Sally Timms (born 29 November 1959) is an English singer and lyricist. Timms is best known for her long involvement with

The Mekons The Mekons are a British band formed in the late 1970s as an art collective. They are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock bands. The band's style has evolved over time to incorporate aspects of ...

whom she joined in 1985.

Sally Timms Sally Timms (born 29 November 1959) is an English singer and lyricist. Timms is best known for her long involvement with The Mekons whom she joined in 1985.Sally Timmsat Allmusic Career Born in Leeds, in 1959,Wallenfeldt, Jeffthe Mekons in ...

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

Career

Born in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

, in 1959,Wallenfeldt, Jeff
the Mekons
in ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...

''. Retrieved 16 September 2013 Timms recorded her first solo album, ''Hangahar'' (an experimental improvised film score), at the age of 19 with

Pete Shelley Pete Shelley (born Peter Campbell McNeish; 17 April 1955 – 6 December 2018) was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He formed early punk band Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in 1976, and became the lead singer and guitarist in 1977 whe ...

Buzzcocks Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto. They are regarded as a seminal influence on the Manchester music scene, the independen ...

in 1980. Prior to joining

in 1986 she was in a band called the She Hees.Grow, Kory (2007)
Five Mekons Records That Make Jon Langford and Sally Timms Proud to be Mekons
, ''

CMJ New Music Monthly CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...

'', August–September 2007, pp. 10–11. Retrieved 16 September 2013 She has released several other solo albums, ''Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat'' in 1988, ''To the Land of Milk and Honey'' in 1995, and a country album, '' Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments for Lost Buckaroos'', for

Bloodshot Records Bloodshot Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, which specializes in alternative country. History Bloodshot Records was founded in 1994 by Nan Warshaw, Rob Miller, and Eric Babcock, who knew each other from jobs ...

in 1998. She gave herself the name "Cowboy Sally" after the character she played on TNT's ''Rudy and GoGo Show''.Sally Timms
at Touch & Go Records. Retrieved 16 September 2013Murphy, Matthew (2004)
Sally Timms ''In the World of Him''
,

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

, 3 October 2004. Retrieved 16 September 2013Sandlin, Michael (1999)
Sally Timms ''Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments for Lost Buckaroos''
,

, 16 November 1999. Retrieved 16 September 2013 Her solo recording ''In the World of Him'' was released in 2004 on Touch and Go Records.Milner, Greg (1999)
Reviews
, ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'', December 1999. Retrieved 16 September 2013Soults, Franklin (1999)
Sally Timms ''Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments for Lost Buckaroos''
, ''

'', December 1999. Retrieved 16 September 2013 Timms sang "Give Me Back my Dreams" on The Sixths' ''Hyacinths and Thistles'' and has recorded with

Marc Almond Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He ...

The Aluminum Group The Aluminum Group is an American pop band from Chicago, Illinois centered on brothers John and Frank Navin. The band has released eight albums, on various record labels including Minty Fresh, Hefty, Wishing Tree, and P-Vine. History The Navin b ...

, Jon Rauhouse's Steel Guitar Show,

the Sadies The Sadies are a Canadian rock and roll / country and western band from Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Dallas Good, Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky. Dallas and Travis are the sons of Margaret and Bruce Good, and nephews of Bria ...

Andre Williams Andre Williams may refer to: * Andre Williams (musician) * Andre Williams (American football) * Andre Williams, British DJ better known as Shy FX {{hndis, Williams, Andre ...

, and A Grape Dope. She participated in

Vito Acconci Vito Acconci (, ; January 24, 1940 – April 27, 2017) was an influential American performance, video and installation artist, whose diverse practice eventually included sculpture, architectural design, and landscape design. His foundational p ...

's ''Theater Project for a Rock Band'' as part of the

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...

's Next Wave Festival in 1995 and also, along with the rest of The Mekons, performed with

Kathy Acker Kathy Acker (April 18, 1947 isputed– November 30, 1997) was an American experimental novelist, playwright, essayist, and postmodernist writer, known for her idiosyncratic and transgressive writing that dealt with themes such as childhood trau ...

in her lesbian pirate operetta ''Pussy, King of the Pirates'' at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and elsewhere. Timms sang several songs on the

Pine Valley Cosmonauts Pine Valley Cosmonauts (PVC) are a musical ensemble from Chicago, Illinois. History The group was initiated by Jon Langford (also of the Waco Brothers and The Mekons) as a covers group, with both repertory and cast of backing members constantly ...

' ''The Executioner's Last Songs'' albums, which raised funds for the Illinois Moratorium Against the Death Penalty, and participated in fellow Mekon

Jon Langford Jonathan Denis Langford (born 11 October 1957) is a Welsh musician and artist based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Langford is a founder member of the punk band The Mekons, the post-punk group The Three Johns, and the alternative country ...

's multi-media performance project ''The Executioner's Last Songs''. She co-wrote the song 'Horses', which was recorded by herself and Jon Langford on ''Songs of False Hope and High Values''; by

Palace Music Joseph Will Oldham (born January 15, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace (Palace, Palace Flophouse, Palace Br ...

