Sheryl Crow

Biography

Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and guitarist. She is noted for her idealistic and optimistic lyrics, and incorporation of various genres into her rock-oriented sound, including blues, country, folk, and pop.
She has released 12 studio albums, five compilations, and three live albums, and contributed to several film soundtracks. Her most popular songs include "All I Wanna Do×All I Wanna Do1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1All I Wanna Do4:342I Shall Believe (live, The 328 Club in Nashville, 1994-04-15)5:533What I Can Do for You (live, The Borderline, London, 1994-02-09)6:57" (1994), "Strong Enough×Strong Enough1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Strong Enough3:122All I Wanna Do (live)4:443Reach Around Jerk (live)4:224Leaving Las Vegas (live)5:29" (1994), "If It Makes You Happy×If It Makes You Happy1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1If It Makes You Happy5:262Keep on Growing5:293I'm Going to Be a Wheel Someday3:414No One Said It Would Be Easy (live, The 328 Club in Nashville, 1994-04-15)5:37" (1996), "Everyday Is a Winding Road×Everyday Is a Winding Road1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Everyday Is a Winding Road4:192Sad Sad World4:05" (1996), "Tomorrow Never Dies×Tomorrow Never DiesNovember 1997 · Single · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Tomorrow Never Dies4:532The Book4:363No One Said It Would Be Easy5:324Ordinary Morning3:52" (1997), "My Favorite Mistake×My Favorite Mistake15 September 1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1My Favorite Mistake4:082In Need5:39" (1998), "Picture×Picture2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Picture (radio edit #1)4:142Picture (radio edit #2)4:093Picture (album edit)4:144Picture (album version)4:58" (2002, duet with Kid Rock), and "Soak Up the Sun×Soak Up the Sun1 April 2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Soak Up the Sun (radio edit)3:272Chances Are5:153You're Not the One4:09" (2002).
Crow has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and has won nine Grammy Awards from 32 nominations. In 2023 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In addition to her music career, she has appeared in television series and films, including 30 Rock, Cop Rock, GCB, Cougar Town, One Tree Hill, and NCIS: New Orleans.

Early life and education

Crow was born on February 11, 1962, in Kennett, Missouri, the daughter of Bernice (née Cain), a piano teacher, and Wendell Wyatt Crow, a lawyer and trumpet player. Her great-grandfather was Congressman Charles A. Crow (1873–1938). She has two older sisters, Kathy and Karen, and a younger brother, Steven.
While studying at Kennett High School, Crow was a majorette and an all-state track athlete, winning medals in the 75-meter low hurdles. She also joined the pep club and the National FFA Organization, and was crowned Paperdoll Queen in a celebrity-judged beauty contest during her senior year. She was inducted into the National Honor Society.
She then enrolled at the University of Missouri in Columbia and in 1984 received a BS Ed degree in music education. While at the university, she sang in the local band Cashmere. She was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women, and the Omicron Delta Kappa honor society, as well as working as a summer welcome orientation leader.

1987–1991: Early career

After graduating from the University of Missouri, Crow worked as a music teacher at Kellison Elementary School in Fenton, Missouri. Teaching during the day gave her the opportunity to sing in bands on the weekends. She was later introduced to local musician and record producer Jay Oliver. He had a studio in the basement of his parents' home in St. Louis and helped her by using her in advertising jingles. Her first jingle was a back-to-school spot for the St. Louis department store Famous-Barr. Soon after, she sang in commercial jingles for McDonald's and Toyota. She was quoted in a 60 Minutes segment as saying she made $40,000 on the McDonald's ad alone.
Crow toured with Michael Jackson as a backing vocalist during his Bad World Tour 1987–1989, and often performed with Jackson on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You". She also recorded background vocals for Stevie Wonder, Belinda Carlisle, Jimmy Buffett, Kevin Gilbert and Don Henley. Crow played keyboards and sang backing vocals for Gilbert's band Toy Matinee in the early 1990s.
In 1989, Crow contributed backing vocals to the Neal Schon track "Smoke of the Revolution" from his album Late Nite.
Crow also sang in the short-lived Steven Bochco drama Cop Rock series finale in 1990 and her song "Heal Somebody" appeared in the film Bright Angel. In 1991, her recording of "Welcome to the Real Life" featured on the soundtrack to the Brian Bosworth action film Stone Cold. Later that year, her performance of "Hundreds of Tears" was included on the Point Break soundtrack and she sang a duet with Kenny Loggins on the track "I Would Do Anything", from his album Leap of Faith.

