Jesse Winchester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jesse Winchester
Winchester in 2011
Background information
Birth name	James Ridout Winchester Jr.
Born	(1944-05-17)May 17, 1944 Bossier City, Louisiana, U.S.
Origin	Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	April 11, 2014(2014-04-11) (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, Warner Brothers

Jesse Winchester (born May 17, 1944 – died April 11, 2014) was a talented musician and songwriter. He was born and grew up in the southern United States.

Jesse was against the Vietnam War. In 1967, he moved to Canada to avoid being called to join the U.S. military. There, he started his music career as a solo artist. Some of his most popular songs were "Yankee Lady" (1970) and "Say What" (1981).

He became a Canadian citizen in 1973. Later, in 1977, he was allowed to return to the U.S. without trouble. He moved back to Memphis, Tennessee in 2002. Jesse Winchester was especially known for writing songs that many famous artists recorded.

About Jesse Winchester

His Early Life

Jesse Winchester was born at Barksdale Army Air Field, near Bossier City, Louisiana. He spent his childhood in northern Mississippi. When he was 12, his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee.

He graduated from Christian Brothers High School in Memphis in 1962. He then went to Williams College in Massachusetts, finishing in 1966.

The next year, Jesse was called to join the U.S. military. Because he did not agree with the Vietnam War, he moved to Montreal, Canada. He told Rolling Stone magazine that he felt it was wrong for someone to tell him who to fight.

Jesse started playing guitar in bands when he was in high school. He also played music in Germany while studying there. When he arrived in Quebec in 1967, he joined a band called Les Astronautes. He also began writing his own songs. He performed these songs alone in coffeehouses across eastern Canada. This helped bring back folk music in Canada.

In 1970, Jesse started his recording career. He released his first album, Jesse Winchester, with help from Robbie Robertson.

His Music Career

Jesse Winchester released several albums in the 1970s. Because he had moved to Canada to avoid military service, he could not travel to the United States to perform. This meant he became mostly known as a songwriter.

Many artists recorded his songs. Some of his most famous songs include "Yankee Lady," "The Brand New Tennessee Waltz," and "Mississippi, You're on My Mind."

In 1974, Jesse often performed at the Hotel Le Chatelet in Morin Heights, Quebec. This hotel was run by people from Tennessee who had moved to Canada. Some of these musicians, David "Butch" McDade and Jeff "Stick" Davis, later joined Jesse's band, Jesse Winchester and the Rhythm Aces.

When President Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976, he offered a chance for people who had avoided military service to return to the U.S. Jesse had become a Canadian citizen, but his manager helped convince President Carter to include people like Jesse in this offer.

Jesse Winchester's first performance in the U.S. was in Burlington, Vermont, on April 21, 1977. It was a sold-out show. He also appeared on a TV show called The Midnight Special in June.

Jesse wrote the song "I'm Gonna Miss You, Girl." American country music artist Michael Martin Murphey recorded it in 1987. This song became very popular, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1990, Jesse Winchester was nominated for the Best Country Male Vocalist award at the Juno Awards in Canada. In 2002, he moved back to the United States, settling in Memphis, Tennessee.

His song "Step by Step" was used in the TV show The Wire that same year. In 2007, he received a special Lifetime Achievement Award for his songwriting. Jesse continued to record and perform. He released his tenth album, Love Filling Station, in 2009.

Winchester at the 2011 Blue Highways festival in Utrecht, the Netherlands

In 2011, Jesse was diagnosed with cancer. He received treatment and was later given a clean bill of health. He then went back to touring and performing. In 2012, a tribute album called Quiet About It was released. It featured famous artists like James Taylor, Lyle Lovett, and Jimmy Buffett singing Jesse's songs.

Sadly, Jesse Winchester became very ill in April 2014. He passed away on April 11, 2014, at age 69, from bladder cancer. He was survived by his wife, Cindy, and his three children.

Jesse's final album, A Reasonable Amount of Trouble, was released after his death in September 2014. His friend Jimmy Buffett wrote the notes for the album. This album was nominated for two Grammy awards. Rolling Stone magazine called it one of his most moving and successful albums.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Jesse Winchester para niños