Jimmy LaFave

Jimmy LaFave
LaFave performing at the 2012 Texas Book Festival.
Background information
Born	(1955-07-12) July 12, 1955 (age 61) Wills Point, Texas, United States
Genres	Folk Alt Country Country rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1979 – present
Labels	Music Road Records
Website	JimmyLaFave.com

Jimmy LaFave (born July 12, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician born in Wills Point, Texas. After moving to Stillwater, Oklahoma, LaFave crafted a musical style called Red Dirt music and became a disciple of the state's most famous folk musician: Woody Guthrie. LaFave is an Advisory Board member and regular performer at the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. In 1996 he received the Kerrville Folk Festival songwriter of the year award and appeared on the TV show Austin City Limits. He has recorded 15 albums and his 2007 release, Cimarron Manifesto, reached the No. 1 mark on the Americana Music Association album chart. In 2012, LaFave released the studio album Depending On The Distance.

While living in Wills Point, Texas, LaFave began playing the drums and later moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma and played in the school band. At age 15 LaFave switched to guitar and began writing and singing his own songs in a band called The Night Tribe.

After graduating from high school LaFave played music at night while working during the day. He had a job as the manager of a music club called Up Your Alley and during this period recorded the albums Down Under in 1979 and Broken Line in 1981.

While living in Stillwater, LaFave and loose collection of songwriters at a local venue known as "the farm" began developing a sound that would later become known as "red dirt music". During that time, LaFave met Bob Childers and produced his first record. Mixing blues, jazz, and country influences he began writing songs inspired byJ. J. Cale, Chet Baker, Bob Dylan and Leon Russell.

After traveling to several other cities, LaFave relocated to Austin, Texas.

In 1992 La Fave signed with Colorado-based Bohemia Beat Records and recorded his debut album Austin Skyline which included four Bob Dylan songs and consisted of live performances and recordings from Marcia Ball's home studio. The debut album was followed by Highway Trance in 1994 and Buffalo Return to the Plains in 1995. Between 1997 and 2001, LaFave released three more albums on the label including the 1999 double-CD Trail, which was a 15-year retrospective of live performances and studio outtakes. In December 1995, LaFave won the Songwriter of the Year Award at the Kerrville Folk Festival and in March 1996, received the same honor at the Austin Music Awards sponsored by The Austin Chronicle. LaFave gained nationwide exposure in 1996 through his appearance on the PBS music show Austin City Limits when he was paired with Lisa Loeb for an evening of "acoustic ballads and electrified folk-rock numbers". In 1996, LaFave made an appearance at a tribute to Woody Guthrie held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the invitation of Guthrie’s daughter.