Erik Della Penna (born June 2, 1965) is an American musician, composer, and lyricist. He is known for co-composing the musical Dead Outlaw[1] with David Yazbek, and for being the principal guitarist for pop singer Natalie Merchant.[2][3] In 2024 he was nominated for three Drama Desk Awards, winning one, for Outstanding Lyrics.[4]
Early life
Della Penna was born in The Bronx and grew up on Long Island, New York. He received a degree in Classical Guitar from the Mannes School of Music.[3]
Career
In 1994, Della Penna began touring with the pop singer Joan Osborne on the Mercury Records label. Later, he toured and recorded with American singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant in support of several studio albums. During this time he also toured with folk singer Joan Baez and joined the international band Hazmat Modine as a guitarist and songwriter.[5] Della Penna also has his own band called Kill Henry Sugar.[6]
