I cannot recommend enough this 2007 Vanity Fair article regarding the genesis of Rufus Wainwright — stay with me.
Not only is it packed with details about Rufus’s drug binges (“He sat on the toilet for four hours before crouching in the corner, wearing a red Miu Miu peacoat”), it paints his dad, the folk singer Loudon, as a illustrious candidate for a place on the list of the Worst Semi-Notable People Ever.
Here’s Loudon, talking about art:
Now we’ve stumbled onto the big, important question: Is it necessary to feel like shit in order to be creative? I’d say the answer is yes—unless you’re J. S. Bach.
And talking about parenting while doing art:
‘You know, Pounie,’”—Pounie is Martha [Wainwright's] family nickname—”‘I think I had to do it this way. I think I had to let you guys go in order to be Loudon Wainwright, and I’m sorry, but I think I had to do it that way.’”
And his feelings on love:
When Loudon wrote his first song about [his ex-wife] Kate, it was not some sappy declaration of love everlasting, but something murkier, perhaps tinged with envy, called “Saw Your Name in the Paper.”
In conclusion, make your own conclusion! What do I know about parenting? See you in the comments section.
**Addendum, 8/11** All above said, Attempted Mustache is one of the most brilliant album titles in the history of album titles.
