Arthur Russell | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Charles Arthur Russell, Jr. |
Also known as | Loose Joints, Dinosaur, Dinosaur L, Indian Ocean, Killer Whale |
Born | May 21, 1951 |
Origin | Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States |
Died | April 4, 1992 New York City, New York, United States |
(aged 40)
Genres | Avant-garde, disco, art pop, classical, minimalist, new wave, post-disco, garage |
Occupation(s) | Composer, producer,singer |
Instruments | Cello, keyboards, guitar, drums, programming |
Years active | 1973–1992 |
Website | Official website |
Arthur Russell (born Charles Arthur Russell, Jr.; May 21, 1951 – April 4, 1992) was an American cellist, composer, producer, singer, and musician whose work spanned a disparate range of styles. Trained in contemporary experimental composition and Indian classical music, Russell found success in downtown New York's avant-garde and disco scenes in the 1970s and 1980s, during which time he was associated with minimalism and the experimental music venue The Kitchen.
A prolific recording artist, Russell produced a considerable collection of material over the course of his career, including a number of successful underground dance hits under various aliases, but his near-chronic inability to complete projects resulted in a limited amount of released output; World of Echo (1986) would be his only full-length solo album to see release during his lifetime. Russell also collaborated with a wide variety of artists, including composers Steve Reich and Philip Glass, poet Allen Ginsberg, musicians such as Peter Gordon, David Van Tieghem, Peter Zummo and David Byrne, and DJs such as Walter Gibbons and Nicky Siano. He died from AIDS in 1992, still in relative obscurity and nearly broke.