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Adam Duritz

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Adam Duritz
Duritz in 2010
Duritz in 2010
Background information
Birth nameAdam Fredric Duritz
Born (1964-08-01) August 1, 1964 (age 60)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
GenresFolk rock, alternative rock, pop rock
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active1990–present
Member of
Formerly of
Websitecountingcrows.com

Adam Fredric Duritz (born August 1, 1964) is an American singer, best known as the frontman for the rock band Counting Crows,[1] for which he serves as a founding member and principal composer.[2] Since its founding in 1991, Counting Crows has sold over 20 million records,[3] released seven studio albums that have been certified gold or platinum, and been nominated for two Grammy Awards and an Academy Award.[4][5]

Duritz has recorded solo material of his own and has collaborated with other musical acts. He has also founded two record labels, E Pluribus Unum and Tyrannosaurus Records. His work scoring music for film earned an award from BMI for co-writing the song "Accidentally in Love" for the movie Shrek 2.

Career

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Duritz and producer/guitarist David Bryson formed Counting Crows in San Francisco in 1991.[6][7] When Gary Gersh of Geffen Records heard the band's demo tape, he was "blown away". A bidding war between nine different record labels broke out in February 1992. In April, the band—which, by that time, included other members—"signed a deal with Gersh and Geffen believed to be so lucrative that industry wags dubbed them Accounting Crows".[8]

The band's first album, August and Everything After, charted within the top five of the Billboard 200,[9] and the single "Mr. Jones" (1993) was a number-one hit in Canada.[10][11] After the band performed as the music guest on Saturday Night Live, "Mr. Jones" jumped 40 spots in the charts.[12] The album has been certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[13] Six of the band's albums have charted on the Billboard 200[9] and four have been certified gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[13] Counting Crows was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1994.[14] The band also received a 2004 Academy Award nomination for the song "Accidentally in Love", which was included in the film Shrek 2.[4][5][15]

Duritz has collaborated with The Wallflowers (led by Jakob Dylan) on the album Bringing Down the Horse on the track "6th Avenue Heartache"; with Ryan Adams on Gold and the song "Butterfly in Reverse" from Hard Candy; with Peter Stuart on Propeller and Daisy; with Live on V;,[16] with Dashboard Confessional on the track "So Long, So Long" from Dusk and Summer,[17] with Maria Taylor on the song "Waiting In Line",[18] and with Nanci Griffith on the song "Going Back to Georgia" on her album Flyer.[19]

Duritz also contributed the songs "Spin Around", "You Don't See Me", and "You're a Star" to the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack that was performed by the film's fictional title band. Along with bandmates Dan Vickrey, Bryson, and Immerglück, Duritz co-wrote the song "Accidentally in Love" for the soundtrack of the movie Shrek 2, winning them each an award from BMI.[20][better source needed]

Duritz's lyrics have been described as "morose" and "tortured"[21] and as "wordy introspection",[22] while his vocals have been called "expressive".[21]

In October 2018, Duritz co-founded the Underwater Sunshine Music Festival.[23]

Duritz co-founded the record label E Pluribus Unum in 1997.[24][25] Before the label was purchased by new ownership,[24][25] Duritz had signed Joe 90, Gigolo Aunts, and Neilson Hubbard.[26] In 2007, Duritz launched a record label called Tyrannosaurus Records.[25] Debut artists on the label included Notar and Blacktop Mourning.[25] As of 2015, the label was defunct.[27]

Duritz was executive producer for the film The Locusts[28][29] and produced the ensemble comedy film Freeloaders.[30] He appeared in the 2007 mockumentary film Farce of the Penguins.[31]

Duritz features prominently in Brian T. Atkinson's Love at the Five and Dime: The Songwriting Legacy of Nanci Griffith (Texas A&M University Press, 2024).

Personal life

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Duritz is the son of Gilbert and Linda Duritz, both physicians. Duritz has a younger sister, Nicole.[32] Duritz is Jewish.[33]

Duritz has dissociative mental health issues.[34][35] He disclosed this mental health issue publicly in 2008.[36][37]

Duritz briefly dated actress Jennifer Aniston in 1995 after mutual friends got them together at The Viper Room.[38] Duritz worked as a bartender at the venue for a period of time after the suicide of Kurt Cobain to help keep his head clear.[39]

In the summer of 2009, he started dating Emmy Rossum. The pair broke up in 2010.

