James Talley
James Talley ( born November 9, 1943 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an American country music singer and songwriter.
Insiders of the country scene James Talley is praised to the skies, to the general public but it is virtually unknown. He is a gifted songwriter and musician. One of his biggest fans is former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, in his inauguration he appeared and invited him twice to the White House.
From a poor district of Oklahoma to arise, he spent several years in Washington State, where his father worked in a plutonium factory. After completing his art studies, he moved to Nashville in 1968, where he initially worked as a carpenter. In his spare time he wrote songs. As one of the few country artists he spoke in his texts to social injustices. His model was Woody Guthrie. A number of major stars, including Johnny Cash, drew on his material.
His career as an artist began in 1974, when he - was allowed to record an LP - in return for crafts, building a studio. On own initiative, he produced a qualitatively convincing debut: Got No Bread, No Milk, No Money, But We Sure Got A Lot Of Love. The record company Capitol became aware of him. James Talley signed a contract for seven albums to be produced from ( the self-produced demo album was acquired by Capitol ). After completion of four LPs that were praised by critics, he was persuaded in 1978 by his manager to get out of the contract - an unusual and highly dubious step, which excluded him for a long time from other commitments.
In the following years he spent quite successful as a real estate broker afloat. It was, significantly, a foreign record company - the German label Bear Family - that a contract offered to him in 1985. There were a total of four albums recorded and released in Europe. In 1999, Talley his own label: Cimarron Records. A year later he published there the work dedicated to his great idol Woody Guthrie And Songs Of My Oklahoma Home.
James Tally has been compared by critics with Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie. A single wrong decision - the breach of contract with his record company - nearly ruined his career. The big success came from, but he has a loyal following, which includes even a former President of the United States.