Stan Ridgway

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Stan Ridgway’s tenure with Wall Of Voodoo may have launched him to semi-stardom, but his solo musical style is more blues rock, almost Americana-ish, than WoV’s big hit “Mexican Radio.” Multiple solo albums and collaborations later, Ridgway morphs with each release.

Multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Stan Ridgway was the original lead singer for the band Wall of Voodoo, singing on their debut EP and first two albums, including their only hit song, “Mexican Radio”. Wall Of Voodoo’s genesis was in a Hollywood company called “Acme Soundtracks”, a commercially unsuccessful venture founded in 1977 in Hollywood by Ridgway. Ridgway’s intent for the company was to provide soundtrack music for independently produced low-budget horror films; unfortunately, the company found few takers for its services. Instead, Acme Soundtracks evolved into a band that played live shows.

The band was named Wall Of Voodoo by Ridgway before their first gig in reference to a comment made while recording and overdubbing a Kalamazoo Rhythm Ace drum machine, a gift to Ridgway by writer and iconic voice over artist Daws Butler, partner to Stan Freberg, voice of Yogi Bear and many other Hanna-Barbera characters. When someone jokingly compared the multiple drum machine and farfisa organ laden recordings to Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound, Ridgway commented it sounded more like a “Wall Of Voodoo”, and the name stuck.

Actually, for new listeners, the voodoo reference was a little misleading, as it referred to the music’s often spooky quality, as opposed to any Haitian or Caribbean influences.
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  • The Big Heat
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  • Songs That Made This Country Great
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  • Mosquitos
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Top Tracks

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  • jaoui

    Storyteller, that's what Ridgway is, yes storyteller definitely, tellin' stories about walkin' home alone and salesmen!!

    December 2011
  • JoleoIzz

    I would have to agree with Kurt, but damn thats a close call.

    August 2011
  • KurtBell

    Best story teller in music. And dare i say it, even better than Nick Cave (as much as i also like him).

    August 2011
  • heffernan71

    Like it!

    July 2011
  • RedjMusic

    I love him...great with Wall of Voodoo and great solo

    May 2011
  • MrSouljacker

    Stan Ridgway & many others say happy birthday to Bob Dylan: http://www.ondarock.it/speciali/dylanbirthdayeng.htm

    May 2011
  • Persian_Kingdom

    I like the sound of Stan :)

    January 2011
  • KurtBell

    I am partial to a bit of Stan lyk.

    September 2010
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RIDGWAY now on FACEBOOK too

25 Jul 2009 | from blog.myspace.com/officialstanridgway

Come join and we'll see you there. News, Tour, Blab. Ridgway on Facebook. Copy and paste into your browser now to join us on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/people/Stan-Ridgway/506851105 Gee. Ple...

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