35 Facts About Natalie Merchant

Natalie Anne Merchant was born on October 26,1963 and is an American alternative rock singer-songwriter.

Natalie Merchant joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and was lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the group.

Natalie Merchant remained with the group for their first seven albums and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.

Natalie Merchant has since released nine studio albums as a solo artist.

Natalie Merchant was born October 26,1963, in Jamestown, New York, the third of four children of Anthony and Anne Merchant.

Natalie Merchant started working in a health food store at 16.

Natalie Merchant considered a career in special education after taking part in a summer program for disabled children, but in 1981 she started singing for a band, Still Life, which became 10,000 Maniacs.

Natalie Merchant was lead singer and primary lyricist for 10,000 Maniacs, joining in its infancy in 1981 while she was a student at Jamestown Community College.

Natalie Merchant sang lead vocals, and later played the piano as well on seven studio albums with 10,000 Maniacs.

Natalie Merchant did extensive touring for it and made numerous television appearances, including performances on Saturday Night Live, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and on late-night talk shows.

In "River", a song from Tigerlily, Natalie Merchant defends River Phoenix as she castigates the media for systematically dissecting the child actor after his death.

Three years passed before Natalie Merchant released her second solo effort, Ophelia.

Natalie Merchant treated the recording of Ophelia as a series of workshops, where she would invite various musicians she had met over the years into her home studio to collaborate and record.

Natalie Merchant would go on to appear on PBS' Sessions at West 54th and VH1's Hard Rock Live before the year's end.

In 1998, Natalie Merchant recorded George Gershwin's "But Not for Me" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody, a tribute to George Gershwin, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.

In 1998, Natalie Merchant collaborated on the making of the album Mermaid Avenue with Billy Bragg and Wilco, which set previously unreleased Guthrie lyrics to music by Bragg.

Natalie Merchant provided lead vocals for the song "Birds and Ships" and backing vocals for "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key", and returned for the second volume of the album, 2000s Mermaid Avenue Vol.

In 2000, Natalie Merchant embarked on a folk tour in the United States with many shows being supported by alt-country band Wilco.

Natalie Merchant embarked on a year-and-a-half-long world tour to promote Motherland.

Natalie Merchant participated in the Rock am Ring Festival and Rock im Park in 2002.

In October 2009, the websites of Nonesuch Records and Natalie Merchant announced that she had signed with the label.

Natalie Merchant contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "Learning the Game" to the tribute album Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, released September 6,2011.

Natalie Merchant was released May 6,2014, on Nonesuch Records and was named Album of the Week by The Daily Telegraph.

Natalie Merchant toured from July 3,2014, kicking off in Kingston, New York, concluding at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee on July 25,2014.

In 2015, Natalie Merchant released an album of new recordings of the songs from her multi-platinum solo album.

Natalie Merchant enhanced many of the tracks with strings and stripped others bare.

In 2017, Natalie Merchant released Butterfly, a collection of new songs and orchestral versions of previously recorded songs.

On November 29,2022, Natalie Merchant announced that she will release her eighth studio album, Keep Your Courage, on April 14,2023 via Nonesuch Records.

In 2003, Natalie Merchant married Daniel de la Calle and had a daughter named Lucia.

Natalie Merchant has been a vegetarian since 1980, except for the duration of her pregnancy, when she temporarily resumed eating meat.

Natalie Merchant now teaches arts and crafts to underprivileged children in New York state.

Natalie Merchant directed a short 2013 documentary titled Shelter: A Concert Film to Benefit Victims of Domestic Violence, that shone light on a group of women living in the mid-Hudson region of New York State responding to the crisis of domestic violence in their community with compassion and creativity.

Natalie Merchant presented a screening of the film at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston, New York, on the day of One Billion Rising for Justice.

Natalie Merchant concluded the event with a group sing-along of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land".

Natalie Merchant is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and has worked with them in the past on awareness campaigns.