1992: Scrapped debut album

In 1992, Crow recorded her first attempt at a debut album with Sting's record producer Hugh Padgham. The self-titled debut album was due to be released in September 1992, but Crow and her label mutually decided that the album did not merit release. Crow described it as "too produced" and "slick". However, a handful of cassette copies of the album were leaked, along with press folders for album publicity. This album has been widely dispersed via file sharing networks and fan trading. In the meantime, Crow's songs were recorded by major artists such as Celine Dion, Tina Turner and Wynonna Judd.

1994–1997: International success

Crow began dating Kevin Gilbert and joined him in an ad hoc group of musicians known to themselves as the "Tuesday Music Club". The group existed as a casual songwriting collective prior to its association with Crow; however, it rapidly developed into a vehicle for her debut album after Crow's arrival. Group members Gilbert, David Baerwald, and David Ricketts (both formerly of David & David), Bill Bottrell, Brian MacLeod, and Dan Schwartz share songwriting credits with Crow on her debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club×Tuesday Night Music Club3 August 1993 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Run, Baby, Run4:532Leaving Las Vegas5:103Strong Enough3:104Can’t Cry Anymore3:415Solidify4:096The Na-Na Song3:137No One Said It Would Be Easy5:298What I Can Do for You4:159All I Wanna Do4:3410We Do What We Can5:3911I Shall Believe5:35, released in 1993. Her relationship with Gilbert became acrimonious soon after the album was released, and disputes arose about songwriting credits. Tuesday Night Music Club featured many of the songs written by Crow's friends, including the second single, "Leaving Las Vegas×Leaving Las Vegas1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Leaving Las Vegas5:502No One Said It Would Be Easy5:313The Na-Na Song6:54". The album was slow to garner attention, until "All I Wanna Do×All I Wanna Do1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1All I Wanna Do4:342I Shall Believe (live, The 328 Club in Nashville, 1994-04-15)5:533What I Can Do for You (live, The Borderline, London, 1994-02-09)6:57" became an unexpected smash hit in October 1994. The singles "Strong Enough×Strong Enough1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Strong Enough3:122All I Wanna Do (live)4:443Reach Around Jerk (live)4:224Leaving Las Vegas (live)5:29" and "Can't Cry Anymore" were also released, with the first song ("Strong Enough") charting at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Can't Cry Anymore" hitting the Top 40. Tuesday Night Music Club went on to sell more than 7 million copies in the US and UK during the 1990s. The album also won Crow three Grammys at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards in 1995: Record of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Crow performed at the 1994 Woodstock Festival and appeared in the "New Faces" section of Rolling Stone in 1994. She also supplied background vocals to the song "The Garden of Allah" from Don Henley's 1995 album Actual Miles: Henley's Greatest Hits.
In 1996, Crow released her self-titled second album. She produced the album herself and also played a variety of instruments, from various guitars, bass or pedal steel to various organs and piano. The debut single, "If It Makes You Happy×If It Makes You Happy1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1If It Makes You Happy5:262Keep on Growing5:293I'm Going to Be a Wheel Someday3:414No One Said It Would Be Easy (live, The 328 Club in Nashville, 1994-04-15)5:37", became a radio success and netted her two Grammys for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Album at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards in 1997. Other singles included "A Change Would Do You Good×A Change Would Do You Good1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1A Change Would Do You Good3:522Hard to Make a Stand (live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire)4:333On the Outside (live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire)7:454A Change Would Do You Good (live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire)4:02", "Home", and "Everyday Is a Winding Road×Everyday Is a Winding Road1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Everyday Is a Winding Road4:192Sad Sad World4:05". The album was banned from sale at Walmart, because in the lyrics to "Love Is a Good Thing" Crow says that Walmart sells guns to children. The album also features a protest song called "Redemption Day×Redemption Day19 April 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Redemption Day4:48", which was covered by Johnny Cash on his posthumous album American VI: Ain't No Grave.
Crow performed at Another Roadside Attraction in 1997. Also in 1997, Crow contributed the theme song to the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. Her song "Tomorrow Never Dies×Tomorrow Never DiesNovember 1997 · Single · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Tomorrow Never Dies4:532The Book4:363No One Said It Would Be Easy5:324Ordinary Morning3:52" was nominated for a Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards and Best Original Song at the 55th Golden Globe Awards.

