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Kurt Elling: Biography, Facts and Career

Who is Kurt Elling? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
Kurt Elling
Palma Kolansky via Wikimedia Commons · Attribution

Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church. He sang in choirs and played musical instruments. He encountered jazz while a student at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. After college, he enrolled in the University of Chicago Divinity School, but he left one credit short of a degree to pursue a career as a jazz vocalist. Elling began to perform around Chicago, scat singing and improvising his lyrics. He recorded a demo in the early 1990s and was signed by Blue Note. He has been nominated for seventeen Grammy Awards, winning Best Vocal Jazz Album for Dedicated to You (2009) and Secrets Are the Best Stories (2021). Elling often leads the Down Beat magazine Critics' Poll. He had a longtime collaboration with pianist Laurence Hobgood, leading a quartet that toured throughout the world.

Quick facts about Kurt Elling

  • Full name: Kurt Elling
  • Born: 1967-11-02
  • Nationality: United States
  • Known as: Musician
  • Wikidata ID: Q948868

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Kurt Elling?

Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church.

What nationality is Kurt Elling?

Kurt Elling is United States.

When was Kurt Elling born?

Kurt Elling was born on 1967-11-02.

Sources

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