James Hand (musician)

James Hand
Born 1952 (age 65–66)[1]
Waco, Texas, U.S.[1]
Occupation Singer; songwriter
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Labels
Website jamesslimhand.com

James "Slim"[2] Hand (born 1952) is an American country music singer and songwriter.

Early life

James Edward Hand Jr.[3] was born in Waco, Texas, United States.[1] He took to guitar playing and singing while approximately twelve years old. He worked in various jobs in his life, including horse training and driving a truck.

Career

As a teenager, Hand joined a small band and began performing in honky-tonks and roadhouses across the state of Texas. At some point he started to write and perform his own songs.[4] After years of continuous traveling and live performances, he released his first album in 1999, when he was 47 years old.[5]

In 2014, Hand played a fictional version of himself in the independent film Thank You a Lot. The Austin Film Society's website noted that Hand and co-protagonist Blake DeLong, playing his son, had a chemistry that was "hilariously realistic".[6]

Critical appraisal

Reviewers have generally emphasized the "authenticity" of Hand's song.[7] His music reportedly can match the "rigor" of historical performers of country music, "with the slightest touch of outlaw bluster," while his voice can be "uncertain in moments."[8] On the release of his first album, one reviewer wrote that Hand "sings the songs as if he has lived every minute of them,"[9] while The Washington Post's reviewer called him "the real deal,"[10] a view shared also by Willie Nelson.[11]

Quote

About his work with animals: “People act like it’s some big deal, like this whole horse whispering thing. But I’ll tell you something — you can whisper to ’em, you can get down on your knees and act like ’em, but the horse knows you ain’t a horse.”[12]

Discography

  • Shadows Where the Magic Was, on Crystal Clear Sound (1999)
  • Evil Things, on Cold Spring Records (2000)
  • The Truth Will Set You Free, on Rounder Select (2006)
  • Shadow on the Ground, on Rounder Select (2009)
  • Mighty Lonesome Man, on Hillgrass Bluebilly Records (2012)
  • Stormclouds in Heaven, on South Central Music (2015)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Deming, Mark (2018). "James Hand". All Music. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  2. ↑ Powers, Calvin (3 December 2012). "James Hand". Americana Music Show. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  3. ↑ Thank You a Lot soundtrack
  4. ↑ "Country Legend James Hand is One of Texas's Best Kept Secrets". Texas Hill Country magazine. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  5. ↑ Thanki, Juli (8 September 2009). "Review of James Hand's Honky-Tonk Shadow on the Ground". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  6. ↑ Cerda, Debbie (25 March 2014). "SXSW 2014: Connecting With Local and Indie Music Through Film". Slackerwood. Austin Film Society. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  7. ↑ Bell, Ben (19 February 2012). "James Hand". Saving Country Music. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  8. ↑ Caramanica, Ron (15 October 2009). "Honoring Inspirations From Life and Beyond It". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  9. ↑ Munro, Stuart (28 April 2006). "James Hand : The Truth Will Set You Free". Boston Globe. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  10. ↑ McClain, Buzz (19 March 2006). "The Truth Will Set You Free : Review". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  11. ↑ Bell, Ben (19 March 2006). "James Hand". Houston Press. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  12. ↑ "James Hand". The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. 14 September 2006. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
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