Cortney Tidwell
Cortney Tidwell performs live at The Stone Fox, Nashville, TN
Background information
BornDecember 2, 1972
Nashville, Tennessee
GenresExperimental, Alternative, Electronic
Occupation(s)singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
Instrument(s)drums, guitar, omnichord, keyboards
Years active2000–present
LabelsCity Slang, Ever Records (U.K.), Sissybragg Records
Websitewww.myspace.com/cortneytidwell

Cortney Tidwell is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

Personal life

Cortney Lara Tidwell was born on December 2, 1972, in Nashville, Tennessee to country singer Connie Eaton and Cliff Williamson, music producer at A&R. Her paternal grandfather Slim Williamson founded and operated country music label Chart Records. Her maternal grandfather, Robert "Bob" Eaton, was a member of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1950s and was signed to Decca Records. In later years he was a frequent guest on The Ralph Emery Show and was known as "Roadmap Bob". Cortney made her television debut at the age of five on this show. She said her favorite country performer was Conway Twitty and sang "I'm Not Lisa" by Jessi Colter.

Most of Tidwell's family played at or was associated with The Grand Ole Opry. Her mother Connie, a celebrity in Nashville, was friends with Jack Clement. She wrote songs with him, and collaborated with other musicians such as Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristofferson. She was also a friend of Shel Silverstein. Connie was diagnosed with manic depression in the early 1970s, and by the mid-1980's had withdrawn from the music scene. Attempts were made to discourage Cortney from pursuing music, but she married and started a family while continuing to sing and play guitar.

Cortney's musical genes reemerged following the death of her mother. In 2004, she began recording with her husband, Todd Tidwell, a renowned producer, recording engineer, and musician, who often contributed his playing and songwriting to his wife's songs. A childhood friend Matthew Zarth, also an artist, believed in what Cortney and Todd were creating and offered to fund the first run of CDs on his label ‘SISSYBRAGG RECORDS’ Cortney and her husband put together DIY copies at home and Nashville took notice. The Nashville scene consistently sang her praises and the late editor, Jim Ridley called her "Nashville’s real songbird", She performed at Springwater with various musicians, but then began playing all the instruments herself at the same time due to raising the children and working as a preschool teacher, this was the best she could do without a band. Nashville embraced the new setup and Cortney showed brilliant showmanship and determination on her own, a one-woman band. She caught the attention of Lou Barlow of Sebadoh and opened a show for them which turned into a courtship.

To date, Cortney has released two full-length LPs and two EPs under her name with City Slang Records. In addition, she has also participated in a collaborative album of reimagined songs originally recorded for and released by her grandfather's Chart Records in the 1960s. featuring Kurt Wagner, William Tyler, and other members of Lambchop, under the name KORT. ( also released on City Slang. She toured Europe extensively with her band, consisting of very renowned musicians including bassist Adam Bednarik, – Keyboard and guitarist Ryan Norris (lambchop, coupler, hands off Cuba) -Drummer Scott Martin (lambchop, hands off Cuba, hobbledeions). -William Tyler (lambchop, silver Jews). Wyatt Mims, Aaron Thompson, and Jim James also contributed.

Cortney and Todd have two sons, Discography.

  • Cortney Tidwell EP (2005, Sissybragg Records)
  • Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up (2007, Ever Records)
  • Boys (2009, City Slang)
    • Includes "Oh, China," which features a traditional Chinese melody and (indistinct) English vocals
  • Invariable Heartache (2010, City Slang) with Kurt Wagner
    • Contains new versions of songs originally recorded for Chart Records
  • Clandestine (2012–2014, as yet unreleased)
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