Sending out Happy Birthday wishes to longtime Jayhawks frontman Gary Louris, who turned the big 7-0 on Monday, March 10. Louris joined the Minneapolis-based alt-country group in 1985, shortly after it was formed. The band originally was led singer/songwriter/guitarist Mark Olson, but Louris eventually shared lead vocal and songwriting duties with Olson.
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The Jayhawks began receiving significant critical notice along with some commercial success with their third studio album, Hollywood Town Hall, which was released in 1992. The band’s 1995 follow-up, Tomorrow the Green Grass, garnered further acclaim and peaked at No. 91 on the Billboard 200.
Olson left The Jayhawks in late 1995 to spend more time with his then-wife, singer/songwriter Victoria Williams, leaving Louris as the main creative force in the band.
Meanwhile, sometime around the late 1980s, Louris began playing with Golden Smog, an alt-rock/alt-country supergroup that featured a fluid lineup that included members several Minneapolis-based bands, including The Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, Run Westy Run, and The Replacements. Later, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Big Star’s Jody Stephens joined the band.
[RELATED: The Jayhawks’ Gary Louris Premieres “Almost Home” Ahead of His First Solo LP in 12 Years]
Louris released his debut solo album, Vagabonds, in 2008. His second solo effort, Jump for Joy, arrived in 2021. Gary also continues to lead The Jayhawks, whose most recent studio album, XOXO, was released in 2020.
In honor of Louris’ milestone birthday, here are four fabulous songs he wrote or co-wrote and sings:
“Waiting for the Sun” – The Jayhawks (1992)
“Waiting for the Sun,” a song co-written by Louris and Olson, was the lead track from Hollywood Town Hall. The inspired, melodic alt-country tune featured Gary’s strong high lead vocals, with Mark singing low harmonies underneath. Louris also contributed a rootsy, rocking guitar solo.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench added piano and organ touches to the track.
“Waiting for the Sun” was the Jayhawks’ first charting single, reaching No. 20 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock tally.
“Blue” – The Jayhawks (1995)
“Blue” is perhaps The Jayhawks’ best-known song. Co-written by Louis and Olson, it appeared on Tomorrow the Green Grass.
The soaring, acoustic-guitar-driven folk-rock tune about lost love is highlighted by Louris and Olson’s beautifully intertwining vocals.
It also features a bridge in which the two vocalists sing different melodic pars at the same time. As catchy as “Blue” was, it failed to chart in the U.S., but it did reach No. 33 on the Canadian singles chart.
“Jane” – Golden Smog (1998)
Louris wrote or co-wrote six of the 15 songs that appeared on Golden Smog’s second full-length studio album, Weird Tales, which was released in 1998.
Some of those tunes are arguably rank among the strongest ever written by Gary. One standout tune is “Jane,” which Louris co-wrote with Jayhawks bassist and fellow Golden Smog member Marc Perlman.
The heart-wrenchingly beautiful and melancholy acoustic tune features Louris singing about a troubled girl who’s apparently thinking about ending her own life.
“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” – The Jayhawks (2000)
“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” was an infectious pop-rock tune that appeared on The Jayhawks’ 2000 studio album, Smile. Louris co-wrote the jangly, upbeat love song with veteran songwriter Taylor Rhodes. Rhodes previously had co-written the 1993 Aerosmith hit “Cryin’” with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.
“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” is The Jayhawks’ highest-charting song to date, peaking at No. 5 on Billboard’s Adult Album Alternative (AAA) chart.
In 2002, the song was used in a TV ad for the Ralph Lauren fragrance Polo Blue.
Louris’ and The Jayhawks’ Upcoming Tour Dates
Louris has upcoming solo concerts and shows with The Jayhawks lined up in 2025. His solo itinerary currently runs from a March 20 concert in Woodstock, New York, through an April 22 show in Toronto.
[Buy Gary Louris Concert Tickets]
The Jayhawks’ 2025 schedule currently features nine performances, beginning with a May 1-3 stand in Seattle and winding down with an August 9 performance in Bayfield, Wisconsin.
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