Adam Duritz

Adam Fredric Duritz (born August 1, 1964) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and film producer. He is known as the frontman for the rock band Counting Crows,[2] of which he is a founding member and principal composer.[3] Since its founding in 1991, Counting Crows has sold over 20 million records,[4] released four albums that have been certified gold or platinum,[5] and been nominated for two Grammy Awards[6] and an Academy Award.[7][8]

Adam Duritz
Duritz on stage in Bilbao with Counting Crows
Background information
Birth nameAdam Fredric Duritz
Born (1964-08-01) August 1, 1964
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.[1]
GenresFolk rock, alternative rock, pop rock
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, record producer, Film producer
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1990–present
LabelsCapitol
Associated actsMod-L Society, The Himalayans, Sordid Humor, Counting Crows, The Wallflowers
WebsiteCountingCrows.com

Duritz has recorded solo material of his own and has collaborated with other musical acts. He has also founded two record labels, E Pluribus Unum and Tyrannosaurus Records. His work scoring music for film has been recognized by the music industry, notably with an award from BMI for co-writing the song "Accidentally in Love" for the movie Shrek 2.

Music career

Duritz and producer/guitarist David Bryson formed Counting Crows in San Francisco in 1991.[9][10] When Gary Gersh of Geffen Records heard the band's demo tape, he was "blown away". A bidding war between nine different record labels broke out in February 1992. In April, the band—which, by that time, included other members—"signed a deal with Gersh and Geffen believed to be so lucrative that industry wags dubbed them Accounting Crows".[11]

The band's first album, August and Everything After, charted within the top five of the Billboard 200,[12] and the single "Mr. Jones" (1993) was a number-one hit in Canada.[13][14] After the band performed as the music guest on Saturday Night Live, "Mr. Jones" jumped 40 spots in the charts.[15] The album has been certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[5] Six of the band's albums have charted on the Billboard 200[12] and four have been certified gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[5] Counting Crows was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1994.[6] The band also received a 2004 Academy Award nomination for the song "Accidentally in Love", which was included in the film Shrek 2.[7][8][16]

Duritz has collaborated with The Wallflowers (led by Jakob Dylan) on the album Bringing Down the Horse on the track "6th Avenue Heartache"; with Ryan Adams on Gold and the song "Butterfly in Reverse" from Hard Candy; with Peter Stuart on Propeller and Daisy; with Live on V;,[17] with Dashboard Confessional on the track "So Long, So Long" from Dusk and Summer[18] and with Maria Taylor on the song "Waiting In Line."[19]

Duritz also contributed the songs "Spin Around," "You Don't See Me," and "You're a Star" to the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack that was performed by the film's fictional title band. Along with bandmates Dan Vickrey, Bryson, and Immerglück, Duritz co-wrote the song "Accidentally in Love" for the soundtrack of the movie Shrek 2, winning them each an award from BMI.[20]

Duritz's lyrics have been described as "morose" and "tortured"[21] and as "wordy introspection",[22] while his vocals have been called "expressive".[21]

In October 2018, Duritz co-founded the Underwater Sunshine Music Festival.[23]

Record labels

Duritz co-founded E Pluribus Unum[24] in 1997.[25] Before the label was purchased by new ownership,[25][24] Duritz had signed Joe 90, Gigolo Aunts, and Neilson Hubbard.[26]

In 2007, Duritz launched a record label called Tyrannosaurus Records.[24] Debut artists on the label included Notar and Blacktop Mourning.[24] As of 2015, the label was defunct.[27]

Film career

Duritz was executive producer for the film The Locusts[28][29] and produced the ensemble comedy film Freeloaders.[30]

He appeared in the 2007 mockumentary film Farce of the Penguins.[31]

Personal life

Duritz grew up in Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; El Paso, Texas; and Berkeley, California. He is the son of Gilbert and Linda Duritz, both physicians. Duritz has a younger sister, Nicole.[32] Duritz attended the prestigious Taft School, and graduated from the Head-Royce School in Oakland, California. He has Russian Jewish ancestry.[33] Duritz attended University of California, Berkeley, but left college two credits short of a degree.[11]

Duritz suffers from a dissociative mental health issue.[34][35] He disclosed this mental health issue publicly in 2008.[36][37]

In October 2009, Duritz was reported to be dating Shameless actress Emmy Rossum, with whom he had toured during the summer of 2009. The couple broke up in September 2010.[38] Duritz was reported to be unmarried as of August 2014.[39] He has dated Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox.[40]

In August 2019, Duritz—who had "rocked voluminous dreadlocks" since Counting Crows was formed—revealed that he had shaved his head.[41][42]

