Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Elvis Costello
Costello at the 2012 Riot Fest, Chicago
Background information
Birth name	Declan Patrick MacManus
Also known as	D.P. Costello The Imposter Little Hands of Concrete Napoleon Dynamite Howard Coward Mac Manus
Born	(1954-08-25) 25 August 1954 (age 62) Paddington, London, England
Genres	New wave punk rock pub rock
Occupation(s)	Musician singer-songwriter record producer
Instruments	Vocals guitar keyboards bass drums
Years active	1970–present
Labels	Stiff Radar F-Beat Demon Columbia Warner Bros. Mercury Island Deutsche Grammophon Lost Highway Verve Hear Music Rykodisc Rhino Hip-O
Associated acts	The Attractions The Imposters Diana Krall Burt Bacharach Brodsky Quartet Nick Lowe Madness The Strokes The Pogues The Specials Squeeze Paul McCartney The Roots The New Basement Tapes Dave Edmunds
Website	www.elviscostello.com
Notable instruments
Fender Jazzmaster Fender Telecaster

Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), better known by his stage name Elvis Costello, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as part of London's pub rock scene in the early 1970s and later became associated with the first wave of the British punk and new wave movement that emerged in the mid-to-late 1970s. His critically acclaimed debut album, My Aim Is True, was released in 1977. Shortly after recording it, he formed the Attractions as his backing band. His second album, This Year's Model, was released in 1978, and was ranked number 11 by Rolling Stone on its list of the best albums from 1967–1987. His third album, Armed Forces, was released in 1979, and features his most successful single "Oliver's Army". His first three albums all appeared on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Costello and the Attractions toured and recorded together for the better part of a decade, though differences between them caused a split by 1986. Much of Costello's work since has been as a solo artist, though reunions with members of the Attractions have been credited to the group over the years. Steeped in wordplay, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broad. His music has drawn on many diverse genres; one critic described him as a "pop encyclopaedia", able to "reinvent the past in his own image".

He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award, and has twice been nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male Singer. In 2003, Costello and the Attractions were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Costello number 80 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.