Rufus Wainwright was identified as gay while a teenager. He has been openly gay throughout his professional career, even stating emphatically to his record company at the start that he was gay and would not hide it. He is married to Jörn Weisbrodt. Rufus Wainwright, born in New York in 1973 to folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer.
Raised primarily in Montreal by his mother, he developed an early passion for opera, which significantly influenced his distinctive musical style, often described as “popera” or “baroque pop.” Wainwright signed with DreamWorks Records in 1996, releasing his critically acclaimed self-titled debut in 1998, followed by “Poses” in 2001.
His career highlights include writing two classical operas, “Prima Donna” and “Hadrian,” setting Shakespeare’s sonnets to music, and recreating Judy Garland’s legendary Carnegie Hall concert. He has released eleven studio albums and collaborated with numerous artists, establishing himself as a unique voice in contemporary music.
