Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets Perform “Blue on Blue”

Nick Lowe is a world-famous musician and music producer. He had hits in the 1970s with songs “I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass” and “ Cruel to be Kind” and wrote the well-known Elvis Costello song “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding.”

Born in 1949 near London, England, Lowe joined his first band at age 18. In the early 1970s this group, Brinsley Schwarz, became popular on the London pub rock circuit, recording six albums and playing on tour with Paul McCartney’s Wings. Lowe wrote several of his biggest songs with the band, but it was his first two solo albums, Jesus of Cool (1978) and Labour of Lust (1979) that gave him his greatest success. The song “Cruel to be Kind” from Jesus of Cool reached number 12 in both the US and UK singles charts.

Although Lowe continues to release albums and tour, he has found increasing fame as a producer and songwriter. He worked on records with the Damned, Elvis Costello, and the Pretenders, and his songs were recorded by Johnny Cash (his former stepfather-in-law) and Wilco, among others.