1998–1999: The Globe Sessions and live album

Crow collaborated on Scott Weiland's 1998 album, 12 Bar Blues. Also in 1998, Crow released The Globe Sessions. During this period, she discussed in interviews having gone through a deep depression, and there was speculation about a brief affair with Eric Clapton. The debut single from this album, "My Favorite Mistake×My Favorite Mistake15 September 1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1My Favorite Mistake4:082In Need5:39", was rumored to be about Clapton, but Crow says otherwise—that the song is about a philandering ex-boyfriend. Crow has refused to say who the song was about, telling Billboard magazine on the release of her album, "Oh, there will be just so much speculation, and because of that there's great safety and protection in the fact that people will be guessing so many different people and I'm the only person who will ever really know. I'm really private about who I've had relationships with, and I don't talk about them in the press. I don't even really talk about them with the people around me." Despite the difficulties in recording the album, Crow told the BBC in 2005 that, "My favorite single is 'My Favorite Mistake'. It was a lot of fun to record and it's still a lot of fun to play." The album won Best Rock Album at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999. It was re-released in 1999, with a bonus track, Crow's cover of the Guns N' Roses song "Sweet Child o' Mine", which was included on the soundtrack of the film Big Daddy. The song won a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000. Other singles included "There Goes the Neighborhood×There Goes the Neighborhood7 September 1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1There Goes the Neighborhood (radio edit #1)4:122Straight to the Moon (non LP track)4:293My Favorite Mistake (live)3:59", "Anything but Down×Anything but Down22 February 1999 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Anything but Down4:202Leaving Las Vegas (live, 1998-11-13: Toronto, Canada)5:353Riverwide (live For Wise Buddah)5:45", and "The Difficult Kind". Crow's live recording of "There Goes the Neighborhood" won a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2001. The Globe Sessions peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, achieving US sales of 2 million as of January 2008. Later in 1998, Crow took part in a live concert in tribute to Burt Bacharach, contributing vocals on "One Less Bell to Answer".
In 1999, Crow also made her acting debut as an ill-fated drifter in the suspense/drama The Minus Man, which starred her then-boyfriend Owen Wilson as a serial killer. Also in 1999, she appeared in Prince's album Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, singing backing vocals in the song "Baby Knows". Prince included a cover of her "Everyday Is a Winding Road×Everyday Is a Winding Road1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Everyday Is a Winding Road4:192Sad Sad World4:05" in the album. She also appeared in Zucchero Fornaciari's collection Overdose d'amore/The Ballads featuring the song "Blue" (co-written by Bono).
She also released a live album called Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live From Central Park. The record featured Crow singing many of her hit singles with new musical spins and guest appearances by many other musicians including Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Nicks, the Dixie Chicks, Keith Richards, and Eric Clapton. It included her Grammy winning performance of "There Goes the Neighborhood".

2002–2004: C'mon, C'mon and The Very Best of Sheryl Crow

Crow has been involved with the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF) since the late 1990s, performing at fund-raisers and befriending Sharon Monsky. In 2002, as a result of her friend Kent Sexton dying from scleroderma, she interrupted work on her new album C'mon, C'mon to record the traditional hymn "Be Still, My Soul", to be played at his funeral. In November of that year it was released as a single, with the proceeds going to SRF.
Her fourth studio album, C'mon, C'mon, was released in 2002, spawning the hit single "Soak Up the Sun×Soak Up the Sun1 April 2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Soak Up the Sun (radio edit)3:272Chances Are5:153You're Not the One4:09". The second single, "Steve McQueen×Steve McQueen2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Steve McQueen (album version)3:252The Difficult Kind (live from Abbey Road)6:373If It Makes You Happy (live from Abbey Road)3:46", won the Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards in 2003.

