Gretchen Phillips (born 1963) is an American singer-songwriter known for her humorous and topical songs. Phillips has been openly gay throughout her life and her lesbianism has inspired much of her material.
Background
Phillips grew up in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
. Her parents were musicians, and she played music from childhood. After graduating from the
High School for Performing and Visual Arts
Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Kinder HSPVA, HSPVA or PVA) is a secondary school located at 790 Austin Street in the downtown district of Houston, Texas. The school is a part of the Houston Independent School District. ...
, she decided move to
Austin in 1981 to become a professional performer and was in a band with
Sara Hickman
Sara Hickman (born March 1, 1963) is an American singer, songwriter, and artist.Houston Folk Music Archive(Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University)Guide to the Houston Folk Music Archive(Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library ...
.
Meat Joy, Girls in the Nose, and Two Nice Girls
Phillips was a member in three influential area bands in the mid-eighties: the punk band Meat Joy (with Jamie Lee Hendrix, Melissa Cobb Unit,
John Hawkes-under the name John Boy Perkins, and Tim Pierre Mateer), the rock band Girls in the Nose (with Pam Barger,
Kay Turner, Joanna Labow, and Darcee Douglas), and the country/disco/rock/folk/pop band
Two Nice Girls
Two Nice Girls were a self-styled " dyke rock" band from Austin, Texas, featuring singer-songwriter Gretchen Phillips. They were together from 1985 to 1992, releasing three albums on Rough Trade Records.
History
The group formed in 1985, ori ...
(with Pam Barger, Laurie Freelove, Meg Hentges, and Kathy Korniloff). Two Nice Girls attracted national attention with Phillips' song "I Spent My Last $10 (on Birth Control and Beer)" which satirized heterosexual relationships.
Bands and solo projects since Two Nice Girls
Since the break-up of Two Nice Girls, Phillips has been part of The Gretchen Phillips Experience (with Andy Loomis,
Thor Harris, John Paul Keenon, and Jo Walston), Dusty Trails (with
Josephine Wiggs and Vivian Trimble), Phillips & Driver (with David Driver), Lord Douglas Phillips (with Terri Lord and Darcee Douglas), and The Gretchen Phillips Ministries (with the Experience line-up), as well as performing as a solo artist.
Awards
Two Nice Girls won a
GLAAD Media Award
The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their liv ...
in 1991. Phillips was inducted into the
''Austin Chronicle'' Music Poll's Hall of Fame in 2001.
Personal life
Phillips has been openly gay throughout her life and her lesbianism has inspired much of her material. Phillips has generally resided in
Austin, but has also lived in San Francisco and New York City.
Other
An archive collected by Phillips, including items such as reviews and news articles, video recordings of her shows, and fan mail, is part of Cornell University Library's
Human Sexuality Collection.
Her name appears in the lyrics of the
Le Tigre
Le Tigre (, ; French for "The Tiger") is an American electronic rock band formed by Kathleen Hanna (of Bikini Kill), Johanna Fateman and Sadie Benning in 1998 in New York City. Benning left in 2000 and was replaced by JD Samson for the rest ...
song "
Hot Topic
Hot Topic, Inc. (stylized as HOT TOPIC) is an American retail chain specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming ...
."
Discography
*''The Many Moods of Meat Joy'' – Meat Joy
*''Chant to the Full Moon, O Ye Sisters'' – Girls in the Nose
*''Girls in the Nose'' – Girls in the Nose
*''Meat Joy'' – Meat Joy
*''2 Nice Girls'' – Two Nice Girls
*''Like a Version'' – Two Nice Girls
*''chloe liked olivia'' – Two Nice Girls
*''Songs to Save Your Soul'' – Gretchen Phillips
*''A Taste of LDP'' – Lord Douglas Phillips
*''Seitan is Real'' – The Gretchen Phillips Ministries
*''Togetherness'' – Phillips & Driver
*''Welcome to mMy World'' – Gretchen Phillips
*''Welcome to My World and a Half'' – Gretchen Phillips
*''Do You Ever Wish For More?'' – Gretchen Phillips
*"Eau Du Lesbianism" appeared on
Mr. Lady Records
Mr. Lady Records (or Mr. Lady Records and Video) was a San Francisco-based lesbian- feminist independent record label and video art distributor. (Press release of a 2001 art show at the Weisman Art Museum) Artists on the label included Le Tigre ...
'
sampler album
A sampler or promotional compilation is a type of compilation album generally offered at a reduced price to showcase an artist or a selection of artists signed to a particular record label. The format became popular in the late 1960s as record lab ...
, ''
Calling All Kings & Queens
''Calling All Kings & Queens'' is a sampler album of alternative rock songs by artists on the San Francisco, California based lesbian-feminist independent record label, Mr. Lady Records. It was released in March, 2001, following on from the lab ...
'', in 2001
Notes
External links
Gretchen Phillips' Official WebsiteAustin Chronicle, February 9, 2007: Throws Like a Girl: Catching Gretchen Phillips by Patti Hadad
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Gretchen
1963 births
Living people
American women songwriters
American lesbian musicians
Musicians from Austin, Texas
Musicians from Houston
LGBT people from Texas
American LGBT singers
American LGBT songwriters
Guitarists from Texas
Lesbian singers
Lesbian songwriters
20th-century American women singers
20th-century American women guitarists
21st-century American women singers
21st-century American women guitarists
20th-century American LGBT people
21st-century American LGBT people