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| Birth Name(s) : Indigo Girls |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
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| Profession:
Musician |
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Full Indigo Girls Biography
Indigo Girls are an American folk rock duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They got their start in Atlanta as a regular act at The Little 5 Points Pub and were tangentially part of the Athens, Georgia college rock scene that included The B-52's, Pylon, R.E.M., The Georgia Satellites, and Love Tractor.
The second album, Nomads Indians Saints, went gold in December 1991 and contained the hit song Hammer and a Nail, a #12 modern rock track; it was not as successful as their first, which was certified platinum at about the same time. The Indigo Girls followed it with the live Back on the Bus, Y'all. 1992's album Rites of Passage was an enormous success, featuring "Galileo", the duo's first top 10 modern rock track (#10). This was followed by Swamp Ophelia in 1994, going platinum in September 1996, and charting at #9 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
In 1995, the Indigo Girls released a live, double-CD, 1200 Curfews. They performed a duet with their culture-hero, Ferron on the track Stand Up on her CD Phantom Center and Saliers appeared on Ferron's album Still Riot. Shaming of the Sun appeared in 1997 followed by Come On Now Social in 1999. Shaming of the Sun debuted at number seven on the Billboard charts, driven by the duo's high profile contribution to the Lilith Fair music festival tour. The track Shame On You received more airplay at adult alternative, top 40 & adult top 40 radio stations than any of their previous singles, although this seemed to be a peak in their crossover success.
In 1990, Ray founded Daemon Records, which has signed Ellen James Society, Kristen Hall, Rose Polenzani, Girlyman, Nineteen Forty-Five, Athens Boys Choir, and James Hall among others.
Ray has put out three solo albums, entitled Stag, Prom, and Live From Knoxville, through Daemon. She has toured with both the Butchies and her band the Volunteers.
Saliers is also planning a solo album, and is co-owner of Watershed Restaurant in Decatur, Georgia, along with her life partner and two of their friends. Saliers also co-founded the Flying Biscuit Cafe in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2005, Emily Saliers and her father, Don Saliers, a theology professor at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, released the book A Song to Sing, A Life to Live: Reflections on Music as Spiritual Practice. They promoted the release of the book together including several days of speaking and performing together at the Washington National Cathedral College in Washington D.C.
Ray and Saliers appeared in the latter half of the feature film Boys on the Side, playing short excerpts from their songs "Joking" and "Southland in the Springtime," as well as singing "Feliz Cumpleaños" ("Happy Birthday" in Spanish) with the gathered group of friends during the birthday cake scene, and standing on the far side of several shots over the next few scenes. Neither had any spoken lines. The duo also appear in the 2006 documentary Wordplay, where they discuss their reaction to appearing in a New York Times crossword puzzle and then begin to solve one together.
Ray and Saliers performed onstage in the 1994 revival of Jesus Christ Superstar in Atlanta, titled Jesus Christ Superstar: A Resurrection. Amy Ray played the role of Jesus and Emily Saliers played the role of Mary Magdalene. They later reprised their roles in stagings of the musical in Austin at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival) and in Seattle.
Both Ray and Saliers have long identified themselves as lesbians, although Saliers prefers gay because, she says, "lesbian has three syllables!" They have never been a couple. Ray has had long-term relationships with musician Cooper Seay and feminist author Jennifer Baumgardner, and is currently in a relationship with documentary filmmaker Carrie Schrader. Because of their engagements for LGBT rights, they are regarded as icons of the movement.
The Indigo Girls have been active politically and musically. Among others, they have championed the causes of the environment, gay rights, the rights of Native Americans and the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. They helped establish Honor the Earth, an organization dedicated to creating support and education for Native environmental issues. Amy and Emily have also appeared at the annual SOA Watch rallies, the March for Women's Lives, and several other rallies and protests.
In 2006, the Indigo Girls were featured in artist P!nk's album, I'm Not Dead in the song, "Dear Mr. President", which has been regarded as a political statement to George W. Bush about poverty, LGBT rights, abortion rights, and the No Child Left Behind Act.
During June 2007, the Indigo Girls were a part of the multi-artist True Colors Tour 2007,, on the tour's Las Vegas stop, which benefitted the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations that provide support to the GLBT community.
The Indigo Girls are mentioned in Stephen King's book Rose Madder. They are depicted playing at a picnic for a women's shelter. |
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