William Fitzsimmons (born 1978) is an American singer-songwriter, based in
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
. His first two full-length albums, ''Until When We Are Ghosts'' (2005) and ''Goodnight'' (2006), were completely self-produced and recorded by Fitzsimmons at his former home in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, Pennsylvania. His ''The Sparrow and the Crow'' (2008) was his first studio record. In addition to the above, his music has also been featured on
ABC's ''
Brothers & Sisters'' and Grey's Anatomy spin-off ''
Private Practice'',
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 ...
's ''
Life of Ryan'' and ''
Teen Wolf
''Teen Wolf'' is a 1985 American coming-of-age romantic fantasy comedy film directed by Rod Daniel and written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. Michael J. Fox stars as the title character, a high school student whose ordinary life is chang ...
'',
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
's ''
One Tree Hill'',
CBS's ''
Blue Bloods'',
ABC Family
The American cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and six different name changes) during its h ...
's ''
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
'',
Lifetime's ''
Army Wives
''Army Wives'' is an American drama television series that followed the lives of four army wives, one army husband, and their families. The series premiered on Lifetime on June 3, 2007, and ran for seven seasons, ending on June 9, 2013. The s ...
'', and
USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madi ...
's ''
Burn Notice
''Burn Notice'' is an American espionage television series created by Matt Nix, which originally aired on the USA Network for a total of seven seasons from June 28, 2007, to September 12, 2013. The show stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar ...
'', and he has been given reference in ''
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 adverti ...
'', ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', ''
Paste'', ''
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 ...
'', ''
Musikexpress
The ''Musikexpress'' is a monthly German magazine that mainly writes about the rock and pop music. In addition to detailed interviews and articles about important rock, electro, hip-hop, pop, and independent musicians, the magazine offers reviews ...
'', ''
Uncut'', ''
Q Magazine
''Q'' was a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1986 by broadcast journalists Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series '' The Old Grey Whistle Test''. ...
'', and ''Performing Songwriter Magazine''.
Biography
Fitzsimmons was born the youngest child of two blind parents and was raised in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, Pennsylvania.
He is said to have developed his multiple instrumental abilities from his mother and father, both of whom were recreational musicians. His childhood home even housed a fully functional
pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks' ...
, hand-built by his father. He was taught the piano and trombone during elementary school, and began teaching himself guitar while in junior high school. He is also proficient at the
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
,
melodica
The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. The keyboard usua ...
,
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
, and
mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of ...
, and is known for mixing
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
with
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
in some of his production. In addition to performance abilities, Fitzsimmons is credited as the engineer and producer of his first two releases. He is often compared to contemporaries
Iron & Wine
Samuel "Sam" Ervin Beam (born July 26, 1974), better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a ...
,
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released nine solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nomi ...
, and the late
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...
.
Fitzsimmons' career in music came only after completing a Master's Degree in
counseling
Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes.
This is a list of co ...
at
Geneva College
Geneva College is a private Christian college in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1848, in Northwood, Ohio, the college moved to its present location in 1880, where it continues to educate a student body of about 1400 traditional undergra ...
and working as a
mental health
Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
therapist
Therapist is a person who offers any kinds of therapy. Therapists are trained professionals in the field of any types of services like psychologists, social workers, counsellors, life coachers and others. They are helpful in counselling individuals ...
. Prior to his graduate studies, Fitzsimmons worked with the
mentally ill
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
for several years. It was during a summer break in the midst of graduate school that Fitzsimmons recorded a collection of songs on home recording equipment which would subsequently become his debut album.
Fitzsimmons' writing often includes reference to personal and family subject matter. His 2006 effort, "Goodnight," is said to have been based largely on his parents' divorce during his adolescence, and his 2008 work, "The Sparrow And The Crow," was written entirely about and following his own divorce.
Fitzsimmons revealed on the syndicated music program eTown that he recorded the work with a collaborator who he later learned was having a relationship with his wife while they were working on the recording. He revealed that this caused him to delay the release of this work.
Fitzsimmons' music was noticed initially largely through
MySpace, and touring with fellow artists
Ingrid Michaelson
Ingrid Ellen Michaelson (born December 8, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Her first album, '' Slow the Rain,'' was released in 2005, and she has since released eight more albums: '' Girls and Boys,'' '' Be OK'', '' Everybody' ...