Crow opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, wearing a shirt that read "I don't believe in your war, Mr. Bush!" during a performance on Good Morning America and posting an open letter explaining her opposition on her website. At a performance with Kid Rock at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, she wore a large peace sign and a guitar strap with the words "No War". She showed support for injured soldiers in 2003 by playing her guitar and singing to individual patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
She recorded the song "Kiss That Girl" for the film Bridget Jones's Diary. She also recorded a cover version of The Beatles' song "Mother Nature's Son" for the film I Am Sam. Crow sang a duet with rock artist Kid Rock on the crossover hit single "Picture×Picture2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Picture (radio edit #1)4:142Picture (radio edit #2)4:093Picture (album edit)4:144Picture (album version)4:58", from Kid Rock's 2001 album Cocky. She also assisted him on the track "Run Off to LA".
Crow collaborated with Michelle Branch on the song "Love Me Like That" for Branch's second album, Hotel Paper, released in 2003.
She was featured on the Johnny Cash album American III: Solitary Man on the song "Field of Diamonds" as a background vocalist, and also played the accordion for the songs "Wayfaring Stranger" and "Mary of the Wild Moor".
In 2003, a greatest hits compilation called The Very Best of Sheryl Crow×The Very Best of Sheryl Crow1 January 2003 · Album · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 30 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11All I Wanna Do4:342Soak Up the Sun4:533My Favorite Mistake4:074The First Cut Is the Deepest3:475Everyday Is a Winding Road4:186Leaving Las Vegas5:107Strong Enough3:128Light in Your Eyes4:039If It Makes You Happy5:2510The Difficult Kind6:2011Picture4:5912Steve McQueen3:2613A Change Would Do You Good3:5114Home4:5215There Goes the Neighborhood5:0516I Shall Believe5:3817The First Cut Is the Deepest (country version)3:45Disc 21All I Wanna Do4:072Soak Up the Sun3:523My Favorite Mistake4:054Everyday Is a Winding Road4:165Leaving Las Vegas4:246Strong Enough3:137If It Makes You Happy4:368Steve McQueen3:169A Change Would Do You Good3:4710Home5:4311There Goes the Neighborhood4:5212Run, Baby, Run4:2613Anything but Down4:15 was released. It featured many of her hit singles, as well as some new tracks. Among them was the 1960s pop song, "The First Cut Is the Deepest×The First Cut Is the Deepest22 September 2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1The First Cut Is the Deepest3:30" by Cat Stevens, which became her biggest radio hit since "All I Wanna Do×All I Wanna Do1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1All I Wanna Do4:342I Shall Believe (live, The 328 Club in Nashville, 1994-04-15)5:533What I Can Do for You (live, The Borderline, London, 1994-02-09)6:57". She also released the single "Light in Your Eyes×Light In Your Eyes1 January 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Light In Your Eyes4:022You're Not The One (Non-LP Version)4:083My Favorite Mistake (Live From Abbey Road Studios)4:02", which received limited airplay. "The First Cut Is the Deepest" earned her two awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist at the American Music Awards of 2004.
In 2004, Crow appeared as a musical theater performer in the Cole Porter biographical film De-Lovely.

