This unique and colorful carnival-style stage show invites select fans to join Costello on-stage to spin the Songbook Wheel featuring a collection of 40 banners including hits, rarities and a few surprises. This interactive and entertaining experience ensures a new set at each performance. With influences ranging from country, pop, rock, reggae and everything in between, Costello's eclecticism, meaningful lyrics and richly diverse music have led him to be recognized as one of the most innovative and significant songwriters in music history.
The son of British bandleader Ross McManus, Costello (born Declan McManus) worked as a computer programmer in the early '70s. During a stint with the country-rock group Flip City, his music caught the attention of the fledgling independent record label, Stiff. Costello's debut singles including the song, "Alison," failed to chart initially, however, the album, “My Aim is True”, produced by Nick Lowe, climbed to #14 on the British charts. The reggae-inflected "Watching the Detectives," became his first hit climbing to #15 by the end of the year.
“This Year's Model”, Costello's first album recorded with the Attractions, was released in 1978 and reached #4 in Britain and #30 in America. “Armed Forces” (1979) was another hit, reaching number #2 in the U.K. and cracking the Top Ten in the U.S. "Oliver's Army," the first single from the album, also peaked at #2 in Britain, though none of the singles from “Armed Forces” charted in America. The soul-influenced “Get Happy!!” peaked at #2 in Britain and #11 in America. Later that year, two collections of B-sides, singles, and outtakes called “Taking Liberties” was released in America; in Britain, a similar album called “Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers” appeared as a cassette-only release, complete with different tracks than the American version.
Costello and the Attractions released “Trust” in early 1981; the fifth album in a row produced by Nick Lowe. It debuted at #9 on the British charts and worked its way into the Top 30 in the U.S. During the spring of 1981, Costello and the Attractions began recording an album of country covers called “Almost Blue” that produced the British Top 10 single "A Good Year for the Roses." While “Imperial Bedroom” (1982) garnered Costello some of his best reviews despite failing to yield a Top 40 hit, his “Punch the Clock” (1983) proved more commercially successful and produced the popular single "Everyday I Write the Book." After the disappointingly reviewed “Goodbye Cruel World” (1984), Costello took time off to produce The Pogues before releasing 1986's “King of America”, a country-folk album followed by the edgy “Blood and Chocolate”.
In 1989, Costello released “Spike”, songwriting collaboration with Paul McCartney that included the single "Veronica." "Veronica" became his biggest American hit, peaking at #19. Two years later came “Mighty Like a Rose”, the classical “The Juliet Letters” with the Brodsky Quartet (1993), “Brutal Youth” (1994), “Kojak Variety” (1995), “All This Useless Beauty” (1996) and “Painted from Memory” (1998) with Burt Bacharach. The latter union resulted in a movie appearance and song set for AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME.
After a 2001 UCLA residency where he performed and was instrumental in teaching music, Costello returned to the commercial music industry and turned out additional albums with his new band that featured original Attractions members Pete Thomas and Steve Nieve. Billed as the Imposters, the band was featured on “When I Was Cruel and Cruel Smile” (2002).
Since then, Costello has collaborated with his wife, Diana Krall, produced additional classical music works, fronted the 52-piece jazz orchestra the Metropole Orkest interpreting his own classics and more.
He has made cameos on both the small screen and large including turns in A COLBERT CHRISTMAS: The Greatest Gift of All, NBC TV’s 30 ROCK, Spinal Tap's UNWIGGED AND UNPLUGGED and the HBO original series, TREME. Costello sits on the Advisory Committee of the Board of Directors of the Jazz Foundation of America and has been instrumental in saving the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians, including musicians who survived Hurricane Katrina.
Elvis Costello and the Attractions were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. His latest release is 2010's “National Ransom”.
Elvis Costello and the Imposters will be at the Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on Wednesday April 25, 2012.
