2003.Retrieved17 November2020.
  3. ^abcd"Second Cup Cafe: Lucy Woodward".CBS News. 5 August 2010.
  4. ^Hugh R.N. Macdonald, "Der Kaiser von Atlantis", Tempo (New Ser.), 116 (1976), 42–3
  5. ^"1994 Opera Rises Above Tragic Birth"Los Angeles Times,Los Angeles, 29 March 1992, Retrieved on 25 January 2020.
  6. ^"While You Can".AllMusic.Retrieved30 October2012.
  7. ^abc"Breaking and Entering".Billboard.Retrieved12 April2017.
  8. ^"Woodward on Leno".Gettyimages.Retrieved12 April2017.
  9. ^ab"Lucy Woodward".AllMusic.Retrieved31 December2017.
  10. ^The Billboard Reviews: Singles.Nielsen Business Media. 9 August 2008. pp. 46–.Retrieved16 November2020– via Google Books.
  11. ^ab"Barnes & Noble Exclusive: Lucy Woodward Is… Hot And Bothered".Home.nestor.minsk.by.Retrieved31 December2017.
  12. ^"Lucy Woodward Gets Skole All 'Hot & Bothered'".skopemag.16 September 2008.Retrieved17 November2020.
  13. ^"Mary J. Blige, Larry Carlton, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds".LA Weekly.10 November 2011.Retrieved17 November2020.
  14. ^abcWildsmith, Steve (15 February 2017)."Singer Lucy Woodward shakes off the musical shackles of constraint".The Daily Times.Retrieved17 November2020.
  15. ^"Hooked! (Review)".AllMusic.Retrieved30 October2012.
  16. ^"Brooklyn's Snarky Puppy Receives Its Third Grammy Nomination"."CEG Presents", New York, 6 December 2016, Retrieved on 1 February 2020.
  17. ^Collar, Matt."Til They Bang on the Door".AllMusic.Retrieved17 November2020.
  18. ^"Pink Martini, with substitute vocalist Lucy Woodward, intoxicates Ann Arbor Summer Festival crowd".Annarbor.Retrieved31 December2017.
  19. ^"Montreal International Jazz Festival 2011: Pink Martini at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts, June 28".Montrealgazette.28 June 2011.
  20. ^"Review: BBC Music Awards 2015"."Salford Now", Salford, 11 December 2015, Retrieved on 2 June 2021.
  21. ^"Lucy Woodward - Til They Bang On The Door",AllMusic,Retrieved on 8 June 2021.
  22. ^"TipToe Big Band Feat. Lucy Woodward"19 July 2017, Retrieved on 1 February 2020.
  23. ^"The David Ricard Big Band: Holiday Swingin'"."Jazz Weekly", 7 December 2015. Retrieved on 1 February 2020.
  24. ^"Jazz Roots Season Opens with Latin Spin on Beatles""Miami Art Zine", Miami, 31 October 2019, Retrieved on 1 February 2020.
  25. ^"Konzerte",Frankfurt. Retrieved on 13 June 2021.
  26. ^Malkin, John (12 December 2019)."Connecting on a higher plane: The soulful blues of Charlie Hunter and Lucy Woodward".Santa Cruz Sentinel.Retrieved17 November2020.
  27. ^"Charlie Hunter & Lucy Woodward: Music!Music!Music!"All About Jazz, 20 May 2019, Retrieved on 10 February 2020.
  28. ^"Charlie Hunter & Lucy Woodward on Mountain Stage"NPR, 3 October 2019, Retrieved on 8 June 2021.
  29. ^"New Year's Eve Cast and Crew - Cast Photos and Info".Fandango.Retrieved9 October2020.
  30. ^"Winter Jazzfest".Archived fromthe originalon 6 December 2013.Retrieved12 April2014.
  31. ^"Chaka Khan's Safari Nights at Henson Studios",HuffPost, New York, 6 December 2012, Retrieved on 26 January 2020.
  32. ^"Lucy Woodward".Archived fromthe originalon 2 May 2010.Retrieved17 June2022.
  33. ^"Home".The-goods-music.Retrieved31 December2017.
  34. ^"The Goods".Lucywoodward.6 January 2014.Retrieved31 December2017.
  35. ^"Mariah, Paula, 'Idols' Join Jackson's 'Club'".Billboard.Retrieved31 December2017.
  36. ^"Monkey House".Alma Records.Retrieved31 December2017.
  37. ^"Lucy Woodward - Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved31 December2017.
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