Renowned musician Sufjan Stevens will not be forgotten in a hurry, having made a significant impact on the music industry. He is a songwriter, composer, and a multi-talented instrumentalist who started as far back as the 90s to mesmerize his audience with his unparalleled talent. Music has always been the life of the artist who earnestly tailors his song within the Indie folk genre. There is so much to know about the enigmatic artist who wears angels’ wings for his live shows. Here are lesser known facts about Sufjan Stevens.
Sufjan Stevens’ Biography
He was born on July 1, 1975, in Detroit Michigan. The artist who is of Lithuanian and Greek descent moved from Detroit to Petoskey alongside his family when he was nine. Always inclined to arts, he initially wanted to be a writer but gradually diffused into songwriting and producing when he was in the university, at Hope College in rural Holland, Michigan. Thanks to his mother’s second husband Lowell Brams, Stevens was introduced to the art of making music and he soon discovered that he was more of a songwriter than anything else.
He started out his music career when he joined his first band Marzuki. At the band, Stevens did more of instrumentals, playing guitar and piano, while Shannon Steven wrote the songs. The group soon broke up and Sufjan soon wrote and recorded his first solo album A Sun Came. The album was released in 1999 on Asthmatic Kitty Records owned by his step-father. After his group’s break up Stevens later moved to New York to fulfill his writing desires while he kept on testing waters in music. His second album Enjoy Your Rabbit was soon released while he was in New York. The first two albums were nothing compared to his third, Michigan, which was a massive hit.
Seven Swans was the next album that followed and it was a compilation of songs which the singer recorded previously. Stevens in 2005 released Illinois, his second state LP which received great critical acclaim and was a huge commercial success.
The latter part of 2006 saw the release of the singer’s uniquely recorded Christmas songs which formed the album Christmas. Stevens went on a hiatus after that but came back in 2009 with ‘Run Rabbit Run‘. He also worked on an album ‘Music For Insomnia’ with Lowell Brams, his stepfather. In 2012, Stevens dished another set of Christmas songs; Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas. His eighth studio album, Carrie & Lowell came through in 2015.
His Net Worth
Sufjan Stevens sits on a net worth of $4 million by estimation. The legendary artist who ruled his world in his vibrant days lives a comfortable life.
Is He Gay?
With sensually tailored lyrics that seem attributed to the Supreme Being – God, Stevens has left the entire public wondering who he dedicates his songs to.
What makes it more complicated is the fact that the singer who wears angels wings during performances, asserts that he is a Christian. He attended Hope College, a Christian school and identifies himself as a Christian. But his notoriously private nature has made unraveling his personal life a daunting task for the curious media and public who have continued to dig to no avail. This is why questions about his sexuality have continued to pop up.
To deliberate on the supposed Christian aspect of his songs, Seven Swans is an album that more or less justifies the singer as a Christian. The album which is classified almost as a gospel collection features events from the Christian bible including, the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, Abraham the father of Christianity, and other biblical references. These and more created a gospel image for the album as well as the composer.
Coming to the Gay aspect of his songs, Seven Swans plays a major role here too, as some of Sufjan’s tracks on the album also touches on verbal affections indirectly aimed at the same sex, according to analysis. Recalling the lyrics ‘You gave up a wife.. to be with me’’ and many others leaves his audience wondering if the singer still refers to God.
Does He Have A Wife?
Sufjan is one of the celebrities who spares no information about his personal life to the public. This has made it difficult for the media to get a confirmation on his sexual orientation, creating room for more speculations and assumptions. As it stands, no one can ascertain if the songwriter is married, if he has a wife, or if he is dating anyone.