Loudon Wainwright III On World Cafe

Loudon Wainwright III's new album is titled Older Than My Old Man Now. (Courtesy of Ross Halfin)

Loudon Wainwright III has the makings of a great legacy many times over. His children — including Rufus and Martha — are successful musicians in their own right, and Wainwright's body of work has obviously influenced them. Though he's developed a diverse repertoire of songs, movies, plays and dialogues, Wainwright has focused largely on music since he saw Bob Dylan play the famous Newport Folk Festival in 1962.

Wainwright wrote his first song after being inspired by an old lobsterman named Edgar in a Rhode Island boatyard, and since then, he's recorded more than 20 albums. His witty, self-deprecating style — mixed with a current of easily understood sentimentality — has attracted a large fan base. Wainwright's latest album is a meditation on life, death and family; appropriately, it's a family affair. The title, Older Than My Old Man Now, references his late father, and the record features each of Wainwright's children.

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