About Jim Lauderdale
James Russell Lauderdale is an American country, bluegrass, and Americana singer-songwriter. Since 1986, he has released 31 studio albums, including collaborations with artists such as Dr. Ralph Stanley, Buddy Miller, and Donna the Buffalo. A "songwriter's songwriter," his songs have been recorded by dozens of artists, notably George Strait, Gary Allan, Elvis Costello, Blake Shelton, the Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, and Patty Loveless.
Lauderdale was born in Troutman, North Carolina, the son of Barbara Ann Lauderdale and Dr. Wilbur "Chap" Chapman Lauderdale. Lauderdale's mother was originally from Kansas. In addition to her work as a public school and piano teacher, she was active in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Churches in Troutman, Charlotte, and Due West, South Carolina, where she served as music director, church organist, and choir director. His father was born in Lexington, VA, the son of Reverend David Thomas and Sallie Ann Lauderdale . Lauderdale's father was a noted minister in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Lauderdale has one sister.
He grew up in Due West, South Carolina. Both of his parents were singers. He too sang in his early years, and learned the drums at 11, the harmonica at 13, and the banjo at 15. He has cited the influence of Ralph Stanley and bluegrass music from an early age. He played a variety of music, including bluegrass, Grateful Dead, and folk in a duo with best friend Nathan Lajoie as a teenager.
During his childhood in Due West, many music acts came to Erskine College. Lauderdale remembers enjoying the album Will the Circle be Unbroken by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Neil Young's Harvest. He attended the Carolina Friends School in Durham NC and then went on to the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC, studying theater. He played in country and bluegrass bands during college.
Lauderdale is a long-time resident of Nashville, Tennessee.
After graduating from college, Lauderdale lived in Nashville for five months in the summer of 1979 while he tried to get a recording or publishing deal. He hung out a lot with Roland White, an accomplished mandolin player, with whom he cut a record. But things never took off, so he decided to move to New York, where he played in Floyd Domino's band and performed as a solo artist. In 1980 he met singer-songwriter Buddy Miller. He played in Miller's band in the active twang music scene that was evolving at the time.
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