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Syd Straw
Biography
Vocalist, singer/songwriter, and guitarist Syd Straw first made a name for herself as part of the Golden Palominos, a band led by Anton Fier that enjoyed a cult following in the 1980s. Her Capricorn Records debut, War and Peace, was released in 1996, and since then her unique blend of folk-rock and blues-rock have found a home with Triple A (adult album alternative) radio stations and their audiences around the country. Straw has only one other solo album, Surprise, released in 1990 to good reviews. That recording chronicled Straw's emergence as a songwriter, which as she had thought of herself primarily as a song interpreter before that. On Surprise, Straw was joined by Michael Stipe (R.E.M.), John Doe (X), Ry Cooder, Daniel Lanois, Don Was, Richard Thompson and Marshall Crenshaw.

Straw was raised in Los Angeles, the daughter of Hollywood film and TV actor Jack Straw, best known for his starring role in The Pajama Game. She was drawn to a life as a performer, and after high school, she headed straight for Manhattan, arriving in New York in 1978. Shortly after that, she landed her first job singing harmonies for Pat Benatar, and later joined the Golden Palominos' ever-changing lineup, which also included Michael Stipe and Matthew Sweet.
Selected Discography

Surprise
1989