Singer-songwriter and Simpsons star Shawn Colvin to play Sunderland's Fire Station

Shawn Colvin, a Grammy winner and singer songwriter for more than 30 years, performs at The Fire Station at 7.30pm on Wednesday, September 20 as part of a short, rare UK tour.

Born in South Dakota and raised in Illinois and Canada, Shawn started performing professionally at university. In 1980 she moved to New York where she became involved in the Fast Folk co-operative in Greenwich Village.

She performed in off-Broadway shows until she was hired to sing backing vocals on Suzanne Vega’s worldwide hit, Luka in 1987.

After touring with Vega her debut album Steady On was released in 1989. It won a Best Contemporary Folk Album Grammy. Her 1992 album, Fat City, received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. A single from the album, I Don’t Know Why, was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Female Pop Vocal category.

In 1996 Shawn released her album A Few Small Repairs, which included what became her biggest hit to date, Sunny Came Home. Several albums and many tours followed, cementing her reputation as one of the most loved and respected Americana singer-songwriters.

In 2012, he published her critically acclaimed autobiography Diamond in the Rough, which detailed her struggles with depression, alcoholism and anxiety.

Since then she has continued to record as both a solo artist and collaborating with others including Sting, Bruce Hornsby and James Taylor. Shawn even provided the voice for Ned Flanders’ love interest Rachel Jordan in The Simpsons.

She has appeared on countless TV and radio shows while her songs have featured in several major movies.

The Fire Station’s venue director Tamsin Austin, said: “We are delighted to be presenting Shawn Colvin at The Fire Station.

"She’s a captivating performer and a great storyteller. With three decades under her belt as a songwriter and performer she has an incredibly dedicated fan base but still deserves a much wider audience.

“Tickets are selling very quickly for her performance next month and I would love to see her play to a full house.”

Tickets, priced from £30, can be booked at www.sunderlandculture.org.uk.