Hoedown Town

It all came into focus for Jim on the evening of April 15^th, 1995.He was on stage at the Ryman Auditorium, performing in front offamily and friends, singing his song for the “Mother Church of Country Music”.Many were the times he dreamed about doing this, never really believing that he would.As a youngster growing up in New Jersey, his Utopia was Nashville, TN.The Ryman Auditorium was its Capitol.All of his heroes – Roy, Hank, ET, Bill, Lester & Earl – sang there.When he started broadcasting his “Country Concert” radio program in the early ‘60’s, a kinship with the country music establishment began to settle in.He formed his band, “The Pine Barons” in 1969, and the impossible began to lose its prefix.Jim and the Barons developed a solid reputation for good old time country and bluegrass music along with a local following that has supported the Pine Barons for 30 plus years.The local band became regional as the word spread around the tri-state area.Jim got more deeply involved, joining forces with the Hank Williams International Society and Fan Club and the traditional Music Assn.His strong attachment to the music of Hank Williams inspired Jim to write a musical biography about the “Boy from Alabama.”His single release in 1993, “Hank, You’ll Never Grow Old” has become a standard for country stations each New Year’s Day.When Jim was invited to perform at the annual TMA Awards show in 1995, at the Ryman Auditorium, the impossible became the reality.Three of his songs were included in the program.

Many nice things have happened for Jim since that magic night in 1995.He has released three projects containing many of his own compositions.Appearances at Sunset Park, the Gatlinburg Civic Center, Longwood Gardens and at the Ocean Grove Auditorium have added to his reputation.But when Jim won four awards at the TMA Awards show in 1998 for “Album of the Year”, “Song of the Year” “Songwriter of the Year” and “Male Vocalist of the Year”, well, it just doesn’t get any better than that.