Jeffrey Scot Tweedy (born August 25, 1967) is an American songwriter, musician, and record producer best known as the singer and guitarist of the band Wilco. Tweedy, originally from Belleville, Illinois, started his music career in high school in his band The Plebes with Jay Farrar, which subsequently after several years formed into the alternative country band Uncle Tupelo. After Uncle Tupelo's fourth studio album, the band broke up in 1994 due to conflict between Tweedy and Farrar, prompting Tweedy to form Wilco, with Farrar forming the band Son Volt. Wilco's first album A.M., released in 1995, received mixed reviews from critics, though Wilco later found critical and commercial success on their later albums, most notably with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born, the latter of which received a Grammy for Best Alternative Album in 2005. Across Tweedy's career he has released fifteen studio albums, including four with Uncle Tupelo, ten with Wilco, and one with his son Spencer, along with numerous collaborations with other musicians, most notably Mermaid Avenue with Billy Bragg.