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Biography

Emily Saliers was born on July 22, 1963 in New Haven, Connecticut, while Amy Ray was born the following year on April 12, 1964, in Atlanta, Georgia. The two met when Emily Saliers' family moved to Decatur, Georgia. Emily was enrolled in Laurel Ridge Elementary School, the school that fifth grader Amy Ray was already attending. Their musical affiliation began when the two were in high school. Calling themselves "Saliers and Ray" and "The B-Band," they formed a musical act and their first rehearsals took place at school talent shows. They quickly moved up the ranks, playing at open mike nights in local bars. In 1981, they recorded their first tape, Tuesday's Children in Amy Ray's basement, followed by a 1982 recording of "Color Me Grey," a solo effort by Ray.



The duo's name, "Indigo Girls," was not adopted until 1985 (Ray had seen the word "indigo" in a dictionary and thought it was catchy). With the release of their first single, "Crazy Game/Everybody's Waiting For Someone to Come Home (a B-side)," the music industry had yet to catch on. In 1987, the Indigo Girls independently released their first album, Strange Fire (it was rereleased in 1989 under the Epic label). Though they were told that they would never secure a deal because their songs were apparently too "immature," their music eventually led to a record deal with Epic Records in 1988. February 1989 saw the release of their first, major-label album, Indigo Girls, which spawned the classic song, "Closer To Fine."



The album far exceeded anyone's expectations and eventually earned platinum certification. After taking home the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Recording and receiving a nomination for Best New Artist, there was no denying that they were here to stay. Indeed, the Indigo Girls would go on to release 10 more albums, such as 1992's Rites of Passage, 1995's 1200 Curfews, and their most recent, Become You. In addition to recording and performing, Ray also started her own record label, Daemon Records.



In 2006, the Indigo Girls were featured in artist P!nk's album, I'm Not Dead in the song, "Dear Mr. President", which has been regarded as a political statement to George W. Bush about poverty, LGBT rights, abortion rights, and the No Child Left Behind Act.



During June 2007, the Indigo Girls were a part of the multi-artist True Colors Tour 2007,, on the tour's Las Vegas stop, which benefitted the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations that provide support to the GLBT community.



The Indigo Girls are mentioned in Stephen King's book Rose Madder. They are depicted playing at a picnic for a women's shelter.