Rufus is the son of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, who died of cancer in 2010 at 63. His sister, Martha Wainwright, is also a musician. Loudon and Kate got married in 1971, had Rufus in 1973, had Martha in 1976, but split up soon after. Rufus and Martha were mainly raised by their mother.
He was an early signing to the DreamWorks label, which was partly owned by Steven Spielberg and had their hooks in films as well as music. In 2001, the label helped secure Wainwright two high-profile placements: His cover of "Across The Universe" was used in the film I Am Sam, and his sublime rendition of "Hallelujah" appeared in Shrek. These covers, especially of "Hallelujah," are streamed far more than any of his original songs.
Rufus says he inherited his father's voice and mannerisms, but he learned from his mother.
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