William Fitzsimmons (born 1978[1]) is an American singer-songwriter, based in Illinois, perhaps best known for his songs "Passion Play" and "Please Don't Go", which aired during pivotal scenes in ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy.[2] His first two full-length albums, Until When We Are Ghosts (2005) and Goodnight (2006), were completely self-produced and recorded by Fitzsimmons at his former home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His The Sparrow And The Crow (2008) was his first studio record. In addition to the above, his music has also been featured on ABC's Brothers & Sisters and Grey's Anatomy spin-off Private Practice, MTV's Life of Ryan and Teen Wolf, The CW's One Tree Hill, CBS's Blue Bloods, ABC Family's Greek, Lifetime's Army Wives, and USA Network's Burn Notice, and he has been given reference in Billboard, Rolling Stone, Paste, Spin, Musikexpress, Uncut, Q Magazine, and Performing Songwriter Magazine.
Biography
Fitzsimmons was born the youngest child of two blind parents and was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[3] He is said to have developed his multiple instrumental abilities from his mother and father, both of whom were recreational musicians. His childhood home even housed a fully functional pipe organ, hand-built by his father. He was taught the piano and trombone during elementary school, and began teaching himself guitar while in junior high school. He is also proficient at the banjo, melodica, ukulele, and mandolin,[4] and is known for mixing folk music with electronica in some of his production. In addition to performance abilities, Fitzsimmons is credited as the engineer and producer of his first two releases. He is often compared to contemporaries Iron & Wine, Sufjan Stevens, and the late Elliott Smith.[5]
Fitzsimmons' career in music came only after completing a Master's Degree in counseling at Geneva College and working as a mental health therapist. Prior to his graduate studies, Fitzsimmons worked with the mentally ill for several years. It was during a summer break in the midst of graduate school that Fitzsimmons recorded a collection of songs on home recording equipment which would subsequently become his debut album.
Fitzsimmons' writing often includes reference to personal and family subject matter. His 2006 effort, "Goodnight," is said to have been based largely on his parents' divorce during his adolescence, and his 2008 work, "The Sparrow And The Crow," was written entirely about and following his own divorce.[3]
Fitzsimmons' music was noticed initially largely through MySpace, and touring with fellow artists Ingrid Michaelson, Brooke Fraser and Cary Brothers among others, and from several featured song placements on popular national television programs such as "Grey's Anatomy." William currently resides in Springfield, Illinois.[6] "Hazy," a duet with Rosi Golan, was featured in Dollhouse.
A music video for the song "The Tide Pulls From The Moon" was released on February 8, 2011.[7] In June 2011, Fitzsimmons toured in Europe, presenting his recent album "Gold In The Shadow," which was released March 22 via Nettwerk.[8]
Fitzsimmons' album, "Lions," was released on February 18, 2014.
On May 12, 2015, Fitzsimmons released the first of a pair of mini-LP's concerning his family in Pittsburgh, titled "Pittsburgh.".
On April 1, 2016, Fitzsimmons released the second of the pair, his eighth album, entitled "Charleroi: Pittsburgh, Vol. 2". The album is about the grandmother he never new - "Charleroi is the second half of the Pittsburgh story. The Pittsburgh album was about the grandmother I knew. Charleroi is about the one I never did.” per his website.[9] Fitzsimmons embarked on a European tour to support his new album in April 2016, visiting 9 countries along the way.[10]