,
Brooke Fraser
Brooke Gabrielle Ligertwood (née Fraser; born 15 December 1983) better known by her maiden name Brooke Fraser, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter best known for her hit single " Something in the Water", released in 2010. Fraser released two ...
and
Cary Brothers
Cary Brothers (born 1974) is an American indie rock singer-songwriter originally from Nashville, Tennessee, United States. After moving to Los Angeles and becoming a regular performer at the influential Hotel Cafe venue, Brothers first gained ...
among others, and from several featured song placements on popular national television programs such as "
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
." "Hazy," a duet with
Rosi Golan
Rosi Golan is an Israeli singer-songwriter. Since 2008 she has released two LPs (Lead Balloon and The Drifter & the Gypsy) and two EPs (Fortuna and Collecting Bullets). Her songs have been featured in feature films such as '' Dear John'' and '' ...
, was featured in ''
Dollhouse
A dollhouse or doll's house is a toy home made in miniature. Since the early 20th century dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children, but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. English-speakers in North America ...
''.
A music video for the song "The Tide Pulls From The Moon" was released on February 8, 2011. In June 2011, Fitzsimmons toured in Europe, presenting his recent album "Gold In The Shadow," which was released March 22 via Nettwerk.
Fitzsimmons' album, ''Lions,'' was released on February 18, 2014.
On May 12, 2015, Fitzsimmons released the first of a pair of mini-LP's concerning his family in Pittsburgh, titled "Pittsburgh.".
On April 1, 2016, Fitzsimmons released the second of the pair, his eighth album, entitled ''Charleroi: Pittsburgh, Vol. 2''. The album is about the grandmother he never knew – "Charleroi is the second half of the Pittsburgh story. The Pittsburgh album was about the grandmother I knew. Charleroi is about the one I never did.” per his website. Fitzsimmons embarked on a European tour to support his new album in April 2016, visiting 9 countries along the way.
On October 21, 2016, Fitzsimmons released his first live album, titled ''William Fitzsimmons Live.'' The album showcases songs from across Fitzsimmons' career, recorded live at performances in Chicago,
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
, and Paris. The record also features a cover of
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...
's "Everywhere," recorded live in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
, Germany. Fitzsimmons released a video of his live cover of "Everywhere" on October 19, 2016. Abby Gundersen (sister of singer-songwriter
Noah Gundersen
Noah Gundersen (born May 31, 1989) is an American indie folk singer-songwriter from Seattle.
Early life
Born in Olympia, Washington, Gundersen is the oldest of five biological and three adopted siblings, in a family that moved to Centralia, Wa ...
, with whom Fitzsimmons toured in 2012) is featured on violin and vocals, and additional instrumentation is contributed by Jake Philips (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, and vocals) and Adam Popick (drums, synthesizer, rhodes, and acoustic guitar).
Fitzsimmons currently resides in Jacksonville, Illinois.
Awards
* iTunes US Best Singer-Songwriter Album 2008: ''The Sparrow and the Crow''
* iTunes Australia Best International Singer-Songwriter Album 2009: ''The Sparrow and the Crow''
* iTunes UK Best of 2009 Singer-Songwriter category: ''Goodnight''
* Beards NOW (Aust. publication) Honorable Mention in category 'Bushrangers Beards on non-Australians' 2010
* The tour
poster
A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both typography, textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or w ...
for the 2009 European tour designed by
Stefan Guzy and Björn Wiede has been awarded for typographic excellence by the German
Art Directors Club
The Art Directors Club of New York is an organization for art directors in New York City. It was founded in 1920, and has grown as an industry group, promoting art directors' work through exhibitions and awards, including the annual DESI award for ...
and was selected among the 100 best posters of 2009 in Germany.
Discography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzsimmons, William
Living people
American folk musicians
American folk guitarists
American male guitarists
American male singer-songwriters
Musicians from Pittsburgh
People from Jacksonville, Illinois
1978 births
Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania
Singer-songwriters from Illinois
Guitarists from Illinois
Guitarists from Pennsylvania
Indie folk musicians
21st-century American singers
21st-century American guitarists
21st-century American male singers
Nettwerk Music Group artists
Grönland Records artists