Jesse Winchester
born on 17/5/1944 in Bossier City, LA, United States
died on 11/4/2014 in Charlottesville, VA, United States
Jesse Winchester
Jesse Winchester is the stage name of musician James Ridout Winchester (born May 17, 1944, in Bossier City, Louisiana)
Winchester was raised in northern Mississippi and the city of Memphis, Tennessee. He attended Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, graduating in 1966. Upon receiving his draft notice the following year, Winchester moved to Montreal, Quebec to avoid military service. He became a Canadian citizen in 1973.
Winchester had begun playing guitar in bands while still a high school student. He also played in Germany during college study abroad and after graduation. Upon arriving in Quebec in 1967, he joined a local band, the Astronautes. At this time, he also began writing songs that he performed as a solo artist in coffee houses throughout eastern Canada. Under the auspices of The Band's Robbie Robertson, Winchester began his recording career in 1970 with his self-titled album, released on the Ampex label.
Winchester released several additional albums during the '70s. But, due to his draft status, he was unable to tour in the United States until President Gerald Ford granted draft resisters conditional amnesty, later changed to unconditional amnesty in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter. As a result, he became recognized primarily as a prolific songwriter. His best known songs include "Yankee Lady", "The Brand New Tennessee Waltz", "Mississippi, You're on My Mind", and "Biloxi". These and others have been recorded by numerous artists including Patti Page, Elvis Costello, Jimmy Buffett, Joan Baez, Anne Murray and Reba McEntire.
In 2002, Winchester moved back to the United States and currently resides in Virginia. He continues to record and to perform throughout the United States and Canada.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | US | ||
| 1970 | Jesse Winchester | 26 | |
| 1972 | Third Down, 110 to Go | 34 | 193 |
| 1974 | Learn to Love It | ||
| 1976 | Let the Rough Side Drag | 210 | |
| 1977 | Nothing but a Breeze | 115 | |
| Live at the Bijou Cafe | |||
| 1978 | A Touch on the Rainy Side | 156 | |
| 1981 | Talk Memphis | 188 | |
| 1988 | Humour Me | ||
| 1989 | The Best of Jesse Winchester | ||
| 1999 | Gentleman of Leisure | ||
| 2001 | Live From Mountain Stage | ||
| 2005 | Live | ||
| 2009 | Love Filling Station | ||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | CAN AC | CAN Country | US | |||
| 1970 | "Yankee Lady" | 20 | 8 | Jesse Winchester | ||
| 1973 | "Isn't That So" | 34 | 21 | Third Down, 110 to Go | ||
| 1976 | "Let the Rough Side Drag" | 42 | Let the Rough Side Drag | |||
| 1977 | "Nothing but a Breeze" | 72 | 86 | Nothing but a Breeze | ||
| 1978 | "Sassy" | 45 | A Touch on the Rainy Side | |||
| 1979 | "A Touch on the Rainy Side" | 42 | ||||
| 1981 | "Say What" | 23 | 13 | 32 | Talk Memphis | |
| 1989 | "Want to Mean Something to You" | 50 | Humour Me | |||
| "Well-a-Wiggy" | 68 | |||||
External links
- Jesse Winchester Jesse Winchester's Studio
- Winchester Jesse Winchester at Last.fm
- Wounded Bird Records 2006 reissues of Jesse Winchester's Bearsville albums on CD
- A rare and insightful radio interview at WRN
- HOTSEAT- Southern gent? Folk legend moves to town
- Fame & Fortune: Jesse Winchester
This article uses material from the article Jesse Winchester from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