2005–2007: Wildflower

Her fifth studio album, Wildflower×Wildflower21 September 2005 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1I Know Why4:152Perfect Lie4:343Good Is Good4:194Chances Are5:165Wildflower3:586Lifetimes4:137Letter to God4:058Live It Up3:439I Don’t Wanna Know4:2910Always on Your Side4:1511Where Has All the Love Gone3:4212Wildflower (acoustic version)3:56, was released in September 2005. Although the album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts, it received mixed reviews and was not as commercially successful as her previous albums. In December 2005, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, while Crow was nominated for a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy for the first single "Good Is Good×Good Is Good12 September 2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Good Is Good (album version)4:192Good Is Good (acoustic version)4:19" at the 48th Grammy Awards. However, she ultimately lost in both categories to Kelly Clarkson. The album got a new boost in 2006 when the second single was announced as "Always on Your Side", re-recorded with British musician Sting and sent off to radio, where it was quickly embraced on Adult Top 40. The collaboration with Sting resulted in a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals at the 49th Grammy Awards. As of January 2008, Wildflower has sold 949,000 units in the United States.
Also in 2005, Crow contributed "Real Gone", the opening track to the soundtrack for Disney and Pixar's 2006 animated film Cars. Crow was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in mid-February 2006, her doctors stating that, "Prognosis for a full recovery is excellent."
Crow's first concert after her cancer diagnosis was on May 18 of that year in Orlando, Florida, where she played to over 10,000 information technology professionals at the SAP Sapphire Convention. Her first public appearance was on June 12, when she performed at the Murat Theater in Indianapolis, Indiana. She also appeared on Larry King Live on CNN on August 23, 2006. In this show, she talked about her comeback, her breakup with Lance Armstrong, her past job as Michael Jackson's backup singer, and her experience as a breast cancer survivor.
In late 2006, Crow was nominated for a Best Original Song Golden Globe Award for the song Try Not To Remember from the film Home of the Brave at the 64th Golden Globe Awards.
In early 2007, Crow was scheduled to sing at an annual benefit concert for the Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital that sportscaster Bob Costas hosts every year. Her performance was opposed by Catholic Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke due to her position on abortion. Burke resigned as chair of the medical center's board of governors when Crow's appearance was confirmed.
Crow wrote a foreword for the book Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips, a book written by Kris Carr that was based on her 2007 documentary film Crazy Sexy Cancer. Crow contributed her cover of the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" on the soundtrack for the DreamWorks animated film Bee Movie in November 2007. She contributed background vocals to Ryan Adams's song "Two" from his album Easy Tiger.

2008–2009: Detours

Crow returned with her sixth studio album Detours×Detours30 January 2008 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1God Bless This Mess2:092Shine Over Babylon4:033Love Is Free3:234Peace Be Upon Us4:225Gasoline5:076Out of Our Heads4:287Detours3:298Now That You're Gone3:519Drunk With the Thought of You2:3910Diamond Ring4:1011Motivation3:4712Make It Go Away (Radiation Song)3:2413Love Is All There Is4:0114Lullaby for Wyatt4:08, which was released on February 5, 2008. Detours debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart selling close to 92,000 copies in its first week and an additional 52,000 copies in its second week. In support of the new album, Crow launched a 25-date tour with James Blunt, and the lineup included reggae group Toots and the Maytals after being handpicked by Crow who said they are one of her favorite bands.
Detours was recorded at Crow's Nashville, Tennessee farm. Her son, Wyatt, makes an appearance on the song "Lullaby for Wyatt", which is featured in the movie Grace Is Gone.
"Shine Over Babylon" was the first promotional single from the album (download only). The first official single released from the album was "Love Is Free×Love Is Free1 January 2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Love Is Free3:292Drunk With The Thought Of You (Live Acoustic version)2:44", followed by "Out of Our Heads". As of 2010, Detours had sold more than 700,000 copies worldwide.

Crow endorsed Barack Obama in the 2008 United States presidential election and later performed on the fourth and last day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Crow also recorded a studio version of "So Glad We Made It×So Glad We Made It8 July 2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1So Glad We Made It4:08" for the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack, in conjunction with the 2008 US Olympic team sponsors, AT&T.
A&M Records re-released Crow's debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club×Tuesday Night Music Club3 August 1993 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Run, Baby, Run4:532Leaving Las Vegas5:103Strong Enough3:104Can’t Cry Anymore3:415Solidify4:096The Na-Na Song3:137No One Said It Would Be Easy5:298What I Can Do for You4:159All I Wanna Do4:3410We Do What We Can5:3911I Shall Believe5:35, as a deluxe version 2CD/DVD set on November 17, 2009. The released included the single "Killer Life", which charted moderately in adult album alternative radio. The bonus CD contains unreleased songs and B-sides, and a new mix of "I Shall Believe". The DVD features music videos for each of the album's singles.
In August 2008, Crow (in partnership with Western Glove Works) launched a jeans brand, Bootheel Trading Company.

