Died On This Date (April 11, 2014) Jesse Winchester / Respected Singer-Songwriter
themusicsover James “Jesse” Winchester
May 17, 1944 – April 11, 2014
Jesse Winchester was an American singer-songwriter who made his biggest mark on popular music during the early ’70s. Born and raised in Memphis, TN, Winchester moved to Montreal in 1967 in order to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War. It was while in Canada that he launched his career in music thanks to early encouragement and support from the Band’s Robbie Robertson. Winchester released his debut self-titled album in 1970 and continued to record acclaimed albums on and off over the next 40 years. Since he couldn’t tour the U.S. as a draft resister during the peak years of his output, Winchester became better known as a songwriter than a live performer and recording artist. The long list of those who recorded his songs includes Elvis Costello, George Strait, Jimmy Buffet, Joan Baez, the Everly Brothers, and Wynona Judd. In 1976, President Jimmy Carter pardoned many so-called draft dodgers, so Winchester was allowed back into the US. His first show back on US soil was in April of 1977, a performance that prompted Rolling Stone magazine to declare him “the Greatest Voice of the Decade.” He permanently relocated back to America in 2002 and continued to record and tour throughout the remainder of his life. Jesse Winchester died of cancer on April 11, 2014. He was 69.
What You Should Own
Pete Seeger is regarded by many as the single most important figure of the American folk music revival of the late ’50s/early ’60s. Just as important to many, he used his talent and popularity to shine a light on social injustice, poverty, environmental issues, anti-war movements, and more. Born into a highly academic and musical family in New York City, Seeger was exposed to music at a very young age. Educated primarily in boarding schools, he was very well-educated and somewhat withdrawn until he found his spotlight while entertaining classmates with a ukulele he picked up on his own. By the late ’30s, he switched over to the banjo, the instrument he would help popularize three decades later. As the years went on, Seeger went from small festival folky to cultural hero thanks in part to his songs that would become the soundtrack to the ’60s Civil Rights Movement and beyond. Tunes like “If I Had A Hammer” written with Weavers band mate, 
Richie Havens was a world-renowned folk singer whose intense guitar-playing and renditions of others’ works endeared him to a legion of fans since the mid ’60s. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Havens was still a child when he started out singing in corner doo-wop groups. At 16, he became a member of the McCrea Gospel Singers. In his early 20s, Havens threw himself into the Greenwich Village folk scene where he began building his reputation as a premier solo act. He made two albums with Douglas Records before signing on with Bob Dylan‘s manager, 
Rita MacNeil was a popular Canadian folk and country singer who had the honor of outselling both Garth Brooks and Clint Black in Canada during 1990, at the height of their careers. Born and raised on the eastern tip of Nova Scotia, the incredibly shy MacNeil was 27 when she first performed on stage – relatively late by pop music standards. The year was 1971, and within just a few years, she recorded her first album and was becoming a popular draw along the Canadian folk festival circuit. Based on her growing popularity and work on behalf of women’s rights, MacNeil was secretly spied upon by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Security Service on the unwarranted suspicion that she had communist ties. Her first single of note was 1986’s “Flying On Your Own” which reached #42 on the Canadian charts and was covered by Anne Murray the following year. MacNeil went on to have numerous hits throughout the ’80s and ’90s, both in Canada and the UK. In all, she released 24 albums which sold in the millions. During the mid ’90s, MacNeil hosted her own CBC variety show, Rita And Friends. Over the course of her career, she was recognized with a Juno, five honorary doctorates, and was a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia. On April 16, 2013, Rita MacNeil died unexpectedly from complications of a surgery. She was 68.