Loudon Wainwright III

Born in Chapel Hill, N.C. in 1946, Loudon Wainwright III rose to fame when “Dead Skunk” hit the Top 20 in 1972. After studying acting at Carnegie Mellon, he left to join the Summer of Love and wrote his first song in 1968. Signed first to Atlantic by Nesuhi Ertegun and later to Columbia by Clive Davis, he went on to release 27 albums, with his songs recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash, Earl Scruggs, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Rufus Wainwright, and Mose Allison. His 2009 album High Wide & Handsome won a Grammy.

In 2022 he released Lifetime Achievement, a 15‑song collection reaffirming his status as a singular six‑string tragicomedian. The album ranges from solo performances to trio arrangements with longtime collaborators Chaim Tannenbaum and David Mansfield, to full string orchestrations by Rob Moose. Reflecting on his career, Wainwright said he still aims to create “a testament of songs” that endure.

In 2020 he unveiled I’d Rather Lead a Band, a widely praised album of 1920s–30s classics recorded with Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks. During the pandemic he produced virtual shows including The Special Relationship for the Royal Albert Hall and The Great Unknown, a tribute to George Gerdes featuring Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, Steve Forbert, and members of Spinal Tap.

His 2018 release Years in the Making is a 42‑song, two‑disc anthology of rare and unreleased material spanning four decades, with appearances by Kate McGarrigle, Suzzy Roche, Bill Frisell, Van Dyke Parks, and his children Rufus, Martha, Lucy, and Lexie. In 2017 he published his memoir Liner Notes, praised by The New York Times for its emotional depth.

Wainwright also created the one‑man show Surviving Twin, blending his songs with the writings of his late father; it later became a Netflix special produced by Judd Apatow. Additional credits include co‑writing for Apatow’s Knocked Up, composing for the stage adaptation of Lucky You, and contributing topical songs to NPR and ABC. As an actor, he has appeared in films by Scorsese, Ashby, Burton, Crowe, Guest, and Apatow, on TV in M.A.S.H. and Undeclared, and on Broadway in Pump Boys and Dinettes.

Artist Website



The cabaret and through row D are reserved for Theater Members until one month before the show. If you are a Theater Member, select your tickets using the price code that matches your Membership level and enter your Member ID into the Membership box on the checkout page. To inquire about Membership, call our Box Office at 215-257-5808 or click here.