Liz Phair
Born 1967 · Age 58
American rock singer-songwriter and musician best known as Liz Phair. Broke out with 1993 debut Exile in Guyville and has released seven studio albums, worked in TV composition, written a memoir, and toured internationally.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in New Haven, Connecticut
Elizabeth Clark Phair born; later adopted by Nancy and John Phair.
Family moves to Winnetka, Illinois
Phair's family relocated from Cincinnati to the Chicago suburb of Winnetka.
Graduated New Trier High School
Completed high school; active in student government, yearbook and cross country.
Moved to San Francisco to attempt music career
After college Phair lived in San Francisco for about a year trying to start a musical career.
Graduated Oberlin College (B.A. in Art History)
Earned a B.A. in art history from Oberlin College.
Became part of Chicago alternative music scene (Wicker Park)
Moved into Chicago's Wicker Park arts neighborhood and connected with local bands and producers.
Recorded Girly-Sound tapes (home four-track demos)
Self-recorded lo-fi cassette demos in her bedroom under the moniker Girly-Sound; circulated in indie scene.
Began work on Exile in Guyville
Selected and expanded Girly-Sound material into an 18-song album; worked with producer Brad Wood.
Met and collaborated early with guitarist Chris Brokaw
Brokaw and other friends helped circulate Girly-Sound tapes and encouraged her to record.
Contacted Matador Records; offered $3,000 advance
Called Gerard Cosloy of Matador after Girly-Sound attention; was offered a $3,000 advance to record.
Exile in Guyville named Album of the Year (Village Voice / Spin recognition)
Spin and Village Voice (and later lists) recognized Exile in Guyville among top albums of year/era.
Released debut album Exile in Guyville
Debut studio album on Matador released to significant critical acclaim and strong indie sales.
Rolling Stone lists Exile in Guyville among 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (list inclusion)
Exile has been included on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums lists (list editions vary by year).
Established signature lo-fi, confessional singer-songwriter voice
Exile in Guyville cemented Phair's reputation for blunt, sexually frank lyrics and spare production.
Released second album Whip-Smart
Follow-up album debuted at #27 on the Billboard 200; lead single 'Supernova' became a modern rock hit.
High-profile TV appearances promoting albums
Performed on Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Good Morning America in 1994–95.
Whip-Smart certified Gold (500,000 shipments)
The album received RIAA/popular shipments certification reflecting strong sales.
'Supernova' Top Modern Rock Track and MTV rotation
'Supernova' reached the top 10 on modern rock charts and video received heavy MTV play.
Released Juvenilia (collection of Girly-Sound tracks & B-sides)
Compilation of early demos and B-sides including a cover of 'Turning Japanese'.
Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance ('Supernova')
Earned a Grammy nomination for 'Supernova' (album cycle from Whip-Smart).
Married film editor Jim Staskauskas
Phair married Jim Staskauskas.
Grammy nomination for 'Don't Have Time' (soundtrack)
Nominated again in the Grammy category Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for a soundtrack song.
Birth of son James Nicholas (Nick) Staskauskas
Phair's son was born.
Released third album whitechocolatespaceegg
Third studio album released after delays; reflected themes of marriage and motherhood.
Joined Lilith Fair and toured
Performed on the Lilith Fair festival stage supporting whitechocolatespaceegg.
Opened for Alanis Morissette (Junkie Tour)
Served as an opening act on Alanis Morissette's 1999 tour.
Divorced Jim Staskauskas and relocated to Los Angeles
Phair and Staskauskas divorced; she sold her Chicago home and moved to Los Angeles.
Acted in the film Cherish
Portrayed office manager Brynn Allen opposite Robin Tunney in the 2002 film Cherish.
Critical backlash to pop turn; Pitchfork review
Liz Phair (2003) received mixed-to-negative reviews from some critics accusing her of 'selling out'.
Signed to Capitol Records; released Liz Phair (self-titled)
Fourth album marked a stylistic move toward pop; worked with The Matrix on singles.
Single 'Why Can't I?' mainstream chart success
'Why Can't I?' received heavy VH1 rotation and peaked at #32 on the Billboard Hot 100.
'Why Can't I?' reached 100,000 spins BDS certification
Received BDS Certified/Spin award for 100,000 spins.
BMI Pop Awards: 'Why Can't I?' Most Performed Work (Win)
'Why Can't I?' recognized by BMI as Most Performed Work.
Released Somebody's Miracle
Fifth studio album and last on Capitol; returned to a more rock sound but received mixed reviews.
Song featured in Charmed (TV series)
Performed one of her songs at the end of an episode of Charmed (season 8, episode 8).
