Jeff Tweedy's Headshot

Jeff Tweedy

Frontman of Wilco, Author, Grammy Award-winning Musician - Panelist Blurb

Jeff Tweedy, the songwriter and frontman of the legendary indie rock band Wilco, is considered among the most influential American contemporary musicians. Since beginning Wilco in 1994, he has written hundreds of original songs, sold millions of records worldwide, won three Grammy Awards, received rave reviews from critics, and built a dedicated fan base.

Tweedy first came to prominence as the bassist for the iconic alt-country band Uncle Tupelo, earning them a passionate cult following. Following Uncle Tupelo’s breakup, Tweedy formed Wilco in 1994 and quickly became one of America’s most critically acclaimed indie rock bands. Wilco’s 2002 album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 2000’s – Rolling Stone ranked it as #3 on its list of 100 best albums of the decade.  In 2004, their album A Ghost is Born won a Grammy Award for “Best Alternative Music Album.”

As of 2021, he has released 11 albums with Wilco, four solo albums, partnered with soul legend Mavis Staples on multiple albums, and started a new band with his sons and other Chicago-area friends, among numerous other artistic pursuits.

Hailed by writer George Saunders as “our great, wry, American consolation poet,” Tweedy opened up about his past, his music, and the people who inspired him in his New York Times bestselling memoir, Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back). This long-awaited memoir contained never-before-told stories about childhood and family, career and collaborators, addiction and mental health, honesty, and morality. His follow-up 2020 book, How to Write One Song, not only brings readers into the intimate process of songwriting, but reaches beyond music to stress the importance of making space for creativity as a balanced part of life.

Now, Tweedy brings his captivating storytelling to live events for fans, performers, or anyone who wants to make more room for art in their lives. Beyond stories from his incredible career, Tweedy gives concrete advice on working through a creative block, becoming comfortable with failure, and bringing play back into the creative process.

In 2020, Tweedy made headlines when he announced that he would commit 5% of future songwriting revenue to organizations dedicated to social justice. In a statement that served as an industry-wide call to action, he wrote, “The modern music industry is built almost entirely on Black art. The wealth that rightfully belongs to Black artists was stolen outright…I’ve often thought there should be an industry-wide plan to address this enormous injustice.”

While quarantining during the COVID pandemic, Tweedy and his wife, Susie Tweedy, launched “The Tweedy Show,” a nightly Instagram live discussion and performance hour starring their family. In addition to his memoir and How to Write One Song, Tweedy is also the author of Adult Head, a book of poems.

When he isn’t on the road, he lives with his family in Chicago.