Biography
-
Born
26 October 1963 (age 61)
-
Born In
Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York, United States
Natalie Anne Merchant, born October 26, 1963, in Jamestown, New York, is an American singer-songwriter known for her thoughtful lyrics and distinctive voice. She began her career at 17 with the folk-rock band 10,000 Maniacs, quickly becoming its creative leader. The band signed with Elektra in 1985 and gained success with albums like In My Tribe (1987) and Blind Man’s Zoo (1989). Merchant announced her departure before the 1992 release of Our Time in Eden and officially left after MTV Unplugged in 1994.
Her solo debut, Tigerlily (1995), was a major success, producing hits like “Carnival” and selling over five million copies in the U.S. Ophelia followed in 1998, earning platinum status and supporting her role in the Lilith Fair tour. A live album appeared in 1999, further cementing her solo reputation.
Merchant has also been an active voice in social causes, including animal rights and domestic violence. In 2000, she toured with folk musicians and later released Motherland (2001). After leaving Elektra, she started her own label and put out The House Carpenter’s Daughter (2003), focusing on folk traditions.
Following a hiatus, she released two retrospective collections, then returned with Leave Your Sleep (2010), based on children’s poetry. In 2014, she released a self-titled album, returning to a more mainstream sound. Merchant remains a respected figure in American music with a lasting influence on women in alternative and folk rock.
Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. Feel free to contribute!
All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
