Jimmy LaFave

American singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave was born in Texas in 1955. He became a popular and influential figure within the alternative country scene in the US and was closely associated with the annual Woody Guthrie Festival. LaFave sat on the board of the festival and would also perform there. After learning to play the drums whilst at high school LaFave switched to the guitar and began to develop his distinctive country style. He moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma and began managing a late night music club called Up Your Alley. During this period LaFave recorded two of his early albums, 'Down Under' and 'Broken Line', released in 1979 and '81 respectively. The venue became a catalyst for creating what became known as 'red dirt music' where LaFave formed a loose association with a number of local musicians and together they began to play the style of music heavily influenced by rock, folk, rockabilly and country. The sound became LaFave's trademark sound and defines the music which was emerging from Texas and Oklahoma at that time. He was successful throughout his career and as late as 2012 his album 'Cimarron Manifesto' reached number one in the Americana Charts. He died from cancer in 2017 at the age of 61.

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