References
  1. "Counting Crows singer shares memories of Baltimore". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  2. Greene, Andy (January 25, 2019). "Counting Crows Finally Record Title Track to 'August and Everything After'".
  3. "Adam Duritz of Counting Crows readies for band's 25th anniversary tour". Las Vegas Review Journal. July 7, 2018.
  4. "Counting Crows Sign With Capitol Records for New Studio Album". The Hollywood Reporter. May 19, 2014.
  5. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
  6. "Counting Crows". GRAMMY.com. February 15, 2019.
  7. "Counting Crows following a logical path in recordings". Canada.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  8. "Bio". Official Counting Crows website. Live Grey Bird Foundation. 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2009.
  9. "When Fame Glows Bright, It's Hard to Be Tortured". The New York Times. December 1, 1996.
  10. "Toledo Blade – Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  11. Rubinstein, Julian (May 14, 1994). "CROWS FLY HIGH" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  12. "Counting Crows Chart History". Billboard.
  13. "Data" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  14. "Counting Crows – Mr. Jones". Powerpop.blog. August 31, 2018.
  15. Tribune, Dan Kening Special to the. "COUNTING CROWS CONCERT IS SHORT, SWEET, BEWILDERING". chicagotribune.com.
  16. Kaufman, Gil. Jamie Foxx Gets Two Oscar Nods, 'Aviator' Leads Pack. MTV.com. January 5, 2005.
  17. vanHorn, Teri (July 12, 2001). "Tricky, Adam Duritz Guest on Fifth Live Album, V". MTV.com. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
  18. Moss, Corey (January 19, 2006). "Dashboard Confessional Singer Records Duet With Adam Duritz". MTV.com. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
  19. Dean Brandt (October 24, 2019). "FLOOD | PREMIERE: Maria Taylor Enlists Counting Crows' Adam Duritz for "Waiting in Line"". Floodmagazine.com. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  20. "Dan Vickrey : Awards". IMDb.com. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  21. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2005). "Counting Crows biography". VH1.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
  22. Kot, Greg (2004). "Counting Crows: Biography". Rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved March 1, 2007.
  23. "Adam Duritz's Indie Music Underwater Sunshine Festival Reveals 2019 Line-up". Noise11. April 4, 2019.
  24. "Counting Crows' Duritz Sets Up New Record Label". Uncut. February 19, 2007.
  25. GRAFF, GARY (July 5, 2009). "Counting Crows spread their wings". The Oakland Press.
  26. Magazine, Downtown (June 30, 2016). "Adam Duritz talks Counting Crows tour with Rob Thomas, Jul. 31 show in New York, Alex Chilton and more".
  27. Coplen, Katherine (December 12, 2014). "Counting Crows' Adam Duritz on Bootlegs, Failed Labels, Nana Grizol". NUVO.
  28. "The Locusts (1997)". IMDB. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  29. Rooney, David. "Review: 'The Locusts'". Variety.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  30. Siegle, Tatiana (November 11, 2008). "Adam Duritz, Broken Lizard making film". Variety. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
  31. "Farce of the Penguins – Cast & Crew". MTV.com. 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
  32. "Rolling Stone Article -June 30, 1994". monmouth.com. June 30, 1994. Archived from the original on February 24, 2008. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  33. "Maybe We Should All Be Nicer to Adam Duritz". Jewcy. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  34. Furness, Dyllan (July 28, 2015). "Counting Crows' Adam Duritz Discusses Mental Health and Metaphors". Miami New Times.
  35. "Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz struggling with 'severe mental illness' and weaning himself off medication, he says". EW.com. June 28, 2011.
  36. Duritz, Adam (April 17, 2008). "The Lonely Disease". Men's Health.
  37. Porter, Christopher (September 2, 2009). "The Disconnected Ringleader: Adam Duritz & Counting Crows" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  38. Everett, Cristina (November 23, 2010). "Emmy Rossum and Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz call it quits". Daily News. New York.
  39. Emily Tess Katz, 2014, "HuffPost Live: Counting Crows Frontman Adam Duritz Explains Why No One Can Find Him On Tinder," The Huffington Post (online), August 27, 2014 (updated August 28, 2014), see , accessed January 19, 2014.
  40. Clinch, Danny (September 30, 2014). "A Lesson in Humility from Adam Duritz". Men's Health. Hearst Communications, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  41. "Counting Crows Singer Adam Duritz Shaves Off His Signature Dreadlocks". People.com. August 15, 2019.
  42. "Adam Duritz's Infamous Dreadlocks Are No Longer Hanginaround". Spin.com. August 15, 2019.
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