On April 4, 2009, Crow, who practices Transcendental Meditation, took part in a benefit concert at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City organized by the David Lynch Foundation supporting the Foundation's goal of teaching one million at-risk students to meditate. She and Ben Harper performed George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord". Other performers at the concert included Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Mike Love, Moby, Eddie Vedder and Donovan.

2010–2012: 100 Miles from Memphis

In 2010, Crow contributed the original spoken-word track "My Name Is Mwamaroyi" to the Enough Project and Downtown Records' Raise Hope for Congo compilation. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo's women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo.
A&M Records released Crow's seventh studio album, 100 Miles from Memphis×100 Miles From Memphis19 July 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Our Love Is Fading6:212Eye to Eye5:333Sign Your Name5:374Summer Day4:305Long Road Home4:136Say What You Want4:487Peaceful Feeling4:028Stop4:399Sideways5:0910100 Miles From Memphis4:5911Roses and Moonlight6:3912I Want You Back3:05, on July 20, 2010. The album had a Memphis soul sound and featured the lead single "Summer Day".
Later that year, she joined country singers Loretta Lynn and Miranda Lambert on an update of Lynn's song "Coal Miner's Daughter" for the 2010 album Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn. They later performed the song at the 2010 Country Music Association Awards in November.
In October 2010, she performed at Jon Stewart's and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear
In July 2011, Crow performed at the opening night of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Animal welfare campaigners had urged her not to, alleging animal cruelty at the event. Almost 13,000 people signed a petition calling on Crow not to perform.
On September 20, 2011, it was announced that Crow will write the music and lyrics for Diner, a new musical inspired by the critically acclaimed 1982 film Diner. The show initially had an intended run on Broadway planned for the fall of 2012 though it eventually opened in Arlington County, Virginia in 2014 and was directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall.
On October 11, 2011, William Shatner released the album Seeking Major Tom, on which Crow sang the track "Mrs. Major Tom" by electronic music artist KIA, released in 2003 on the album Adieu Shinjuku Zulu.
On September 21, 2012, Mailboat Records released Mark Twain: Words & Music, an Americana double-CD that tells the life of fellow Missourian Mark Twain in spoken word and song. The project was a benefit for the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, Missouri. Crow sang the only period piece song on the project, Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer". The song was sung a cappella and accompanied the narrative describing the early days of Mark Twain's young family in Hartford, Connecticut. Other performers that joined the project, produced by Carl Jackson, included Jimmy Buffett, Clint Eastwood, Garrison Keillor, Brad Paisley, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, and others. AirPlay Direct reported the project as its most downloaded Americana album.
In September 2012, Crow was featured in a campaign called 30 Songs/30 Days to support Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a multi-platform media project inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book.
Crow was invited by journalist Katie Couric to write the theme song for her new talk-show, Katie. The song, titled "This Day", was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Original Song.
On November 1, 2012, Crow released an original song she called "Woman in the White House×Woman in the White House6 November 2012 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Woman in the White House3:22" that was made available for a free download. As the title suggests, the country-flavored tune defends the idea of a woman president. Mixed reviews from critics ranged from "sort of patronizing and gender essentialist" to "good-natured and well-intentioned". The song, praised for its tongue-in-cheek lyrics, was commented on by country singer Brad Paisley, who characterized it as "all in good fun". The song was later released for digital download on iTunes and a portion of the proceeds were donated to the American Red Cross to aid in the recovery effort in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Also in 2012, VH1 ranked Crow at No. 25 as one of the 100 Greatest Women in Music.

