Loading details…
Artist
Elliott Murphy
12+ albums
singer-songwriterfolkfolk rockrockamericana
about
Elliott James Murphy (born March 16, 1949 in New York, Long Island, New York is an American rock singer-songwriter, novelist, producer and journalist living in Paris. In true rock 'n roll fashion Elliott James Murphy Jr. was born in Mercy Hospital, Rockville Center, New York in 1949 to a successful show business family. Elliott grew up in nearby Garden City, started playing the guitar at 12 years old and with his band The Rapscallions he won the 1966 New York State Battle of the Bands. He began writing songs while singing on the streets of Europe in 1971 and returned to New York after a brief stay in San Francisco to secure a record contract with Polydor Records. His debut album Aquashow (1973) was a huge critical success landing on many "best of" lists for the year and feature stories on Murphy appeared in Rolling Stone, Newsweek and The New Yorker. Follow up albums Lost Generation (1975), Night Lights (1976) and Just A Story From America (1977) received equal acclaim. Special guests included Mick Taylor, Billy Joel, Phil Collins. His music was post-Dylan poetic rock heavily influenced by New York's Velvet Underground and propelled by Murphy's driving electric guitar and harmonica. By both choice and necessity he went independent with the release of the EP Affairs (1980) that sold well in Europe and set the stage for the successful Murph The Surf (1982). In 1985 the Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) produced Milwaukee began his long relationship with New Rose Records in Fran
