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Legendary singer Elvis Costello is heading to Bristol for a special one-off show. The musician best known for classic songs like Oliver’s Army, Accidents Will Happen, Everyday I Write The Book and Good Year For The Roses will appear at St George’s Bristol to talk about his life and career, as well as answer questions from fans.
Although it isn’t known whether the iconic musician will sing during ‘An Evening With Elvis Costello’, the advertising material does mention ‘special surprises’ at the intimate show on June 1. Costello and his band The Imposters released their new album, The Boy Named If, in January, but haven’t performed in Bristol on the latest tour.
Over a career spanning six decades, Costello’s accolades include Grammy Awards in 1999 and 2020, and two nominations for the Brit Awards’ Best British Male Artist. In 2003, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Costello number 80 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Born Declan MacManus in 1954, he was raised in London and Liverpool, grandson of a trumpet player on the White Star Line and son of a jazz musician who became a successful radio dance band vocalist. Costello went into the family business and had taken the popular music world by storm before he was 24.
Costello, now 67, began writing songs at the age of 13. His first album, My Aim Is True, was released in 1977 and is regarded as a new wave classic.
He is perhaps best known for the songs Alison, Pump It Up, Everyday I Write The Book and his rendition of the Nick Lowe song, (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding. His back catalogue of more than 30 albums includes the contrasting pop and rock & roll albums, This Year’s Model, Armed Forces, Imperial Bedroom, Blood and Chocolate and King Of America.
Costello also released the album of country covers, Almost Blue, and two collections of orchestrally accompanied piano ballads, Painted From Memory with Burt Bacharach and North.
Costello has entered into songwriting collaborations with many legendary names including Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, the Brodsky Quartet and with Allen Toussaint for the album The River In Reverse, the first major label recording project to visit New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and completed there while the city was still under curfew.
In 2003, Costello acted as lyrical editor of six songs written with his wife, the jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall for her album The Girl In The Other Room. He has written lyrics for compositions by Charles Mingus, Billy Strayhorn and Oscar Peterson and musical settings for words by W.B. Yeats and Bob Dylan.
Costello’s songs have been recorded by a wide range of artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Chet Baker, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield and Robert Wyatt. During his career, he has received numerous prestigious honours, including two Ivor Novello Awards for songwriting, a BAFTA for the music written with Richard Harvey for Alan Bleasdale’s television drama series G.B.H. and a Grammy for I Still Have That Other Girl from his 1998 collaboration with Burt Bacharach.
In 2019, Costello was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting in Nashville by the Americana Music Association. In the same year, he was awarded an OBE for his services to music on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
An Evening With Elvis Costello at St George’s Bristol is on June 1 and tickets are £20.
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