2013–2015: Feels Like Home

In 2011, Crow separated from her label, A&M Records. The singer followed Nashville neighbor Brad Paisley's advice and, after being introduced to producer Justin Niebank and several Nashville-based songwriters such as Chris DuBois, Luke Laird and Chris Stapleton, she started her first country music project in 2013.
In 2013, Crow signed a recording contract with Warner Music Nashville and, a few months later, released "Easy", the first single from the upcoming album, which became her first top twenty country radio hit and her highest charting lead single since 2005. Feels Like Home was released on September 10, 2013, and debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of over 36,000 copies, becoming Crow's ninth top ten album.
Crow was one of the opening acts for George Strait's 2014 leg of The Cowboy Rides Away Tour. Along with Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris and Carrie Underwood, she made an appearance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, paying tribute to Linda Ronstadt, who was one of the inductees of 2014. Crow, along with country band Gloriana, joined Rascal Flatts on their Rewind Tour, which kicked off May 16, 2014.
The 40th anniversary celebration benefit concert of the Austin City Limits television show was held on June 26, 2014, and televised later that year. Crow hosted the event along with Jeff Bridges and performed with Kris Kristofferson, Gary Clark Jr., Alabama Shakes, as well as her former guitarist Doyle Bramhall II. Crow sang on a rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" that appeared on Darius Rucker's Christmas album, Home for the Holidays. In December 2015, she covered "A Hard Day's Night" at the John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert, and performed "Two More Bottles of Wine" with Vince Gill at another tribute concert: "The Life & Songs of Emmylou Harris".

2017–2022: Be Myself, Threads and Sheryl

Crow duets with Americana artist Rodney Crowell on the track "I'm Tied To Ya" from his album Close Ties which was released in March 2017. Crow's tenth studio album, Be Myself×Be Myself21 April 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Alone in the Dark3:412Halfway There3:593Long Way Back5:084Be Myself4:235Roller Skate3:196Love Will Save the Day4:587Strangers Again3:528Rest of Me3:529Heartbeat Away5:3610Grow Up3:2711Woo Woo3:17, was released on April 21, 2017. It was co-produced by Crow, Jeff Trott and Tchad Blake, and is the first time the latter has appeared on one of Crow's studio albums since The Globe Sessions×The Globe Sessions18 September 1998 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11My Favorite Mistake4:082There Goes the Neighborhood5:023Riverwide4:084It Don’t Hurt4:505Maybe That’s Something4:186Am I Getting Through (Part I & II)5:317Anything but Down4:188The Difficult Kind6:199Mississippi4:4210Members Only4:5811Crash and Burn / Subway Ride11:2712Resuscitation3:59Disc 21A Change Would Do You Good (live)4:052Riverwide (live)4:313It Don’t Hurt (live)5:264Strong Enough (live)3:175The Difficult Kind (live)6:436Everyday Is a Winding Road (live)6:22 in 1998. Be Myself was described by Crow as a return to the sound of her nineties work, and intentionally eschews the country-influenced sound of her previous album. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Crow said that she did not enjoy the country radio promotional process: "It was more political than I expected... You do lots of free [shows] for radio stations in trade for getting played between three and four in the morning. And that's just not how other formats work, and that goes against my grain. I'm too old to allow that for myself, and to spend any night away from my kid for that is not justified."
Crow's 2019 album Threads×Threads30 August 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Prove You Wrong3:552Live Wire5:093Tell Me When It’s Over4:574Story of Everything6:235Beware of Darkness3:386Redemption Day4:467Cross Creek Road4:468Everything Is Broken4:329The Worst2:3810Lonely Alone4:3811Border Lord4:4312Still the Good Old Days5:1713Wouldn’t Want to Be Like You3:3614Don’t4:0615Nobody’s Perfect4:4416Flying Blind3:4117For the Sake of Love3:35 features contributions from, among others, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Sting, Stevie Nicks, Willie Nelson, and Keith Richards. While promoting her UK tour, Crow released "Wouldn't Wanna Be Like You" featuring St. Vincent and revealed that she intended for Threads to be her final album, citing the impossibility of releasing something that could follow-up such a gathering of artists. She added that she would continue to write and tour and would potentially release short-form music akin to extended plays.
In 2019, it was reported that Crow was among hundreds of artists whose material had been destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. Crow had initially told BBC News that the master and safety back-ups for her first seven albums were lost in the fire. However, in a 2022 interview with The Line of Best Fit, Crow revealed that her masters had in fact not been lost, stating that "luckily, they found most of mine in a different area." In 2022, Sheryl, a Showtime documentary film directed by Amy Scott chronicling her career, premiered at the South by Southwest film festival.

