Vic Chesnutt, Musician (Paraplegic)

Vic Chesnutt

Chesnutt grew up as an adopted child in Zebulon, Georgia. At the age of five years he wrote his first songs. Since a traffic accident in 1983, with the Chesnutt in drunk state had left the street, his lower body half is paralyzed. He can only go with help and hence depends predominantly on a wheel chair.
After he had recovered from his accident, he moved to Athens, Georgia. He did not feel fine in the small-urban Redneck atmosphere of Zebulon any more, and in urban Athens he could realise his liberal, atheistic life style as Bohemian better.
 He joined the band The La Di Das, before he began to appear regularly solo in the 40 watts club where he was discovered by Michael Stipe of R.E.M. Stipe encouraged him to take up his first album, the scanty “Little” (1990), which appeared on the independent label Texas hotel.

In 1991 appeared there album west Of Rome, 1993 Drunk which suggests like his name, in the essentials has been taken up in drunk state. Chesnutt was valid at that time as a consumer of alcohol and drugs in considerable magnitude. Chesnutt supports the legalisation of marihuana as a drug and contributed with the song Weed To The Rescue to the compilation Hempilation II (1998) whose proceed of an US-American organisation is of benefit for the legalisation of hashish. Chesnutts own drug consumption seems to have decreased during the last years considerably.
In 1992 public Broadcasting service sent a documentation about Vic Chesnutt. In 1996 Chesnutt had a short guest appearance in Billy Bob Thornton's film Sling Blade.

Is The Actor happy? is the last album that appeared on Texas Hotel (1995). The coming years were marked by a frequent change the record label. Also in 1995 appeared with Trocadero Nine High A Pallet, a cooperation with Widespread Panic under the band name Brute. To choke (1996) is the only album with a major label, Capitol Records, was expelled in Europe, however, by rough Trade Records.
In 1996 Columbia published Records Sweet relief II: Gravity Of The situation, a tribute and benefit performance album with cover versions of Vic Chesnutt Song, played by prominent interpreters like Garbage, R.E.M., soul Asylum, Smashing Pumpkins, Madonna, Kristin Hersh and the indigo Girls. Sweet relief is supported an organisation, the destitute - in particular not enough ill-insured - musician.

In 1998 appeared with rough Trade Records The Salesman And Bernadette who was played in together with the alternative Country band Lambchop. In 2000 Chesnutt published on Backburner Records, a cooperation with Kelly and Nikki Keneipp . Left To his own devices  appeared in 2001 with SpinART Records. In 2002 a renewed publication of Brute, cobalt followed with Widespread Records.
Since 2003 the albums appeared with New west Records which are expelled in Europe by Blue rose. New west Records also publishes the early albums in new edition with bonus tracks and further booklet.

New releases are 2003 Silver lake and in 2005 ghetto Bells on which the guitarist Bill Frisell joins in. Chesnutts wife, Tina Chesnutt, plays on many of his diks E bass.
Chesnutt appears regularly in Germany, for example, he played as a Support of the band Lambchop.

In summer, 2004 one could experience him together with Rickie Lee Jones and Bill Frisell with the Ruhr triennial in the line Century of song.
On the end of 2006 appeared the album Do It Again: A tributes To Pet sounds on the which artists interpret  the classical Beach Boys album  he is represented with a contribution.

From him comes the soundtrack of the film Middle ,at the end of August which was published in summer, 2009.