Fountains Of Wayne

Biography

Fountains of Wayne was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1995. The principal songwriters were Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger, who first met as freshmen at Williams College. After college, they went their separate ways but reunited in the mid-1990s to form the band, named after a lawn ornament store in Wayne, New Jersey. The lineup was completed by guitarist Jody Porter and drummer Brian Young.

Musical Career

The band's debut self-titled album was released in 1996 and received positive critical reception, with the single "Radiation Vibe" gaining some traction on modern rock radio. That same year, Schlesinger wrote the hit title track for the Tom Hanks-directed film "That Thing You Do!", which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Their second album, 1999's "Utopia Parkway," was a concept album about suburban life that, despite critical acclaim, did not perform well commercially, leading to the band being dropped by their label, Atlantic Records.

Mainstream Success

After a hiatus, the band signed with S-Curve Records and released "Welcome Interstate Managers" in 2003. This album featured their most famous song, "Stacy's Mom," which became a massive international hit and a pop culture phenomenon. The song's success, fueled by a popular music video starring model Rachel Hunter, led to two Grammy Award nominations in 2004 for Best New Artist and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The album also included other well-regarded tracks like "Mexican Wine" and "Hey Julie".

Later Years and Disbandment

Fountains of Wayne released two more studio albums, "Traffic and Weather" in 2007 and "Sky Full of Holes" in 2011. While they continued to receive critical praise for their songwriting, tensions grew between Collingwood and Schlesinger. The band played their final show in 2013 and subsequently went on an indefinite hiatus, never officially announcing a breakup.

Post-Breakup and Adam Schlesinger's Death

Following the band's hiatus, the members pursued other projects. Tragically, on April 1, 2020, Adam Schlesinger died at the age of 52 from complications related to COVID-19. His death was a significant loss to the music community. The surviving members of Fountains of Wayne reunited for a one-off tribute performance in his honor later that month.