Dana Fuchs (pronounced Fyooks, born January 10, 1976) is an American singer and songwriter known for a mix of Southern rock, soul, roots, and blues. She is also an actor. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' Stephen Holden called Fuchs' performance in the film ''

Across the Universe "Across the Universe" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the 1969 various artists' charity compilation album ''No One's Gonna Change Our W ...

'', "triumphal".

Early life

The youngest of six children, Fuchs was born in New Jersey and raised in the small rural town of Wildwood, Florida. When she was twelve, she sang in the First Baptist Gospel Choir. Her father was an alcoholic and her grandfather died by suicide, which was the start of a series of family tragedies. In her teens she performed in drama class and in a guitar group. She began using illegal drugs, dropped out of school, left home, and worked as a stripper. After moving to New York City, she took a job as a legal secretary before returning to stripping. She entered psychotherapy and group meetings to begin to deal with her struggles. Soon after, her sister, an alcoholic and drug addict, died by suicide and her oldest brother died from brain cancer. Her experience with death and loss became a theme in her music.

Career

In 1998, Fuchs began to concentrate on singing and songwriting influenced by her love for Esther Phillips and Etta James. She performed in blues clubs, and after meeting Jon Diamond, they formed the Dana Fuchs Band and released the album ''Lonely for a Lifetime'' (2003). Her raspy voice invited comparisons to rock singer

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known Rock music, rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage ...

, and she acted as the singer in ''

Love, Janis ''Love, Janis'' is a 2001 collection of Janis Joplin's performances interspersed with readings of her personal letters to her family throughout her career. It is a companion to the Love, Janis (musical), Off-Broadway musical of the same title (co ...

'', an Off-Broadway musical about Joplin that ran from 2001 to 2003. When director Julie Taymor wanted to make a movie about someone with a voice similar to Joplin's, she hired Fuchs for ''

'' (2007). The movie was nominated for Best Picture at the

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

. Fuchs' albums ''Bliss Avenue'' (2013) and ''Songs from the Road'' (2014) reached the Top 10 of the Blues Album Chart of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine. With Jack Livesey, Fuchs wrote and performed songs on the soundtrack for the Big Beach production of Laurie Collyer's independent film ''

Sherrybaby ''Sherrybaby'' is a 2006 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Laurie Collyer. Screened at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2006, the film received a limited release in the United States on September 8, ...

'', including the opening and closing title songs. She also worked for

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

during the 1990s and 2000s as the voice of many of its on-air promos. After fulfilling her contractual obligation with

Ruf Records Ruf Records is a German independent record label, which was founded in 1994 by Luther Allison’s manager, Thomas Ruf, to promote Allison's career. The motto of the blues label is "Where Blues Crosses Over". The company's office is located in ...

, Fuchs started her own label called Get Along Records. With a successful crowd funding campaign on PledgeMusic, she financed the recording and released her May 2018 album, ''Love Lives On'' on the label. The album was recorded in Memphis and produced by Kevin Houston with songs co-written with guitarist and band member Diamond.

Charitable works

Fuchs is an ambassador for

The Jed Foundation The Jed Foundation (JED) is a non-profit organization that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults in the United States. JED partners with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance m ...

(JED), an organization that tries to prevent suicide and help teens with their emotional health.

Discography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fuchs, Dana 1976 births Living people American blues singers American film actresses American women rock singers American soul singers Singers from New Jersey 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American actresses