Jesse Winchester ‎– Let The Rough Side Drag 1976 Country Rock ( clearance vinyl ) overstocked

Jesse Winchester
Winchester in 2011
Background information
Birth name	James Ridout Winchester
Born	May 17, 1944 Bossier City, Louisiana, U.S.
Origin	Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	April 11, 2014 (aged 69) Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	Country, country rock, folk
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active	Circa 1961 – 2014 (his death)
Labels	Appleseed, Bearsville, Stony Plain, Ampex, Victor, Sugar Hill, Great Big Island,Wounded Bird, Blue Plate
Website	jessewinchester.com

James Ridout "Jesse" Winchester (May 17, 1944 – April 11, 2014) was an American-Canadian musician and songwriter. He was born and raised in the southern United States. Opposed to the Vietnam War, he moved to Canada in 1967, where he began his career as a solo artist. His highest-charting recordings were of his own songs, "Yankee Lady" in 1970 and "Say What" in 1981. He became a Canadian citizen in 1973, gained amnesty in the U.S. in 1977 and resettled there in 2002.^[1]

Winchester was best known as a songwriter. His works were recorded by many notable artists, including Patti Page, Elvis Costello, Jimmy Buffett, Joan Baez, Anne Murray, Reba McEntire, the Everly Brothers andEmmylou Harris.^[2][3] A number of these recordings have had success on various charts.^[4]

Biography

Early life

Born at Barksdale Army Air Field near Bossier City, Louisiana, Winchester was raised in northern Mississippiand the city of Memphis, Tennessee. Jesse (known as "Jimmy" in high school) received several honors while attending Christian Brothers High School. Graduating in 1962, he was a merit finalist, National Honor Society member and the salutatorian of the graduating class. He attended Williams College, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, graduating in 1966. Upon receiving his draft notice the following year, Winchester moved to Montreal, Canada, to avoid military service.^[5] "I was so offended by someone's coming up to me and presuming to tell me who I should kill and what my life was worth," he told Rolling Stone magazine in 1977.^[6]

Winchester had begun playing guitar in bands while still in high school. He had played in Germany during college study abroad and after graduation. Upon arriving in Quebec in 1967, he joined a local band, Les Astronautes. At this time, he also began writing songs, which he performed as a solo artist at the Montreal Folk Workshop and at coffeehouses throughout eastern Canada, adding impetus to a revival in folk music that was taking place across Canada. Under the auspices of the Band's Robbie Robertson, another Canadian, Winchester began his recording career in 1970 with his self-titled album, released on the Ampex label.^[7]

Career

Winchester released several albums during the 1970s. Because of his status as a draft resister, he was unable to tour in the United States. As a result, he became recognized primarily as a songwriter. His best known songs include "Yankee Lady", "The Brand New Tennessee Waltz", "Mississippi, You're on My Mind", "A Showman's Life", and "Biloxi".^[5] These and others have been recorded by numerous artists.