Jesse Winchester was born 79 years ago today
Jesse Winchester was born 79 years ago today
Jesse Winchester was born 79 years ago today.
A musician and songwriter, Winchester was born and raised in the southern United States. To avoid the Vietnam War draft he moved to Canada in 1967, which is where and when he began his career as a solo artist.
His highest charting recordings were of his own tunes, "Yankee Lady," in 1970 and "Say What" in 1981. He became a Canadian citizen in 1973, gained amnesty in the U.S. in 1977 and resettled there in 2002.
Winchester is probably most well known as a songwriter, with his works being recorded by many notable artists, including Patti Page, Elvis Costello, Jimmy Buffett, Joan Baez, Anne Murray, Reba McEntire, The Everly Brothers and Emmylou Harris. A number of these recordings have had success on various charts.
Winchester's first appearance in the U.S. after the war was a sold out performance in Burlington, Vermont on April 21, 1977. In 2002, he moved back to the United States, settling in Virginia. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 2007.
Winchester continued to record and perform throughout the United States and Canada, releasing his tenth studio album, Love Filling Station, in 2009.
In 2011, Winchester was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus and had to undergo treatment for the next couple of months. After receiving an all clear from his doctor, he resumed his tour.
In April, 2014, Winchester was revealed to be "gravely ill" and receiving hospice care at his home. He died on the morning of April 11, 2014, at his home in Charlottesville, Virginia from bladder cancer.