When I was a kid, my dad played a lot of Loudon Wainwright III. Particularly “Dead Skunk,” but that’s a different story.
I avoided delving into Loudon’s discography for a long time, probably on account of the emotional wounds I was afraid I’d reopen by doing so. Lately, though, I’ve been reading up on the Wainwright family stories and spending a lot of time with Rufus and Loudon’s songs about their home life. There’s so much honesty, pain, love, hate in the art of these two men.
So, here’s some highlights of their relationship; that time Loudon hit Martha, the death of Kate McGarrigle (Loudon’s ex-wife and Rufus’ mother), and Rufus’ cover of one of his dad’s favorite songs.
