• April 17, 1967
• She was born in New Haven, Connecticut, but was raised by her adoptive parents in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Winnetka, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
• Phair attended Oberlin College, a liberal arts school in Ohio, with the intent of becoming a visual artist. Songwriting was a popular pastime for many of the students, so Phair picked it up alongside her drawing. She recorded her early efforts under the moniker Girly Sound and caught the attention of the indie label Matador, who offered her a record deal.
• Her debut album, Exile In Guyville, skewered Chicago's male-dominated alt rock scene with songs like "6'1," "Never Said," and "Stratford-On-Guy."
• She earned further acclaim with the release of two more indie rock albums, Whip-Smart and Whitechocolatespaceegg, but found her biggest commercial success with her 2003 self-titled album through Capitol Records, a pop effort in collaboration with the production team The Matrix, who crafted confections for Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, and Hilary Duff. Critics, however, were aghast at Phair's airy pop turn, with hits like "Extraordinary," and accused the once-groundbreaking singer of selling out. But for Phair, the reaction was fitting: "This is so me, you know?" she told Yahoo! Music. "Getting in trouble. Always getting in trouble."
• She earned a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the 1994 single "Supernova," but lost to Melissa Etheridge for "Come to My Window."
• She married film editor Jim Staskauskas in 1995. The pair welcomed a son, James, the following year and divorced in 2001.
• She is also a TV composer whose credits include Swingtown, 90210, In Plain Sight, The Client List, and The 100.

Comments

More Songfacts:

The Right ProfileThe Clash

After a devastating car accident, the actor Montgomery Clift had to be filmed from "The Right Profile" to look good - that provided the name of The Clash song.

Addicted To LoveRobert Palmer

The models in Robert Palmer's iconic "Addicted To Love" video were chosen in part because they couldn't play music, so they're all playing and moving to different rhythms.

Give It AwayRed Hot Chili Peppers

If what you get equals what you give away, you might as well give it all away. That's the concept behind "Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

We Will Rock YouQueen

There are no actual drums on "We Will Rock You," just lots of foot stomping.

Eternal FlameBangles

The Bangles song "Eternal Flame" was inspired by a display at Graceland that honored Elvis Presley.

The Long and Winding RoadThe Beatles

"The Long and Winding Road" became The Beatles' last US #1 song on June 13, 1970.

Editor's Picks

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.

The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing

Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Chris Squire of YesSongwriter Interviews

One of the most dynamic bass player/songwriters of his time, Chris is the only member of Yes who has been with the band since they formed in 1968.