William Fitzsimmons at the Raccoon Motel -- September 11.
Sunday, September 11, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
With his 2021 album Ready the Astronaut praised by Pop Matters for its singer/songwriter's "artistry in exploring two stories with nuance and creativity" that results in a "smart and insightful record," William Fitzsimmons headlines a September 11 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the Jacksonville, Illinois resident a three-time iTunes Award winner for albums including The Sparrow & the Crow and Goodnight.
Fitzsimmons' career in music came only after completing a Master's Degree in counseling at Geneva College and working as a mental-health therapist. It was during a summer break in the midst of graduate school that Fitzsimmons recorded a collection of songs on home-recording equipment which would subsequently become his debut album Until When We Are Ghosts in 2005. The singer/songwriter frequently references personal and family subject matter in his works, and his 2006 recording Goodnight is said to have been based largely on his parents' divorce during his adolescence, with 2008's The Sparrow & the Crow written entirely about and following his own divorce. Initially, Fitzsimmons' music was noticed largely through MySpace and touring with fellow artists including Ingrid Michaelson, Brooke Fraser, and Cary Brothers, with several of his songs also receiving memorable placement on popular television series such as Grey's Anatomy.
Following his first two albums, Fitzsimmons released a number of additional recordings including 2011's Gold in the Shadow, 2014's Lions, 2015's Pittsburgh, and a pair of similarly themed releases in 2021's Ready the Astronaut and No Promises: The Astronaut's Return. He has also received shout-outs and rave reviews in Billboard, Rolling Stone, Paste, Spin, Musikexpress, Uncut, Q Magazine, and Performing Songwriter. And in addition to Grey's Anatomy, Fitzsimmons' music has also been featured on ABC's Brothers & Sisters, Private Practice, and Family's Greek, MTV's Life of Ryan and Teen Wolf, the CW's One Tree Hill, CBS's Blue Bloods, Lifetime's Army Wives, and USA Network's Burn Notice.
William Fitzsimmons plays his Davenport engagement on September 11 with an additional set by Stuart Smith, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $25, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
