Sufjan Stevens

BIOGRAPHY

Sufjan Stevens was born in Detroit in 1975 and raised in Alanson, Michigan, after his family moved north when he was nine. Of Lithuanian and Greek descent, he was given his Arabic-derived name by the founder of Subud, the spiritual community his parents belonged to. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Hope College and released his debut, A Sun Came, in 2000 on Asthmatic Kitty Records, the label he co-founded with his stepfather. His ambitious 'states' project reached its peak with 2005's Illinois, which went gold and produced the single 'Chicago.' Stevens kept reinventing himself, layering electronic textures on The Age of Adz (2010) and confronting his mother's death on Carrie & Lowell (2015). He earned Academy Award and Grammy nominations for 'Mystery of Love,' written for Call Me by Your Name. In 2023 he dedicated Javelin to his partner Evans Richardson, the first time he spoke publicly about his sexuality. The following year, Illinois was adapted into the Broadway musical Illinoise, which won a Tony Award for choreography.

WHY THEY'RE COOL

Sufjan Stevens turned indie folk into something structurally daring, threading Philip Glass style repetition through orchestral pop and confessional songwriting. Illinois was hailed as a masterpiece and became one of the best-reviewed albums of 2005, its ambition later validated when the record was reimagined as the Tony-winning Broadway musical Illinoise. Few songwriters move as fluidly between historical pageantry, personal grief, and electronic experimentation while retaining such intimacy.

GEORGE'S PLAYS

George has played this artist 2 times.

PLAYED ON WOKE1

• Casimir Pulaski Day1 PLAY
• Back To Oz1 PLAY