Exile reissue included documentary 'Guyville Redux'
Reissue included three tracks from original sessions and a documentary DVD titled 'Guyville Redux.'
Signed with ATO Records; re-released Exile in Guyville
ATO reissued Exile in Guyville with three extra songs and a documentary DVD.
Began television composing; scored Swingtown and other shows
Invited to score CBS series Swingtown; later wrote themes and scores for multiple TV shows.
Won ASCAP award for Top Television Composer
Received ASCAP recognition (2009) for TV composing work (notably for '90210' credit among others).
ASCAP Pop Music Awards – Top Television Composer wins
Won ASCAP awards for television composing (credits include '90210' and TV work).
Released 'Faith and Tenderness' exclusively through Banana Republic
New song sold exclusively at Banana Republic on a compilation disc.
Funstyle Tour (Oct 2010 – Mar 2011); SXSW final show
Toured to promote Funstyle; tour ran Oct 2010 to Mar 2011 and concluded at SXSW in Austin.
Surprise independent release of Funstyle
Released sixth album Funstyle independently via a surprise download on her website after leaving Capitol/ATO.
Reported over three million records sold worldwide (as of 2011)
Cumulative record sales exceeded three million copies globally.
Co-wrote 'Dotted Line' with A. R. Rahman for film People Like Us
Co-wrote and performed a song with A. R. Rahman for the Alex Kurtzman film (listed as 'People Like Us').
Capitol released Icon greatest hits compilation
Label issued a greatest-hits compilation covering Phair's career through that point.
Released holiday song 'Ho Ho Ho' and Capitol issued Icon greatest-hits
Released 'Ho Ho Ho' and Capitol compiled a greatest-hits package titled Icon.
Opened for The Smashing Pumpkins on In Plainsong tour
Served as opening act on Smashing Pumpkins' spring 2016 tour.
Announced intention to release two albums by end of 2016
Tweeted intention to release two records in 2016; later confirmed work on a double album with Ryan Adams.
Began studio project with Ryan Adams at PAX-AM (tweeted)
Ryan Adams tweeted that the double album project had begun in PAX-AM studio; project later halted.
Embarked on Girly Sound to Guyville and Amps on the Lawn tours
Two extensive North American tours in support of the Exile retrospective.
Pitchfork critic apologized for 2003 review
Matt LeMay of Pitchfork publicly apologized years later for his hostile 2003 review of Liz Phair's pop album.
Girly-Sound to Guyville nominated for Best Reissue (Rober Awards Music Poll)
The 25th-anniversary box set received nominations and attention in reissue polls.
Resurgence and reconciliation of legacy
Exile anniversary and box set repositioned Phair in critical discourse and led to successful touring.
Signed two-book publishing deal with Random House
Billboard profile revealed Phair had signed to publish two memoirs; first titled Horror Stories.
Matador released Girly-Sound to Guyville (25th-anniversary set)
25th-anniversary retrospective box set included remastered Girly-Sound tapes and Exile material.
Published 'Horror Stories' reviews noted writing skill and honesty
Memoir received generally favorable reviews, highlighting Phair's writing voice.
A2IM Libera Awards nomination (2019)
Artist/company nominations associated with independent music recognition in 2019.
Returned to studio with producer Brad Wood
Announced work on new studio material with Brad Wood, producer of her early records.
Shared new song 'Good Side' from Brad Wood sessions
'Good Side' premiered Oct 8, 2019 as the first glimpse of new sessions with Brad Wood.
Released memoir 'Horror Stories'
Published first of two planned memoirs (Random House) receiving favorable reviews for honesty and writing.
Announced release of cover 'Hanging on the Telephone' with Jim Ellison
Planned release (announced Apr 2020) of a pre-1996 recording and accompanying documentary on Material Issue.
Featured in Rolling Stone Words + Music; Audible episode Never Said Nothing
Recorded a 90-minute Words + Music episode reflecting on career and performing stripped-down arrangements.
Soberish received strong critical reviews
Soberish garnered some of Phair's best reviews since her early career; praised by Pitchfork and Rolling Stone.
Canceled planned tour with Alanis Morissette (rescheduled tour)
Was due to tour with Alanis Morissette in 2021 but canceled for undisclosed reasons.
Signed with Chrysalis Records
Signed to newly re-formed Chrysalis Records for release of Soberish.
Released seventh studio album Soberish (produced by Brad Wood)
New album Soberish (June 2021) received strong reviews, viewed as a return to form.
30th-anniversary Exile in Guyville tour (fall 2023)
Toured performing Exile in Guyville in its entirety plus other fan favorites in celebration of the 30th anniversary.
Signed publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music
Announced an official publishing deal with Warner Chappell in August 2024.
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