12 Facts About Gary Louris

Gary Michael Louris was born on March 10,1955 and is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter of alternative country and pop music.

Gary Louris was a founding member of the Minneapolis-based band the Jayhawks and their principal songwriter and vocalist after the departure of Mark Olson.

Gary Louris grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he took piano lessons before becoming a guitarist as a teenager.

Gary Louris graduated from St John's Jesuit High School in 1973.

Gary Louris received a BA in Architecture from the University of Minnesota School of Architecture in 1977.

Gary Louris had formerly played guitar in a rockabilly band, Safety Last.

At that time Gary Louris said, "Our goal is to make the best Jayhawks album that's ever been done".

Gary Louris is a member of the intermittent Midwest musical collective Golden Smog; other members have included fellow Jayhawk Marc Perlman, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Dave Pirner and Dan Murphy from Soul Asylum, Kraig Johnson of Run Westy Run and Chris Mars of the Replacements.

Gary Louris is a songwriter on the 2006 Dixie Chicks album Taking the Long Way.

Gary Louris wrote and performed "Every Word," the theme song for the 2006 documentary Wordplay.

Gary Louris continued to play occasional solo shows even during periods of Jayhawks activity.

In 2015, Gary Louris formed a side project called Au Pair with Durham musician Django Haskins from the band The Old Ceremony.