Willie Nile (born Robert Anthony Noonan; June 7, 1948)[1] is an American singer-songwriter.
In 1980, Nile released his self-titled debut album. His early career was interrupted by various problems, but he eventually returned to recording and performing in the US and Europe, establishing himself as a singer-songwriter.[2]
Early life
Born in Buffalo, New York,[3] into what he called "a gregarious Irish Catholic family".[4] He grew up with two older brothers who played piano, and a mother who "used to always have music in the house. Whether it was classical or big band or popular hits of the times, something was always playing." His grandfather ran an orchestra in Buffalo and was a vaudeville pianist who played with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Eddie Cantor.[4]
Nile established residency at Kenny's Castaways, a Greenwich Village club, where he was discovered by New York Times music critic Robert Palmer who described Nile as "the most gifted songwriter to emerge from the New York folk scene in some while".[5] This led to a meeting with Clive Davis and a record deal with Arista Records.[6] He went into the studio with a band that included Jay Dee Daugherty from the Patti Smith Group and Fred Smith from Television. He was described by Stephen Holden of the New York Times as a "live wire" in concerts.[7]
After his second album 1981's Golden Down, Nile became involved with protracted legal problems which curtailed his career for a number of years.[11]
Re-emergence
Although he continued to write, Nile did not perform live or record again until a 1987 performance in Oslo, Norway, with Eric Andersen. A videotape of Nile's performance in Norway prompted a Columbia talent scout to sign him to the label in 1988. For reasons that are unclear, production on his album did not start for two more years. It was another significant delay in the troubadour's career. Issued in 1991, his Columbia Records CD, Places I Have Never Been, contained the songs "Everybody Needs A Hammer" and "Heaven Help The Lonely". Places I Have Never Been featured appearances by backing musicians including Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright III, Roger McGuinn, and members of The Hooters and The Roches.[1] On June 11, 1991, Nile was the guest musician on the Late Night with David Letterman show.
Gathering together his resources over time, he put out his first self-released album, Beautiful Wreck of the World, in 1999. It was chosen as one of the Top Ten Albums of the Year by critics at Billboard magazine, The Village Voice and Stereo Review.[citation needed]
Lucinda Williams called "On the Road to Calvary", Nile's song for Jeff Buckley, "One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard". The album reached the finals of the Independent Music Awards for Best Rock Album of the Year.[13]
21st-century renaissance
Nile at the Buffalo Tap Room, 2008
In late 2003, Nile was invited to share the stage at three concerts with the E Street Band, including the two final Giants Stadium shows as well as the two last shows of that particular tour at Shea Stadium.[14][15]
In 2006, Nile released Streets of New York to good reviews. Former Time magazine music critic, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter, Jay Cocks writes of Streets of New York, "The tunes he writes and plays with such blowtorch vibrancy get the myth and magic and danger and sadness and love in this town—of this town—truer, and righter, than anything I've heard since Dion. This record is a head-twister and heart-wrencher. It's rock and roll at its best. It's New York at its best. And there's nothing better than that."[citation needed]
On November 22, 2009, Nile joined the E Street Band for the cover of Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher".[16]
On April 23, 2013, at a ceremony in Leeds, England, Nile was named Legacy Ambassador for the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation.[17]
On June 25, 2013, Nile released his eighth studio album, American Ride through Loud & Proud Records.[18] Nile originally had planned on self-distributing through money raised on PledgeMusic.com. The decision to sign onto a record label occurred after he was approached by Tom Lipsky, president of Loud & Proud Records.[19]The New Yorker said "One of the most brilliant (and most confounding) singer-songwriters of the last thirty years... he reappeared this year with "American Ride", another stellar album of tough, insightful rock and roll.[20]
On November 11, 2014, Nile released If I Was a River, a 10-track all piano album, composed by Nile with assistance from his long-time collaborator Frankie Lee.[21]
On July 27, 2018, Nile released the album Children of Paradise. The album was well received and given excellent reviews. Associated Press' Kiley Armstrong says it is "his best album to date".[26]
In a July 2018 review of the album Audiophilie says "Willie Nile has a lot to say and clearly some great songs in his back pocket. You just need to listen. If you have even a bit of conscience remaining, you should listen to Willie's albums of the last 10 years or so. You might just get inspired by his 21st century renaissance".[27]
On March 15, 2020, Nile released his 13th studio album, New York at Night. Nile described it as "throwing another log on the fire", defining his passion for his music.[citation needed] Along with the title track, the album included the previously released "Run Free", "New York is Rockin'" which he co-wrote with Curtis Stigers for Stigers' 1995 album Time Was, "Surrender the Moon", a song he started with his brother John, who died years ago, and reflections on love; "A Little Bit of Love", "The Last Time We Made Love", and "Downtown Girl".[28]American Songwriter magazine rated the album 3½ of 5 stars and said that Nile belongs in a class of New York songwriters with Dion. Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Garland Jeffreys, The Ramones, New York Dolls and others.[29] Giving the album an 88/100 rating, Elmore Magazine says "Jersey has Bruce Springsteen, but New York has Willie Nile".[30]
In 2022, Nile's 2006 album Streets of New York was chosen "Classic American Album" by David Jarman of Americana-UK.[13]
Nile embarked on a Caribbean cruise in December of 2024, known as "The Willie Nile Caribbean Adventure." This event featured meet and greets, Q&A's, and two private concerts with Nile and his band. <https://fanclubcruises.com/event/willie-nile-band-caribbean-adventure> This trip led privileged guests on a quest through Orlando, Mexico and The Bahamas. Nile took to social media platforms, among Instagram and Facebook, expressing his immense joy at the success of the cruise.
Band members
Current
Jimi K. Bones – guitar
Johnny Pisano – electric and upright bass, backing vocals
^"Willie Nile recently played an unannounced midnight set at Kenny's Castaways, the Greenwich Village club where he was discovered by Arista's Clive Davis". Stereo Review. January 1981.
^Orwat Jr., Thomas S. (March 14, 2016). "Interview – Willie Nile". rockmusicstar.com. Rock Music Star. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2017. But, soon after his 1981 album, 'Golden Down,' Nile's career was put on hold, due to music business legal issues that derailed his career for a decade.
^Skelly, Richard (January 23, 2015). "Light of Day Memories". Asbury Park Press. Archived from the original on May 10, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
