  Joan Osborne was born on July 8,
1962, in Kentucky. Joan originally attended
NYU's film school, but began singing at clubs
around New York after singing a Billie
Holiday song at a bar's open-mic night at the
urging of friends.
Joan formed her own label called
Womanly Hips and release a live LP, Soul
Show. Joan then released the EP, Blue
Million Miles and signed with Mercury
Records. Joan displayed that she is gifted
not only with her voice, but with her complex
lyrics that invoke both the imagination and
the mind. She puts rock and soul qualities in
all her songs, and creates music that is
catchy and personable.
 # 92
Singles Artist of the Year
 Joan's first major label LP and
breakthrough LP, Relish was released in March.
The LP found critical success, but didn't
find commercial success until "One Of Us" hit the radio
airwaves and video channels.
"One Of Us" hit the Top 40.
"One Of Us" hit the Top 10.
 # 36
Singles Artist of the Year
 Joan went on to receive numerous
Grammy Award nominations including Album of the Year (Relish), Record of the Year, Best
Female Pop Vocal Performance ("One Of Us"), Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female ("St. Teresa") and Best
New Artist. Although she went home empty
handed, Joan had established herself as a
major female recording artist. Joan was the
catalyst for some Grammy controversy -
religious groups were complaining that Joan's
songs "One Of Us" and "St.
Teresa" were anti-religious. Grammy
officials did not give in to the controversy.
Ironically, Joan's ability to express potent
imagery with her lyrics had teenagers singing
"What if God was one of us" while
religious zealots cried blasphemy.
"One Of Us" hit #1 for 2 weeks and other
tracks on the LP got more exposure (notably,
"Right Hand Man" and "St.
Theresa").
 Joan released The
Early Recordings which contained
selections from Soul Show: Live At Delta
(from 1991) and Blue Million Miles
(from 1993).
Joan was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female for "Spider Web."
 Joan participated in the highly
successful Lilith Fair package tour. At one
point during the tour, Joan took a stand for
pro-choice rights. The tour's organizer, Sarah
McLachlan, and Joan stated
that in the future they would not perform at
the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Texas.
Planned Parenthood had problems being allowed
to set up a booth due to the venue's
policies. Joan later graced the stage with a
Planned Parenthood t-shirt and stated to the
crowd, "I'm the face of pro-choice
Texas."
A Joan Osborne boycott was
staged by an anti-abortion group after Joan
participated in several public service
announcements for the pro-choice Planned
Parenthood. Joan recorded radio spots in
support of Planned Parenthood.
Joan has also recorded a duet
with Bob
Dylan on a cover of "Chimes Of
Freedom" for an NBC mini-series.
Joan could be heard on the
soundtrack for The
Other Sister with "At Last."
Joan could be heard on the
soundtrack of For
The Love Of The Game with "Baby
Love."
Joan could be heard on the Indigo Girls' LP Come
On Now Social on the tracks
"Trouble" and "Peace
Tonight."
 Joan released her next
LP Righteous
Love and began a tour starting in
New York.
Joan continued touring as the
track "Love Is Alive" hit the
airwaves.
 Joan released a
collection of cover tunes with How
Sweet It Is.
Joan could be
heard on the compilation Standing
In The Shadows Of Motown with "(Love Is
Like A) Heat Wave."
Joan toured for a short time
with the Funk Brothers and
opened a few nights for the Dixie
Chicks. During the summer, Joan opened
for The Other Ones.
 Joan could be heard on the
compilation tribute to Dolly Parton LP, Just
Because I'm A Woman, with "Do I Ever
Cross Your Mind."
Joan released Pretty
Little Stranger which Joan described as
"my version of a country record."
 Joan released a collection of
cover tunes with Breakfast
In Bed.
 |
Relish
Released: March, 1995
US: 3x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 9
Rolling Stone
review: 
Tracks: "St.
Teresa" - "Man In The Long
Black Coat" - "Right Hand
Man" - "Pensacola" -
"Dracula Moon" - "One Of Us" -
"Ladder" - "Spider
Web" - "Let's Just Get
Naked" - "Help Me" -
"Crazy Baby" -
"Lumina" |
|
The Early Recordings
Released: November, 1996
Tracks: "Fly
Away" - "Dreamin' About The
Day" - "His Eyes Are A Blue
Million Miles" -
"Fingerprints" - "4
Camels" - "What You Gonna
Do" - "Match Burn Twice" -
"Billie Listens (To Your
Heartbeat)" - "Wild World"
- "Son Of A Preacher Man" -
"Get Up Jack" |
|
Righteous Love
Released: September, 2000
Billboard
peak:
# 90
Rolling Stone
review: 
Tracks: "Running Out
Of Time" - "Righteous
Love" - "Safety In
Numbers" - "Love Is Alive"
- "Angel Face" - "Grand
Illusion" - "If I Was Your
Man" - "Baby Love" -
"Hurricane" - "Poisoned
Apples (Hallelujah)" - "To Make
You Feel My Love" |
|
How Sweet It Is
Released: September, 2002
Tracks: "I'll Be
Around" - "Think" -
"How Sweet It Is" -
"Smiling Faces Sometimes" -
"Love's In Need Of Love Today"
- "These Arms Of Mine" -
"Only You Know And I Know" -
"War" - 'Why Can't We Live
Together" - "Axis: Bold As
Love" - "The Weight" -
"Everybody Is A Star" |
|
Pretty Little Stranger
Released: November, 2006
Entertainment
Weekly: A-
Tracks: "Pretty
Little Stranger" - "Holy
Waters" - "Brokedown
Palace" - "What You Are" -
"Shake The Devil" - "Time
Won't Tell" - "Please Don't
Tell Me How The Story Ends" -
"Who Divided" - "Til I Get
It Right" - "Dead Roses" -
"After Jane" - "When The
Blue Hour Comes" |
|
Breakfast In Bed
Released: May, 2007
Billboard
peak:
# 160
Tracks: "I've Got To
Use My Imagination" - "Ain't No
Sunshine" - "Midnight Train To
Georgia" - "Baby Is A
Butterfly" - "Breakfast In
Bed" - "Cream Dream" -
"Natural High" - "Heart Of
Stone" - "Sara Smile" -
"Eliminate The Night" -
"Break Up To Make Up" - "I
Know What's Goin' On" - "Alone
With You" - "Kiss And Say
Goodbye" - "Heat Wave" -
"What Becomes Of The
Brokenhearted" |
| Note: Song title and
position links lead you to the song's Top
40 chart run (from the ARC Weekly Top
40)
and LP links take you to Amazon.com for that LP (often
including track listings and sound
samples). |
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