[msb-alumni] Singer Songwriter Jessie Winchester Dies at 69
- From: Steve <pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2014 13:54:34 -0400
BlankSinger/songwriter Jesse Winchester dies By Brian Mansfield Special for
USA TODAY Singer/songwriter Jesse Winchester died at his Charlottesville,
Va., home Friday morning. Winchester, who had been suffering from esophageal
cancer, was 69. "Friends, our sweet Jesse died peacefully in his sleep this
morning," said the message posted to Winchester's Facebook page. "Bless his
loving heart. A native of Shreveport, La., Winchester moved to Canada in
1967 to protest the Vietnam War draft. He continued to live there for many
years after President Carter granted unconditional pardons to those who had
left the country to avoid the draft. Winchester's music blended folk,
country and blues, and he had his biggest hit as a recording artist in 1981
with Say What. His songs - the best-known of which included "The Brand New
Tennessee Waltz," "Biloxi" and "Mississippi, You're on My Mind" - were
covered by the Everly Brothers, Joan Baez, Jimmy Buffett, Patti Page,
Nicolette Larson and others. The Weather Girls had a minor R&B hit with
Winchester's "Well-A-Wiggy" in 1985. Michael Martin Murphey took his I'm
Gonna Miss You, Girl to the top five of the country charts in 1988. One of
his most famous songs, "A Showman's Life," has been recorded by several
artists, including George Strait, Gary Allan and Buddy Miller. It also was
featured on a recent episode of the ABC series "Nashville. Last fall,
artists including James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett, Elvis Costello and Vince Gill
recorded his songs for a tribute album called "Quiet About It. Before his
death, he had completed an album, "A Reasonable Amount of Trouble," with
producer Mac McAnally. That album is expected to be released later this
year. Incorrect reports of Winchester's death began circulating earlier in
the week, prompting his son to refute the rumors on Facebook.
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