Jonathan Richman

[edit] Guide Note

Jonathan Richman is a professional musician and songwriter, who has been performing over thirty years.¹

[edit] Fast Facts

1. Genre(s): Pop/Rock²
2. Name: Jonathan Richman³
3. Born: May 15, 1951³
4. Origin: Boston, Massachusetts³
5. Active: 1970-present²
6. Albums: 23⁴
7. Label(s): Ada/Vapor, Castle, Earmark, and more⁴

At the age of fifteen, Richman started playing the guitar. He was born in Boston, and moved to New York in 1969, where he had a number of odd jobs, such as a foot messenger for a magazine. In 1970 he moved back to Boston, where he started his career, even though he had a problem at first trying to find a venue to perform his music.⁵

Richman formed the band The Modern Lovers, and they only made one album before splitting up in 1973. When they broke up, Richmann went on to form another band with the same name, but with different musicians, and even different types of music. In 1979 Richman went solo and made one album before going into exile and resurfaced in 1983.⁵ Throughout his entire career, Richman has toured many places around the world. He has also appeared on a few TV shows, and in one film.¹ Richman is scheduled through March of 2009 to appear in a number of different places.⁶

• 1989: The Modern Lovers
• 1992: Jonathan Richman
• 1995: You Must Ask the Heart
• 1996: Surrender to Jonathan
• 1998: Im So Confused
• 2008: Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild

When there's things to do not because you gotta.⁷

Sometimes it works. Sometimes I feel like playing "Hospital". Sometimes I feel like playing "Pablo Picasso". I've been playing a lot lately. I do it as long as I feel like it.⁷

Well, you know it was so different from when you rehearsed. You're out there with your guitar and trying to get a sound, but it doesn't sound anything like what you expect!⁷