Nora O'Connor

Nora O'Connor first earned notice through her role in the Blacks, where she sometimes performed under the name Nora Black, and through her stage and studio work alongside Andrew Bird, the New Pornographers, the Aluminum Group, Chris Mills, Otis Clay, and Mavis Staples. In her hometown of Chicago she is also recognized for working as a bartender, a midwife’s assistant, and an ordained reverend. Born there as a first-generation Irish-American, she learned the traditional Irish repertoire from her father. Alternative-country listeners first encountered her in 1994 after she joined the Blacks. She stepped away from the group in 1996 and issued her debut solo album, Cerulean Blue, as an independent release that spring. Two years later the Blacks issued their Bloodshot debut, Dolly Horrorshow, on the same day the Chicago Kate Bush tribute I Wanna Be Kate appeared, the latter containing O’Connor’s rendition of “The Saxophone Song.” The Blacks disbanded around 2000, yet O’Connor remained a sought-after backing vocalist, frequently appearing with Andrew Bird. By 2004 she resumed her solo career; Bloodshot welcomed her return and issued Til the Dawn that August.