Poe

Poe Artistfacts

  • March 23, 1967
  • Her parents divorced when she was 16. Instead of living with either of them, she moved to New York City on her own.
  • Poe graduated from Princeton. She got a full scholorship because she was an emancipated teenager, meaning she got no financial support from her parents. She used the music studios at Princeton to develop her production skills. She formed various bands at this time.
  • She was deeply affected by the death of her father in 1993. Many of her songs are about him.
  • Poe recorded her second album, Haunted, on her computer, which wasn't common in 2000. This allowed her to lay down tracks and change them at will, which seems quaint now, but was a big deal at the time.
  • Poe was one of the first artists to use the internet to promote her music. The rise of her music career coincided with the rise of the internet.
  • Her real name is Annie Danielewski. When she was about 10 she was captivated by Edgar Allen Poe's short story The Masque Of The Red Death, so when her parents took her to a costume party, she dressed up as death. "I was right at the age when you're starting to get morbid and thinking your parents are stupid," she told the New York Daily News. "I named myself Poe to give everyone a hint."
  • Poe released albums in 1995 and 2000, and then ran into problems with her label, Atlantic Records. She remained very quiet in the ensuing years, as it appeared she was restricted from releasing music for any other label.

Comments: 2

  • Mary from Phoenix, AzThat was actually funny, Peanut!
  • Peanut from Pomonkey, MdShe makes so much money now that she is going to change her name from Poe to Rich.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin Popoff

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.

The Girl in That Song

The Girl in That SongFact or Fiction

Billie Jean, Delilah, Sara, Laura and Sharona - do you know who the girls in the songs really are?

Adam Duritz of Counting Crows

Adam Duritz of Counting CrowsSongwriter Interviews

"Mr. Jones" took on new meaning when the song about a misguided view of fame made Adam famous.

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song Spoofs

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song SpoofsSong Writing

When singers started spoofing their own songs on Sesame Street, the results were both educational and hilarious - here are the best of them.