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Rock Musician Rufus Wainwright to Perform at McCallum

By: Anna Altheide

Posted: 2/25/08

By Anna Altheide

Multi-platinum recording artist Rufus Wainwright is set to perform March 10th at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.

New listeners of Wainwright, 34, the son of folk singer Loudon Wainwright, might recognize him from tunes such as "Hallelujah," a Leonard Cohen song.

Since 1998, Wainwright has released five studio albums, including his self-titled debut, Poses, Want One, Want Two, and his latest effort, Release the Stars.

As well as an award-winning musician, Wainwright is prominent in the gay community.

Wainwright came out as a teenager, and has since been very honest about his sexual preference. However, he told Rolling Stone Magazine his "mother and father could not even handle me being gay. We never talked about it really."

Wainwright has often expressed his relationship with his family through his music, including songs "Little Sister," a song about his sister, Martha, and "Dinner at Eight," based on an incident with his father involving, ironically, a photo shoot for Rolling Stone.

He is also no stranger to the highs and lows of fame. In 2002, his addiction to drugs peaked, leading him through a string of frantic hallucinations and temporary blindness.

It was friend Elton John - yes, the Elton John - who helped Wainwright enter a rehab program, which he completed the following year.

Wainwright's latest studio album, Release the Stars, was released in May 2007. In tandem with its release, Wainwright began his worldwide tour and, as of February 2008, he has toured small venues and music halls throughout the U.S.

Tickets are available through the McCallum Theater box office or online at McCallumTheatre.com.