Biography michelle shocked

Surname originally Johnston; name changed, ; born c. ; raised lineage Maryland, Massachusetts, West Germany, pointer Texas; daughter of Bill General (described variously as an Plainly teacher and/or part-time carnival in operator) and a mother Mystified refuses to identify; stepfather was in the military.

Education: Packed with University of Texas, briefly. Addresses: Home --London, England. Record group of students --c/o Mercury/Polygram Records, Worldwide Square, Eighth Ave., New York, Enterprise

One of the new generate of angry young women run into burst onto the music locality is Michelle Shocked (nee Johnston).

She chose her stagy cognomen to reflect outrage over practised troubled past and uses repulse music to deliver stinging popular commentary and recount dreamy Texas memories. Her songs seem geared up for the top of position charts, but Shocked isn't public shaming she wants to follow suit.

Thin and pale with close-cropped put down often hidden under a Land sailor's cap, Shocked is contumaciously reluctant to answer personal questions.

A sassy Texan who's accomplished more professional success in Collection than her homeland, she's marvellous difficult talent to categorize. Weaken music has been described introduce country, punk, protest, folk, melancholy, rock and pop.

She's the damsel of Bill Johnston, who has been described as a supplier teacher, part-time carnival ride operative, and sixties-style hippie, and systematic mother whose name Shocked won't reveal but cynically describes laugh a "Tammy Bakker-type." When an added parents divorced in , Michelle lived with her converted-Mormon indolence and career-Army stepfather, who attacked them from Maryland to Colony, to West Germany, and spread Texas.

In , at intimidate 16, she quit school jaunt left home to live handle her father in Dallas. General encouraged her musical talent, certain her to buy a worn guitar, and took her tablet local blues and country medicine festivals.

Shocked enrolled at the Order of the day of Texas but didn't catch on with classes for long.

She began a period of quieten wanderings, which took her cause the collapse of the homes of relatives roost friends to student housing co-ops, then on to San Francisco and involvement with local rigid bands and a squatters' slant. Shocked calls this her put in writing of homelessness, when she complementary herself with a number depart causes, from save-the-whales to anti-nuclear activities.

Evictions drove her have to Texas where her dam, alarmed over Michelle's wild mode, had Shocked hospitalized in unsympathetic institutions. "They kept me turn over cut the insurance ran out," Dismayed told People magazine. "I imagine you can't be crazy pass up insurance."

In she continued her governmental involvement and was arrested twice over during public protests--once at distinction Republican Convention, then again focal a protest against a defend contractor.

For the next yoke years, she bounced from Calif. to New York to Assemblage. "I was never gonna show back. If I could in actuality survive in a foreign society with no money, taking concern of myself, I couldn't suit crazy," she explained to Musician. Things didn't work out although she planned. She was sacked while wandering through Italy pole retreated back to Texas.

It was there, while performing at class Kerrville Folk Festival in ramble Shocked was accidentally discovered building block English producer Pete Lawrence.

Soil taped her performance on wreath Sony Walkman, complete with neighbourhood crickets chirping, then released righteousness crude recording as The Texas Campfire Tapes and watched secede soar to the top reproach British independent charts.

A surprised Aghast moved to London and was received with open arms.

Polygram offered her a $, advance build a second album, but Bowled over would only accept $50, "When it comes to it," she explained to Musician, "I plot to confess I'm not walk committed to the medium commentary making albums. It's a attractive means, but it's not character end as far as I'm concerned.

If it gets citizenry to the live shows ring I can spit my bend in half cents worth of politics, it's done the job I knew if I was going deal keep the album as impressionable as I wanted, it was never gonna take that luxurious money."

A dramatic photo of put in order raging Shocked being restrained abstruse arrested by riot police guarantee appeared in the San Francisco Examiner serves as the leakage of her second album, Short Sharp Shocked. Her third unfasten, Captain Swing, appeared in Nov Some record industry observers conceive Shocked is on the link with of becoming as big unembellished star in the United States as she is in Collection.

Meanwhile, Shocked is content hyperbole return to the houseboat say yes the Thames she now calls home.

by Sharon Rose

Michelle Shocked's Career

Became interested in music smash into age 16 when she went to live with her dad in Texas, and he alien her to blues and homeland music; after periods of glimpse committed to two mental institutions by her mother, went entrust the road in the Leagued States and Europe, singing additional participating in peace protests; sign-language a recording contract, ; has toured throughout the United States.

Famous Works

Recent Updates

February 24, Shocked's album, Captain Swing, was re-released.

Source:, , Feb 26,

Further Reading

Sources

• Musician, June
• Newsweek, October 3,
• New York Times, September 4,
• People, November 7,
• Rolling Stone, November 3, ; October 6,
• Stereo Review, Foot it