Rufus Wainwright Releases Cover of Judy Garland Classic 'Over The Rainbow'

2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright today shares the Judy Garland classic "Over The Rainbow."

"I was about 5 years old when I started singing "Somewhere over the Rainbow". My mom would occasionally wake me up in the middle of the night and make me sing the song to guests to end the party. They would feel so bad that the kid was still up that late at night and leave. Much later, she accompanied me on the piano at Carnegie Hall, the Palladium, the Olympia and the Hollywood Bowl during the Rufus does Judy shows in 2006 and 2007. After she passed away, I am only doing the beginning lines of the song a cappella without any piano accompaniment as an honor and memory to her and the hole she has left behind. It has a deeply personal meaning to me to sing this song. I think my mom and I singing that song together was also her finally acknowledging my homosexuality with which she struggled for a long time. I am sure that similarly to my experience this song means a lot to LGBTQ folks young and old and their struggles with coming out and living a proud queer life." -Rufus Wainwright

The song's release comes at the cusp of Pride Month and was recorded for the singer's upcoming virtual concert event: Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios. That concert sees Wainwright performing his groundbreaking 2007 tribute to Judy Garland, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall, in its entirety, live from Los Angeles' famed Capitol Studios. The event will premiere Thursday, June 10 at 8:00 PM (AEDT/EST/CET), celebrating what would have been Garland's 99th birthday. Tickets for Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios are available now exclusively via Veeps priced at $30 (advance)/$35 (day of show). There will also be ticket bundles available with the opportunity for fans to participate in an intimate Q&A with Rufus priced at $60 (advance) / $65 (day of show). Ticket buyers also will have access to an exclusive film "Inside the Red Ruby Slippers - Backstage with Rufus does Judy at Capitol Studios" which has behind the scenes of this special event.

Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios will see Wainwright backed by a four-piece band in front a micro-audience comprised of 2x Academy Award-winning actress Renée Zellweger, winner of last year's "Best Actress" Oscar for her spectacular performance as Garland in 2019's Judy. In addition, Wainwright will be joined musically by award-winning star of stage and screen Kristin Chenoweth in person at Capitol Studios and his sister Martha Wainwright from Montreal.

"I've been wanting my moment with Rufus for forever. It's finally happening!" says Chenoweth.

"I am still awed by Rufus' voice just as I was 22 years ago in a friend's living room where I heard him perform for the first time," says Zellweger. "Witnessing Rufus do the entire Judy Garland Carnegie Hall show was the most special day and I loved sharing the time."

The first complete performance of the Rufus Does Judy tribute in five years, Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios will be commemorated with a limited edition t-shirt created for the occasion in partnership with Wainwright's longtime friend, legendary designer Michael Kors. The t-shirts will be available via Rufus' Merch Store for pre-order immediately and in Michael Kors Collection stores nationwide towards the end of May, with all proceeds benefitting LGBT human rights organization OutRight Action International through June - Pride Month 2021 - or while supplies last. The t-shirt marks the latest collaboration between Kors and Wainwright, whom earlier this month performed music for the blockbuster launch of Kors' 40th-anniversary collection for Fall/Winter 2021.

Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios - which marks a rare complete performance of Wainwright's now-legendary homage to 1961's Judy Garland At Carnegie Hall - showcases more than twenty-five American standards spanning swing, jazz, and pop, including three songs by George & Ira Gershwin, two Rodgers & Hart classics, two from Howard Dietz & Arthur Schwartz, plus favorites by Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg, Irving Berlin, Noël Coward, and more. Among the highlights are such Garland signature songs as "The Man That Got Away," "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," "Swanee," and of course, "Over The Rainbow," along with a special bonus rendition of "Get Happy," which was not performed by Garland at the original 1961 concert.

An ingenious, compellingly charismatic live artist, Wainwright recently announced "Unfollow The Rules In The Local Valley Tour" a live in-person tour where he'll perform songs from his much-lauded 2020 album Unfollow The Rules Tour along with classic songs from his illustrious catalog. For scheduled dates and other information, please visit rufuswainwright.com/tour.

Listen to "Over the Rainbow" here: