1980–1985 After launching a trio in New York with brother Robert on drums and Chris Donato on bass, Crenshaw recorded his debut single, "Something's Gonna Happen," for
Alan Betrock's Shake Records in 1981. He then signed to
Warner Bros. Records, crediting its welcoming environment as instrumental in his decision. Crenshaw's
eponymous first album reached number 50 on the American album charts in 1982 and included his signature US hit, "
Someday, Someway". Neo-rockabilly musician
Robert Gordon had recorded the song in 1981, reaching number 76; Crenshaw's own version made number 36 the next year, becoming his only solo
Billboard top 40 hit; the single would also reach number 31 on the
Cashbox charts and number 25 on the
Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Other songs from the album, including "
There She Goes Again," "
Cynical Girl," and "
Mary Anne," have since become fan favorites. Crenshaw himself later expressed a dislike for the album's production, though the album saw critical acclaim and was ranked by
Rolling Stone as one of the top 100 albums of the 1980s. His second album,
Field Day, was released in June 1983 with a bigger production courtesy of producer
Steve Lillywhite which divided opinion at the time. Despite positive critical reception, the album was a commercial disappointment, charting lower than his debut at number 52. Despite Crenshaw's enthusiasm for the song, lead single "
Whenever You're on My Mind" failed to reach the Hot 100, peaking third on the
Bubbling Under charts. Crenshaw later defended the album's production, criticizing the UK-released
U.S. Remix EP of watered-down alternate mixes of the album tracks "
Our Town", "For Her Love" (in standard and extended versions) and "Monday Morning Rock." Due to the commercial decline of
Field Day, Crenshaw's relationship with Warner Bros. began to deteriorate and he sought to change his sound on his third album. 1985's
Downtown featured a rootsier sound and was stewarded by producer
T Bone Burnett (except for "
Blues Is King", produced by
Mitch Easter). The album reached number 110 on the Billboard chart.
1986–1996 In 1986, Crenshaw and his band made a feature appearance playing in the high school reunion scenes in
Francis Ford Coppola's film
Peggy Sue Got Married, and contributed "
You Belong to Me" to the soundtrack album. Crenshaw also portrayed
Buddy Holly in the 1987
Ritchie Valens biopic
La Bamba, performing his cover of Holly's "
Crying, Waiting, Hoping" on screen and on the soundtrack album. The album reached number one on Billboard and was certified double platinum. Also in 1986, Owen Paul's recording of "
You're My Favorite Waste of Time" reached number three in the UK and was awarded a Silver Disc. Crenshaw had written the song in 1979 backstage at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, while appearing there with “Beatlemania”. In 1987, Crenshaw released his fourth album,
Mary Jean & 9 Others, produced by
Don Dixon and featuring
Joe Jackson Band bassist
Graham Maby on bass. His final album for Warner Bros. in 1989,
Good Evening, included several cover songs, a decision Crenshaw attributed to his lack of faith in the album and his label.
Good Evening featured the first released version of
Diane Warren's "
Some Hearts", later covered by
Carrie Underwood. In 1989, he compiled a collection of
Capitol Records country performers of the 1950s and 1960s called
Hillbilly Music...Thank God, Vol. 1. In 1993, he made an appearance in the TV show
The Adventures of Pete and Pete as a guitar-playing meter reader, and in 1994, he published a book as editor and contributor, ''Hollywood Rock: A Guide to Rock 'n' Roll in the Movies''. In 1995, he appeared in the music video for
Yo La Tengo's single
Tom Courtenay. Crenshaw released two more studio albums during this period, ''
Life's Too Short (1991) on MCA Records and the self-produced and largely self-performed Miracle of Science (1996) on the independent label Razor & Tie. Life's Too Short'' featured "Better Back Off", which reached number 17 on Billboard's
Alternative Songs Chart. In 2004 he played guitar as a special guest with the reunited members of the
MC5. Crenshaw penned the title track from the 2007 film
Walk Hard From 2011 until a hiatus in 2017, Crenshaw hosted a radio show called
The Bottomless Pit on
WFUV in New York, featuring his vast collection of recorded music. The show went on a hiatus in 2017 while Crenshaw works on a documentary about producer
Tom Wilson. In 2013, Marshall joined his young friend Viktor Huganet in
France, recorded in studio a few songs and played in
Paris. Crenshaw continues to perform about 40-50 concerts a year, most of them within driving distance of his family home. Crenshaw himself has dubbed these shows part of "the NPR singer-songwriter circuit". Since 2022, Crenshaw has toured with a regular backing band celebrating his "40 Years in Showbiz". The band consists of
Fernando Perdomo on guitar and vocals, Derrick Anderson on bass and vocals, and Mark Ortmann on drums. ==Legacy==