Jesse Winchester

Winchester is a freakishly talented singer-songwriter who fled the United States for Canada in 1967 after he was drafted to service in Vietnam War. Vocal gifts and songwriting talent rarely come together the way they do in Winchester. Raised in Memphis, he sings in a keening tenor infused with the spirit of the place where country, blues and soul come together. At the same time, his songs reveal a short-story writer's eye for detail and a poet's sense of metaphor. His first record, released in 1970, was produced by Robbie Robertson of the Band, and since then he's released records sparingly, but steadily. Winchester's exile has no doubt contributed to the fact that he's not a bigger star, but it hasn't prevented other folks from recording his songs. He's been covered by vast array of singers, including Tim Hardin and Wynonna Judd, and is a favorite of the discerning, slightly offbeat country act the Mavericks, as well as mainstream artists such as Reba McEntire.