On October 21, 2016, Fitzsimmons released his first live album, titled "William Fitzsimmons Live." The album showcases songs from across Fitzsimmons' career, recorded live at performances in Chicago, Amsterdam, and Paris. The record also features a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere," recorded live in Cologne, Germany. Fitzsimmons released a video of his live cover of "Everywhere" on October 19, 2016.[11] Abby Gundersen (sister of singer-songwriter Noah Gundersen, with whom Fitzsimmons toured in 2012[12]) is featured on violin and vocals, and additional instrumentation is contributed by Jake Philips (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, and vocals) and Adam Popick (drums, synthesizer, rhodes, and acoustic guitar).[13]
Awards
- iTunes US Best Singer/Songwriter Album 2008: The Sparrow and the Crow
- iTunes Australia Best International Singer/Songwriter Album 2009: The Sparrow and the Crow
- iTunes UK Best of 2009 Singer/Songwriter category: Goodnight
- Beards NOW (Aust. publication) Honorable Mention in category 'Bushrangers Beards on non-Australians' 2010
- The tour poster for the 2009 European tour designed by Stefan Guzy and Björn Wiede has been awarded for typographic excellence by the German Art Directors Club[14] and was selected among the 100 best posters of 2009 in Germany.[15]
Discography
|
|
| 1. | "Find It in Me" | 6:42 |
| 2. | "Passion Play" | 5:55 |
| 3. | "Candy" | 4:05 |
| 4. | "When I Come Home" | 4:25 |
| 5. | "Funeral Dress" | 4:02 |
| 6. | "My Life Changed" | 5:41 |
| 7. | "Forsake All Others" | 3:10 |
| 8. | "Kylie" | 7:27 |
| 9. | "Problem of Pain" | 5:24 |
| 10. | "When You Were Young" | 6:01 |
| 11. | "Shattered" | 5:25 |
|
|
| 1. | "It's Not True" | 4:49 |
| 2. | "Hold on with My Open Hands" | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Everything Has Changed" | 4:56 |
| 4. | "Leave Me by Myself" | 5:09 |
| 5. | "Please Don't Go" | 6:37 |
| 6. | "You Broke My Heart" | 6:36 |
| 7. | "Body for My Bed" | 5:36 |
| 8. | "Never Let You Go" | 4:51 |
| 9. | "I Don't Love You Anymore" | 4:37 |
| 10. | "Mend Your Heart" | 4:21 |
| 11. | "Goodnight" (feat. Ingrid Michaelson) | 5:42 |
| 12. | "Find My Way Home" | 5:46 |
| 13. | "Afterall" | 7:44 |
|
|
| 1. | "After Afterall" (feat. Caitlin Crosby) | 2:48 |
| 2. | "I Don't Feel It Anymore (Song Of The Sparrow)" (feat. Priscilla Ahn) | 3:30 |
| 3. | "We Feel Alone" | 3:05 |
| 4. | "If You Would Come Back Home" (feat. Marshall Altman) | 3:51 |
| 5. | "Please Forgive Me (Song of the Crow)" | 3:11 |
| 6. | "Further from You" (feat. Priscilla Ahn) | 3:51 |
| 7. | "Just Not Each Other" | 2:56 |
| 8. | "Even Now" | 2:51 |
| 9. | "You Still Hurt Me" (feat. Priscilla Ahn) | 3:24 |
| 10. | "They'll Never Take the Good Years" (feat. Caitlin Crosby) | 2:47 |
| 11. | "Find Me to Forgive" | 4:31 |
| 12. | "Goodmorning" (feat. Marshall Altman) | 3:17 |
| 13. | "Maybe Be Alright" | 3:44 |
|
|
| 1. | "I Don't Feel It Anymore" (feat. Brooke Fraser, George Raquet remix) | 5:27 |
| 2. | "If You Would Come Back Home" (Mikroboy remix) | 3:34 |
| 3. | "I Don't Feel It Anymore" (feat. Brooke Fraser on most releases, but Loane in Europe & United Kingdom) | 3:31 |
| 4. | "You Still Hurt Me" (feat. The Great Neck South HS Choir) | 3:31 |
| 5. | "So This Is Goodbye" (Original version) | 4:11 |
| 6. | "Goodmorning" (Pink Ganter remix) | 4:46 |
| 7. | "So This Is Goodbye" (Pink Ganter remix) | 5:04 |
| 8. | "I Kissed a Girl" (Katy Perry cover) | 3:13 |
|
|
| 1. | "Tide Pulls from the Moon" | 3:39 |