2023–present: Evolution and Pick You Up

Crow announced that she recorded a new studio album, her twelfth, Evolution×Evolution29 March 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Alarm Clock2:552Do It Again4:143Love Life5:134You Can’t Change the Weather4:045Evolution4:266Where?3:537Don’t Walk Away4:228Broken Record3:089Waiting in the Wings3:28, on November 3, 2023. The news arrived just ahead of her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that same day. The album was released March 29, 2024. It was preceded by the single "Alarm Clock×Alarm Clock3 November 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Alarm Clock2:55". Also in 2024, she contributed guitar to a re-release of Mark Knopfler's "Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero" in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. On October 25, 2024, she released the single "Light A Candle×Light a Candle25 October 2024 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Light a Candle3:10", proceeds of which would be donated to the American Red Cross, supporting communities affected by hurricanes and tropical storms in 2024, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
On May 23, 2025, Crow released the single "I Know×I Know23 May 2025 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1I Know3:30", in aid of Mental Health Awareness Month.
On July 18, 2025, Crow released a single "The New Normal×The New Normal18 July 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1The New Normal3:33" that was written by Crow and her longtime touring band "The Real Lowdown". A week later, on July 25, 2025, Crow released another single written by her and the group, "See You On The Other Side×See You on the Other Side25 July 2025 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1See You on the Other Side4:12".
On August 14, 2026, Crow announced her thirteenth studio album Pick You Up×Pick You Up9 October 2026 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Freight Train2Perfect3Pick You Up4Flat Earth5I’ve Got Your Number6Heaven Help Us7Freedom Bus4:43, which will be released on October 9, 2026.

Musical style

Crow's music has been categorized as rock, country rock, pop rock, and roots rock. Her music also incorporates elements of blues, country, folk, and pop, with an idealistic and optimistic attitude.

Instruments and signature model guitars

Early in her career, Crow performed extensively with a 1964 Gibson Country Western guitar which was her personal favorite, but she eventually feared that it would not stand up to the rigors of continued touring and stage use, and in 1999 asked Gibson to build her a replica for use on stage. The manufacturer responded by introducing a "Sheryl Crow" model in their Signature Artist Series, which is essentially a re-creation of the square-shouldered 1962-era Country Western model. In 2013, Gibson also introduced a limited edition "Sheryl Crow Southern Jumbo", a reissue of the slope-shouldered predecessor of the 1962-era Country Western.

Relationships and family

Crow has had several high-profile romantic relationships. In the late 1990s, she dated musician Eric Clapton and actor Owen Wilson. The song "Safe and Sound" on the album C'mon, C'mon was dedicated to Wilson and, according to the album's liner notes, was an account of their relationship. Crow began dating cyclist Lance Armstrong in 2003. The couple announced their engagement in September 2005, but jointly announced they had split on February 3, 2006. According to Crow, she has been engaged two other times but never married.
In May 2007, Crow announced on her website that she had adopted a boy who was born the month before. In June 2010, Crow announced that she had adopted another boy born the previous April. She and her sons live in West Nashville, Tennessee. She also owns a home in Destin, Florida. She owned a loft apartment in the NoHo neighborhood of Lower Manhattan from 1998 to 2017.
Crow and her son Levi are diehard Milwaukee Bucks fans, and went to several of their post-season games in 2021 en route to Milwaukee's 2021 NBA Finals victory. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton are her favorite players.

Health

After being diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a non-invasive form of breast cancer, Crow underwent a lumpectomy at a Los Angeles facility on February 22, 2006, followed by seven weeks of radiation therapy. In August 2010, Crow partnered with her surgeon, Kristi Funk, to open the Sheryl Crow Imaging Center at Funk's Pink Lotus Breast Center. Crow had also suffered from depression.
In November 2011, Crow was diagnosed with a meningioma, the most common kind of brain tumor, usually benign, for which she continued to have regular follow-up exams.

Views

Crow was raised Presbyterian, but she moved towards a more general affiliation and now describes herself as Christian. She is known for her liberal political point of view, opposing the invasion of Iraq in 2003, supporting gun control measures, opposing military intervention in Syria, and supporting efforts to reduce climate change.