Jesse Winchester

You could stock a crowd-pleasing jukebox with the songs Jesse Winchester has written and recorded in the last four decades – and with the better-known versions of his songs that have become hits and album staples for artists ranging from Joan Baez to Elvis Costello to Jimmy Buffett. Winchester’s skill in capturing vivid small town vignettes, heartfelt love and love-lost situations, and goodtime celebrations has yielded a litany of I-know-that-songs: Yankee Lady, Biloxi, Brand New Tennessee Waltz, Talk Memphis, Rhumba Girl, Payday, I’m Gonna Miss You, Girl, Let’s Make a Baby King and many more. His 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers (ASCAP) is one gauge of the music world’s esteem.
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Winchester was born on an air force base in Bossier City, La., and was mostly raised in Memphis. He attended Williams College in Massachusetts during the mid-1960s. Soon after graduating, received his draft notice for the Vietnam War, and bought a one-way ticket to Montreal. In Canada, Winchester supported himself playing piano in bars, and began to work at songwriting. There he met Robbie Robertson of The Band fame, who produced Jesse’s self-titled debut album. Jesse remained in Canada until 2002, when he and his wife moved to Virginia. In 2009 he released his 14th album, Love Filling Station.