In August 2019, Duritz—who had "rocked voluminous dreadlocks" since Counting Crows was formed—traveled to London to shave them.[40] He had previously revealed that the dreadlocks were extensions.[41]

References

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  1. ^ Greene, Andy (January 25, 2019). "Counting Crows Finally Record Title Track to 'August and Everything After'". Rolling Stone.
  2. ^ "Adam Duritz of Counting Crows readies for band's 25th anniversary tour". Las Vegas Review Journal. July 7, 2018.
  3. ^ "Counting Crows Sign With Capitol Records for New Studio Album". The Hollywood Reporter. May 19, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Counting Crows following a logical path in recordings". Canada.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Bio". Official Counting Crows website. Live Grey Bird Foundation. 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2009.
  6. ^ "When Fame Glows Bright, It's Hard to Be Tortured". The New York Times. December 1, 1996.
  7. ^ "Toledo Blade – Google News Archive Search". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  8. ^ Rubinstein, Julian (May 14, 1994). "CROWS FLY HIGH". The Washington Post.
  9. ^ a b "Counting Crows Chart History". Billboard.
  10. ^ "Data" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  11. ^ "Counting Crows – Mr. Jones". Powerpop.blog. August 31, 2018.
  12. ^ Dan Kening (July 10, 1994). "Counting Crows Concert is short, sweet, bewildering". Chicago Tribune.
  13. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
  14. ^ "Counting Crows". GRAMMY.com. February 15, 2019.
  15. ^ Kaufman, Gil. Jamie Foxx Gets Two Oscar Nods, 'Aviator' Leads Pack. MTV.com. January 5, 2005.
  16. ^ vanHorn, Teri (July 12, 2001). "Tricky, Adam Duritz Guest on Fifth Live Album, V". MTV.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2001. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
  17. ^ Moss, Corey (January 19, 2006). "Dashboard Confessional Singer Records Duet With Adam Duritz". MTV.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
  18. ^ Dean Brandt (October 24, 2019). "FLOOD | PREMIERE: Maria Taylor Enlists Counting Crows' Adam Duritz for "Waiting in Line"". Floodmagazine.com. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  19. ^ Morse, Steve. "Nanci Griffith: Lots of Friends and Some Fun". U2Songs (originally published by The Boston Globe. U2Songs. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  20. ^ "Dan Vickrey : Awards". IMDb. Retrieved January 19, 2015.[better source needed]
  21. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2005). "Counting Crows biography". VH1.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
  22. ^ Kot, Greg (2004). "Counting Crows: Biography". Rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved March 1, 2007.
  23. ^ "Adam Duritz's Indie Music Underwater Sunshine Festival Reveals 2019 Line-up". Noise11. April 4, 2019.
  24. ^ a b Graff, Gary (July 5, 2009). "Counting Crows spread their wings". The Oakland Press. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  25. ^ a b c d "Counting Crows' Duritz Sets Up New Record Label". Uncut. February 19, 2007.
  26. ^ Magazine, Downtown (June 30, 2016). "Adam Duritz talks Counting Crows tour with Rob Thomas, Jul. 31 show in New York, Alex Chilton and more".
  27. ^ Coplen, Katherine (December 12, 2014). "Counting Crows' Adam Duritz on Bootlegs, Failed Labels, Nana Grizol". NUVO.
  28. ^ "The Locusts (1997)". IMDb. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  29. ^ Rooney, David (September 16, 1997). "Review: 'The Locusts'". Variety. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  30. ^ Siegle, Tatiana (November 11, 2008). "Adam Duritz, Broken Lizard making film". Variety. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
  31. ^ "Farce of the Penguins – Cast & Crew". MTV.com. 2007. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
  32. ^ "Rolling Stone Article -June 30, 1994". monmouth.com. June 30, 1994. Archived from the original on February 24, 2008. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  33. ^ Brinn, David (July 11, 2022). "Counting Crows coming to the Holy Land". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  34. ^ Furness, Dyllan (July 28, 2015). "Counting Crows' Adam Duritz Discusses Mental Health and Metaphors". Miami New Times.
  35. ^ "Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz struggling with 'severe mental illness' and weaning himself off medication, he says". Entertainment Weekly. June 28, 2011.
  36. ^ Duritz, Adam (April 17, 2008). "The Lonely Disease". Men's Health.
  37. ^ Porter, Christopher (September 2, 2009). "The Disconnected Ringleader: Adam Duritz & Counting Crows". The Washington Post.
  38. ^ Aniston
  39. ^ Topel, Fred (July 22, 2021). "Adam Duritz Went Back to Tending Bar at the Viper Room After Counting Crows Hit It Big". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  40. ^ "Counting Crows Singer Adam Duritz Shaves Off His Signature Dreadlocks". Peoplemag. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  41. ^ "Q&A: Counting crows frontman adam duritz". Independent.ie. April 30, 2009. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
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