, a.k.a.

Bonnie Prince Billy Joseph Will Oldham (born January 15, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace (Palace, Palace Flophouse, Palace Br ...

; and by

Chlorine Chlorine is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate betwee ...

. Timms' musical style is often placed under the genre of

alternative country Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...

, and she has often toured with other bands on Bloodshot Records. Timms occasionally writes crude broadsheets on pop culture. She was the voice of SARA from

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...

's Toonami block, voicing the first incarnation of the character from 1999 to 2004 alongside

Steven Blum Steven Jay Blum (; born April 29, 1960) is an American voice actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, his most well-known roles include Spike Spiegel from the anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'', Garazeb Orrelios from the animated series ''St ...

, the voice of TOM. In 2006(?) Timms directed the first of the five Christmas

panto Panto may refer to: * Pantomime, a genre of musical comedy stage production, developed in England and mostly performed during Christmas and New Year season * American pantomime, theatre entertainments in North America derived from the English ente ...

s hosted by the Hideout bar in Chicago, and performed in several of them.Christmas Pyrate Panto
, ''

Time Out Chicago ''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 328 cities in 58 countries worldwide. In 2012, the London edition beca ...

'', 3 April 2005. Retrieved 16 September 2013 For many years Timms has lived in the Chicago, Illinois, where she also works as a paralegal. She was married to musician and comedian

Fred Armisen Fereydun Robert Armisen (born December 4, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. With his comedy partner Carrie Brownstein, Armisen was the co-creator and co-star of the IFC sketch comedy series ''Portlandia''. He ...

from 1998 to 2004.

The Mekons

Timms joined The Mekons in the mid-1980s. A documentary titled ''The Revenge of the Mekons'' was released in 2014 by director Joe Angio. The Mekons, still including Timms on vocals, continue to record and perform live, as of 2021.

Wee Hairy Beasties

Wee Hairy Beasties were a children's music group based in Chicago, composed of

, Sally Timms,

Kelly Hogan Kelly Hogan (born January 11, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, often known for her work as a member of Neko Case's backing band, as well as for her solo work. Early and personal life Hogan was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the daughter of ...

, and

Devil in a Woodpile Devil in a Woodpile is a band from Chicago, Illinois. Although they routinely give a fresh sound to 80-year-old songs, their repertoire and instrumentation categorizes them as a country blues or jug band. History Rick Sherry and Tom V. Ray firs ...

. They played their first gig together at the

Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo, also known as the Chicago Zoological Park, is a zoo located in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield, Illinois. It houses around 450 species of animals in an area of . It opened on July 1, 1934, and quickly gained international recogni ...

near Chicago, and released two albums in 2006 and 2008. Timms performed under the moniker Monkey Double Dippey.

Solo, etc.

Timms and

, the other Chicago-based member of the Mekons, continue to collaborate on various recording and performance projects, ever since they both moved to Chicago. As of 2022, they frequently perform as a duo, and as a trio with a second guitarist, often at Chicago's Hideout.

Solo discography

* 1980 – ''Hangahar'' * 1988 – ''Somebody's Rockin' My Dreamboat'' * 1995 – ''It Says Here'' * 1995 – ''To the Land of Milk and Honey'' * 1997 – ''Cowboy Sally'' * 1999 – '' Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments for Lost Buckaroos'' * 2000 – ''Songs of False Hope and High Values'' (with

) * 2004 – ''In the World of Him''

Compilation contributions

* 2000: "Glue" by Andre Williams/V. Rice/O.M. Hayes) – ''Down to the Promised Land: 5 Years of Bloodshot Records'' – as

Andre Williams Andre Williams may refer to: * Andre Williams (musician) * Andre Williams (American football) * Andre Williams, British DJ better known as Shy FX {{hndis, Williams, Andre ...

& Sally Timms * 2005: "

Tumbling Tumbleweeds "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" is a song composed by Bob Nolan. Although one of the most famous songs associated with the Sons of the Pioneers, the song was composed by Nolan in the 1930s, while working as a caddy and living in Los Angeles. Originally ti ...

" – ''For A Decade of Sin: 11 Years of Bloodshot Records'' * 2007: "

Junco Partner "Junco Partner", also known as "Junco Partner (Worthless Man)", is a blues song first recorded by James Waynes in 1951.

" and "Version Pardner" – ''The Sandinista! Project – A Tribute to

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

'' –

and Sally Timms with Ship & Pilot ( 00:02:59 Records/ MRI Associated Labels) * 2014: "Mole Lotta Love", with

Bobcat Goldthwait Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait (born May 26, 1962) is an American actor, comedian, director and screenwriter, known for his black comedy stand-up act, delivered through an energetic stage persona with an unusual raspy and high-pitched voice. ...

– ''2776'', the charity comedy album

References

External links

Sally Timms page at Club Mekon

Sally Timms collection
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

's live music archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Timms, Sally 1959 births Living people English women singers English country singer-songwriters English alternative country singers Musicians from Leeds Bloodshot Records artists The Mekons members Pigface members