Essra Mohawk: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
• Related Artists

• Videos
• Photos
• Groups/Boards
• Fan Sites

• James Grant
• Grant Lee Phillips
• Amel Larrieux

• Frank Zappa
• Jerry Garcia
• Peabo Bryson
• Rita Coolidge
• Cyndi Lauper
• Tina Turner

Birth Name:

Sandra Elayne Hurvitz

Genres:

Alternative Rock Music, Progressive Rock Music

Decades Active:

1960's|1970's|1980's|1990's|2000's

Artistic Quality

Low

Ratings Guide

Singer/songwriter Essra Mohawk (b. Sandra Elayne Hurvitz, Philadelphia, PA) is one of those unfortunate artists whose work is celebrated by critics and a small group of ardent admirers, but never by the public at large. In the course of a bumpy career she has made eight albums, each for different record labels. As a songwriter, she has enjoyed some measure of success, but over 30 years into her career she still remains a well-kept secret. Mohawk's first single was "The Boy With the Way" with B-side "Memory of Your Voice" on Liberty Records in 1964. She declined several offers of staff writerships, although the Shangri-Las and Vanilla Fudge began recording her material. In 1967, Mohawk met Frank Zappa, eventually joining the Mothers of Invention, where she reluctantly assumed the moniker Uncle Meat. Frank Zappa signed her to his Bizarre label (a Verve subsidiary) and her first album, Sandy's Album Is Here at Last, appeared soon after.

In 1969, Sandra Hurvitz became Essra Mohawk and recorded her second album, Primordial Lovers, hailed as one of the best 25 albums ever made by ~Rolling Stone magazine. The album missed out on wider publicity and never charted. During her tenure with David Geffen, Mohawk languished unjustly in the shadows of Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell. In 1974, Mohawk moved to the Asylum label, where she released Essra Mohawk. Again, critical acclaim was abundant, but proper promotion and healthy sales were not. Two years later, the same fate greeted her fourth album, Essra, which appeared on Private Stock. Further albums, Burnin' Shinin' and E-Turn fared no better, but in 1986 Mohawk enjoyed a huge hit as the songwriter of Cyndi Lauper's ~Billboard number three hit, "Change of Heart," and later in that decade Tina Turner recorded "Stronger Than the Wind," again penned by Mohawk. Since then, she has recorded further albums Raindance and Essie Mae Hawk Meets the Killer Groove Band, to the rapturous applause of her ever-loyal following.

- Charles Donovan, All Music Guide