| 2. | "Beautiful Girl" | 2:38 |
| 3. | "The Winter from Her Leaving" | 3:25 |
| 4. | "Fade and Then Return" | 4:41 |
| 5. | "Psychasthenia" | 4:14 |
| 6. | "Bird of Winter Prey" | 4:01 |
| 7. | "Let You Break" (feat. Leigh Nash or Julia Stone depending on the version) | 3:22 |
| 8. | "Wounded Head" | 2:58 |
| 9. | "Tied to Me" | 4:29 |
| 10. | "What Hold" | 4:02 |
| 11. | "From the Water" | 2:37 |
| 12. | "Blood and Bones" | 2:46 |
|
|
| 1. | "Tide Pulls from the Moon" | 3:39 |
| 2. | "Beautiful Girl" | 2:38 |
| 3. | "The Winter from Her Leaving" | 3:25 |
| 4. | "Fade and Then Return" | 4:41 |
| 5. | "Psychasthenia" | 4:14 |
| 6. | "Bird of Winter Prey" | 4:01 |
| 7. | "Let You Break" (feat. Leigh Nash) | 3:22 |
| 8. | "Wounded Head" | 2:58 |
| 9. | "Tied to Me" | 4:29 |
| 10. | "What Hold" | 4:02 |
| 11. | "Bird of Winter Prey (acoustic version)" | 3:33 |
| 12. | "Ever Could" | 3:53 |
| 13. | "Tide Pulls from the Moon, The (acoustic version)" | 3:21 |
| 14. | "From the Water" | 2:39 |
| 15. | "Blood and Bones" | 2:46 |
| 16. | "Fade and Then Return (acoustic version)" | 3:39 |
| 17. | "Psychasthenia (acoustic version)" | 3:25 |
| 18. | "Tied to Me (acoustic version)" | 3:29 |
| 19. | "By My Side" | 2:46 |
| 20. | "Gold in Shadow" | 3:13 |
|
|
| 1. | "Well Enough" | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Josie's Song" | 3:47 |
| 3. | "Brandon" | 2:49 |
| 4. | "Took" | 4:28 |
| 5. | "Fortune" | 3:51 |
| 6. | "Blood / Chest" | 3:22 |
| 7. | "Hold On" | 3:18 |
| 8. | "Centralia" | 3:29 |
| 9. | "From You" | 3:16 |
| 10. | "Sister" | 4:05 |
| 11. | "Lions" | 4:20 |
| 12. | "Speak" | 2:11 |
| 13. | "Ten Lions (bonus track)" | 3:46 |
|
|
| 1. | "I Had to Carry Her (Virginia's Song)" | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Falling on My Sword" | 3:42 |
| 3. | "Better" | 3:46 |
| 4. | "Pittsburgh" | 3:48 |
| 5. | "Beacon" | 2:56 |
| 6. | "Matter" | 3:28 |
| 7. | "Ghosts of Penn Hills" | 4:15 |
|
|
| 1. | "People Change Their Minds" | 4:30 |
| 2. | "Hear Your Heart" | 3:47 |
| 3. | "A Part" | 4:24 |
| 4. | "Charleroi" | 3:07 |
| 5. | "Fare Thee Well" | 3:05 |
| 6. | "Nothing Can Be Changed" | 4:09 |
|
|
| 1. | "You Can Close Your Eyes" (James Taylor Cover) | Acoustic Dreamland compilation (2011) | |
| 2. | "Heartless" (Kanye West Cover) | Single (2009) | |
| 3. | "Covered in Snow" | Single (2009) | |
Notes
- ↑ http://www.aufgemischt.com/wp/2009/12/interview-william-fitzsimmons/
- ↑ "Grey's Anatomy Season 3 Music". TV Fanatic. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
- 1 2 Fusilli, Jim (2009-07-18). "WSJ Rock and Pop Critic Jim Fusilli on William Fitzsimmons – WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
- ↑ Leggett, Steve. "William Fitzsimmons > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
- ↑ Leggett, Steve. "William Fitzsimmons > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
- ↑ "William Fitzsimmons on Twitter". Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- ↑ http://amplified.tv/2011/02/11/william-fitzsimmons-the-tide-pulls-from-the-moon-music-video/
- ↑ "William Fitzsimmons on tour". Retrieved June 16, 2011.
- ↑ "New EP "Charleroi" & Limited Edition Vinyl Announced!". Retrieved June 2, 2016.
- ↑ "William Fitzsimmons - Tour". Retrieved June 2, 2016.
- ↑ "William Fitzsimmons Live Released Today!". Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ↑ "William Fitzsimmons Captivates The Audience at Workplay". Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ↑ William Fitzsimmons Live (booklet). Hollywood, California: Nettwerk Productions Ltd. 2016. p. 1.
- ↑ German Art Directors Club's 2009 Winners
- ↑ Groenland records: News announcement
External links
