Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, producer, and actress whose blend of rock, pop, country, blues, folk, and Americana made her one of the defining artists of the 1990s singer-songwriter revival. With a warm, flexible voice and a direct, guitar-centered style, Crow has built a career around songs that combine radio accessibility with personal observation, social awareness, and roots-rock musicianship.
Born in Kennett, Missouri, Crow studied music at the University of Missouri and began her professional career as a music teacher and commercial jingle singer. She later moved to Los Angeles, where she worked as a backing vocalist. Her early credits included appearances on advertising recordings and a position as a vocalist on Michael Jackson's Bad World Tour from 1987 to 1989. She also sang with artists including Don Henley before establishing herself as a solo performer.
Crow's first major breakthrough came with *Tuesday Night Music Club*, released in 1993. The album was created with a group of Los Angeles musicians and songwriters associated with the Tuesday Music Club, including Bill Bottrell, David Baerwald, Kevin Gilbert, Brian MacLeod, and David Ricketts. Although the record initially developed gradually, the single "All I Wanna Do" became an international hit in 1994. Its relaxed groove and conversational lyrics contrasted with the darker emotional undercurrents of songs such as "Strong Enough" and "Leaving Las Vegas." The album eventually sold millions of copies and earned Crow three Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Best New Artist, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Crow took greater control of her songwriting, production, and instrumental work on her self-titled second album, *Sheryl Crow* (1996). The record presented a tougher and more focused sound, moving between rock, blues, folk, and pop. "If It Makes You Happy," "Everyday Is a Winding Road," and "A Change" showed her growing ability to balance catchy arrangements with skepticism about celebrity, consumer culture, and modern life. The album won Grammys for Best Rock Album and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
On *The Globe Sessions* (1998), Crow adopted a more searching and atmospheric approach. The album explored relationship strain, isolation, and self-doubt while retaining her talent for concise rock songwriting. It won another Grammy for Best Rock Album and received an Album of the Year nomination. Crow also contributed "Tomorrow Never Dies" to the James Bond film of the same name and recorded a well-known cover of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine."
Her later work continued to move across genre boundaries. *C'mon, C'mon* (2002) included "Soak Up the Sun" and "Steve McQueen," while *Wildflower* (2005) emphasized polished pop and reflective balladry. *Detours* (2008) returned to sharper political and environmental themes, and *100 Miles from Memphis* (2010) drew heavily on Southern soul and rhythm and blues. Her country-oriented album *Feels Like Home* appeared in 2013, followed by *Be Myself* (2017), *Threads* (2018), and *Evolution* (2024).
Crow's collaborations have included work with Stevie Nicks, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Johnny Cash, Kid Rock, Sting, Vince Gill, and many others. She has also remained active in artist-rights and social causes. In 2023, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, recognizing a body of work that has kept roots-based songwriting at the center of mainstream music.