Jesse Winchester is a musician and songwriter who was born and raised in the southern United States. To avoid the Vietnam War draft he moved to Canada in 1967, which is where and when he began his career as a solo artist. His highest charting recordings were of his own tunes, "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.
Winchester is probably most well known as a songwriter, with his works being recorded by many notable artists, including
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Emmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
. A number of these recordings have had success on various charts.
Biography
Born in
Bossier City, LouisianaBossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
, Winchester was raised in northern
MississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and the city of
Memphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. He attended
Williams CollegeWilliams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
in
Williamstown, MassachusettsWilliamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
, graduating in 1966. Upon receiving his
draft noticeConscription in the United States has been employed several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War...
the following year, Winchester moved to Montreal, Quebec to avoid military service.
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, Les 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 BandThe Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
's
Robbie RobertsonRobbie Robertson, OC; is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known for his membership as the guitarist and primary songwriter within The Band. He was ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
, Winchester began his recording career in 1970 with his self-titled album, released on the
AmpexAmpex is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff. The name AMPEX is an acronym, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence...
label.
Winchester released several albums during the '70s. However, due to his status as a draft dodger, 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", and "Biloxi". These and others have been recorded by numerous artists, including Patti Page, Elvis Costello, Jimmy Buffett, Joan Baez, Anne Murray, Reba McEntire, The Everly Brothers, Wynona Judd, The Weather Girls,
New Grass RevivalNew Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, releasing more than twenty albums as well as six singles....
,
Fairport ConventionFairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
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Tim HardinJames Timothy "Tim" Hardin was an American folk musician and composer. He wrote the Top 40 hits "If I Were a Carpenter", covered by, among others, Joan Baez, Bobby Darin, Johnny Cash, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and Robert Plant, and "Reason to Believe", covered by many, including Rod Stewart, as well...
, Emmylou Harris,
Ronnie HawkinsRonald "Ronnie" Hawkins is a Juno Award-winning rockabilly musician whose career has spanned more than half a century. Though his career began in Arkansas, USA, where he'd been born and raised, it was in Ontario, Canada where he found success and settled for most of his life...
, Nicolette Larsen, Ian Matthews,
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Tom RushTom Rush is an American folk and blues singer, songwriter, musician and recording artist.- Life and career :Rush was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His father was a teacher at St. Paul's School, in Concord, New Hampshire. Tom began performing in 1961 while studying at Harvard University after...
,
Brewer & ShipleyBrewer & Shipley were an American folk rock music duo of the late 1960s through 1970s, consisting of singer-songwriters Mike Brewer and Tom Shipley. They were known for their intricate guitar work, vocal harmonies and socially conscious lyrics. Their greatest success was the song "One Toke Over the...
,
RaffiRaffi Cavoukian, CM, OBC , better known by his stage name Raffi, is a Canadian-Armenian singer-songwriter, author, essayist and lecturer...
,
SkydiggersSkydiggers are a Canadian roots rock band from Toronto, Ontario.-Biography:Formed in 1987 by singer Andy Maize and lead guitarist Josh Finlayson, the band soon added rhythm guitarist Peter Cash, drummer Wayne Stokes and bassist Ron Macey to their lineup...
and
Wilson PickettWilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
.
In 1977, President
Jimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
granted draft resisters unconditional
amnestyAmnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
. Winchester subsequently began performing in the U.S., with his first appearance being in
BurlingtonBurlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
,
VermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
on April 21 of that year. He was nominated for the Best Country Male Vocalist award at the
Juno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s of 1990. In 2002, Winchester moved back to the United States, settling in
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 2007. Winchester has continued to record and perform throughout the United States and Canada, releasing his tenth studio album,
Love Filling Station, in 2009.
In 2011 Jesse Winchester was diagnosed with cancer of the aesophagus and had to undergo treatment for the next couple of months. Winchester has since been given the all clear from his doctor and has resumed his tour.
Albums
| Year |
Album |
Chart Positions |
| CAN |
US The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
| 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 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
|
| 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 |
— |
Compilation inclusions
| Year |
Album |
Song |
| 2003 |
Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot is a tribute album to Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, released in 2003 on Borealis Records.-Track listing:# Cowboy Junkies, "The Way I Feel"# Jesse Winchester, "Sundown"# Ron Sexsmith, "Drifters"...
|
"Sundown" |
External links
at
Appleseed RecordingsFounded in 1997 by activist attorney Jim Musselman, Appleseed Recordings is an idealistic, internationally distributed and independent music label devoted to releasing socially conscious contemporary and traditional folk and roots music by a wide array of established and lesser-known musicians...