Bo Ramsey
Bo Ramsey (born Robert Franklin Ramsey, 1951 in Burlington, Iowa, United States) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and recording producer.
Bo Ramsey | |
---|---|
Birth name | Robert Franklin Ramsey |
Born | Burlington, Iowa, United States |
Genres | Folk Rock Blues |
Instrument(s) | Guitar |
Years active | 1973–present |
Labels | 3rd Street Lustre |
Website | www![]() |
Career
He made his debut in Williamsburg, Iowa in 1973, fronted the Mother Blues Band, and rose to prominence as a soloist when he opened for Lucinda Williams on her 1994 tour.[1] He has produced or played guitar on several of her albums, including Essence, which was nominated for a Grammy Award, and appeared in her band in performances on The Late Show With David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night With Conan O’Brien[1] and in Wim Wenders’ "Soul Of A Man" segment for the Blues series of Martin Scorsese.[2]
He has also produced recordings for Joan Baez, David Zollo, Pieta Brown, Iris DeMent, Ani DiFranco, and Kevin Gordon, with whom he co-fronted a band, and worked as a guitarist with the above and with Elvis Costello. He has produced and worked extensively with Greg Brown, including an appearance in 1999 on A Prairie Home Companion,[3] and has been inducted to the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame,[4] and Iowa Blues Hall of Fame.[2]
Discography
Solo albums
- 1982: Brand New Love (3rd Street)
- 1983: Feelin's Gettin' Stronger (3rd Street) with the Sliders
- 1986: Northwind (3rd Street)
- 1988: Either Way (3rd Street)
- 1991: Down To Bastrop (Shed)
- 1995: Bo Ramsey And The Backsliders (DixieFrog)
- 1997: In The Weeds (Trailer)
- 2007: Stranger Blues (Bo Ramsey Records / Continental Song City)
- 2008: Fragile (Bo Ramsey Records / Continental Song City)
- 2016: Wildwood Calling (Lustre)
With Greg Brown (as producer)
- 1989: One Big Town (Red House)
- 1990: Down in There (Red House)
- 1992: Dream Café (Red House)
- 1994: The Poet Game (Red House)
- 1996: Further In (Red House)
- 1997: Slant 6 Mind (Red House)
- 2003: If I Had Known: Essential Recordings, 1980-96 (Red House)
- 2004: Honey in the Lion's Head (Trailer)
- 2006: The Evening Call (Red House)
- 2011: Freak Flag (Yep Roc)
With Pieta Brown (as producer, guest musician)
With The Pines (as co-producer)
With Lucinda Williams (as guest musician)
- 1998: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (Mercury)
- 2001: Essence (Lost Highway)
As producer
- 1993: High And Lonesome - Alackaday (Trailer)
- 1998: David Zollo - Uneasy Street (Trailer)
- 1999: Dave Moore - Breaking Down To 3 (Red House)
- 1999: Teddy Morgan - Lost Love & Highways (Hightone / Shout! Factory)
- 2003: Joan Baez - Dark Chords on a Big Guitar (Sanctuary / Kich)
- 2010: Charlie Parr - When The Devil Goes Blind (Nero's Neptune)
- 2010: Ernie Hendrickson - Walking With Angels (self-released)
- 2011: Kelly Pardekooper - Yonder (Leisure Time)
- 2012: Iris DeMent - Sing The Delta (Flariella)
- 2012: Mike Mangione & the Union - Red-Winged Blackbird Man (Rodzinka)
- 2013: Mason Jennings - Always Been (Stats and Brackets)
- 2015: Jeffrey Foucault - Salt as Wolves (Blueblade)
As guest artist
- 1997: R.B. Morris - ...Take That Ride... (Oh Boy)
- 1998: Kate Campbell - Visions of Plenty (Compass)
- 1999: Mark Stuart - Songs from a Corner Stage (Gearle / E Squared)
- 2000: Ani DiFranco - Swing Set EP (Righteous Babe)
- 2000: Ben Weaver - Living In The Ground (30/30 Industries)
- 2000: Bejae Fleming - Navigating Limbo (Trailer)
- 2000: Larry Long - Well May The World Go (Smithsonian Folkways)
- 2000: Kelly Pardekooper - Johnson County Snow (Leisure Time)
- 2002: David Zollo - The Big Night (Trailer / Rubric)
- 2004: Brother Trucker - Something Simple (Trailer)
- 2004: Iris DeMent - Lifeline (Flariella)
- 2005: Faby - Finally (Megabien)
- 2005: Kevin Gordon - O Come Look at the Burning (Crowville Collective)
- 2005: Johnny Hickman - Palmhenge (Campstove)
- 2006: Jeffrey Foucault - Ghost Repeater (Signature Sounds)
- 2008: Becky Schlegel - For All the World to See (Lilly Ray)
- 2008: Calexico - Carried to Dust (Quarterstick)
- 2015: Iris DeMent - The Trackless Woods (Flariella)
As song contributor
- 2001: various artists- Labour of Love: The Music of Nick Lowe (Telarc) - track 5, "Where's My Everything?" with Greg Brown
References
- Nick Stika (2009-11-18). "Bo Ramsey: Bo Knows Tone". Premierguitar.com. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- "Bo Ramsey - Central Iowa Blues Society". Cibs.org. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- "APHC: Music List". Prairiehome.publicradio.org. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- "Iowa Rock n Roll Music Association - IRRMA Hall of Fame". Iowarocknroll.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
External links
- Bo Ramsey website
- Bo Ramsey at AllMusic
- Bo Ramsey discography at Discogs