Elvis Costello

Born in London in 1954, the son of musician Ross MacManus, Elvis Costello grew up between the British capital and Liverpool before making his mark on the pub rock and then new wave scenes in the late 1970s. With his debut album «My Aim Is True» (1977) he developed a tense, sharp songwriting style that blends rock, pop and punk energy, a direction he continued with his band The Attractions on «This Year’s Model» (1978) and «Armed Forces» (1979). Throughout the 1980s Costello significantly broadened his palette, exploring soul, country and sophisticated pop on records such as «Almost Blue» (1981) and «Imperial Bedroom» (1982), while remaining connected to both the British and American rock scenes. The 1990s and 2000s saw him pursue a series of cross-genre collaborations—from chamber music with the Brodsky Quartet on «The Juliet Letters» (1993) to shared songwriting with Burt Bacharach on «Painted from Memory» (1998), and later work with pianist and composer Allen Toussaint on «The River in Reverse» (2006). Surrounded by The Imposters, Elvis Costello has since maintained a steady output of albums and tours, mixing rock, ballads and jazz- and orchestral-influenced arrangements, and occasionally contributing to film, television and musical theatre.