Willis Alan Ramsey

Vocalist/songwriter Willis Alan Ramsey is really a cult tale among enthusiasts of Americana and progressive Tx country. Mixing folk, nation, and pop with witty, introspective lyrics, Ramsey documented a critically acclaimed debut recording for Leon Russell’s Shelter label in 1972. It had been among the 1st albums by the brand new college of Austin vocalist/songwriters that could become tagged “intensifying nation” (Man Clark and Townes Vehicle Zandt included in this). Nevertheless, Ramsey subsequently vanished from music, due to conflicts along with his label and an over-all distaste for the business enterprise. Countless artists protected materials from Willis Alan Ramsey, most notoriously the Captain & Tennille, who had taken “Muskrat Candlelight” in to the pop Best Five beneath the brand-new title “Muskrat Like.” That’s no signal from the respect Ramsey commanded in the united states world, with performers like Jerry Jeff Walker (“Northeast Tx Females”), Waylon Jennings (“Silk Sheets”), Jimmy Buffett (“The Ballad of Spider John”), and Jimmie Dale Gilmore (“Goodbye to Aged Missoula”) all reducing variations of Ramsey’s music. Ramsey spent a lot of the ’80s surviving in the U.K. and learning Celtic music but appreciated something of the rediscovery because of Lyle Lovett, who praised the songwriter towards the skies. He and Ramsey co-wrote “North Dakota” for Lovett’s 1992 record Joshua Judges Ruth and teamed up once again for “THAT IS RIGHT (YOU ARE NOT From Tx)” on 1996’s THE STREET to Ensenada. On the other hand, Shawn Colvin re-recorded “Silk Sheets” on her behalf Cover Girl record, and Lovett afterwards tapped the brand new melody “Sleepwalking” for his very own covers record, Stage Inside This Home. In 2001, Ramsey made an appearance on Austin Town Limits, executing nine brand-new songs in addition to some older materials; he also installed a tour and apparently worked on a fresh record.