Jon Dee Graham is an American musician, guitarist and songwriter from

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

, United States. Graham was named the Austin Musician of the Year during the

South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...

(SXSW) music conference in 2006. He was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame three times: as a solo artist in 2000, again in 2008 as a member of

The Skunks The Skunks are a three-piece rock band formed in 1977 in Austin, Texas. The band debuted in early 1978 at Raul's, quickly became a mainstay of the Austin, Texas music scene. They rapidly expanded their fan base beyond early punk/ new wave int ...

, and again in 2009 as a member of the True Believers. The Skunks formed in 1978, with a lineup featuring

Jesse Sublett Jesse Sublett (born May 15, 1954)"Biographical Note" a, Wittliff Collections, Alkek Library, Texas State University–San Marcos (retrieved September 18, 2009). is a musician and writer from Austin, Texas. As a musician he is best known for his lo ...

on bass and vocals and Bill Blackmon on drums. Graham joined as their new guitarist (replacing Eddie Munoz, who departed to join

The Plimsouls The Plimsouls are an American rock band known for their hit single "A Million Miles Away" which was featured in the movie ''Valley Girl''. History The band was formed in Paramount, California in 1978. They recorded two full-length albums and an ...

) in 1979. Graham's guitar can be heard on the band's live CD, ''Live: Earthquake Shake'', released in 2000. The True Believers, which included

Alejandro Escovedo Alejandro Escovedo (born January 10, 1951) is an American rock musician, songwriter, and singer, who has been recording and touring since the late 1970s. His primary instrument is the guitar. He has played in various rock genres, including punk ...

and his brother, Javier Escovedo, are widely considered by critics to be seminal figures in the fusion of literary songwriting and punk rock, a sound often referred to as cowpunk, a subset of alternative country. Jon Dee Graham went on to play with

John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are often ...

Exene Cervenka Exene Cervenka (born Christene Lee Cervenka; February 1, 1956) is an American singer, artist, and poet. She is best known for her work as a singer in the California punk rock band X. Music career The 21-year-old Cervenka met 23-year-old ...

James McMurtry James McMurtry (born March 18, 1962, in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American rock and folk rock/americana singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, and occasional actor (''Daisy Miller'', ''Lonesome Dove'', and narrator of ''Ghost Town: 24 Hours i ...

Eliza Gilkyson Eliza Gilkyson (born August 24, 1950, Hollywood, California) is a Taos, New Mexico-based folk musician.Gilkyson moved her base from Austin, Texas, to Taos in 2020. She is the daughter of songwriter and folk musician Terry Gilkyson and his wife, J ...

Kelly Willis Kelly may refer to: Art and entertainment * Kelly (Kelly Price album) * Kelly (Andrea Faustini album) * ''Kelly'' (musical), a 1965 musical by Mark Charlap * "Kelly" (song), a 2018 single by Kelly Rowland * ''Kelly'' (film), a 1981 Canadi ...

John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including new wave, blues, and country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and has been awarded ...

Michelle Shocked Michelle Shocked (born Karen Michelle Johnston; February 24, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter. Her music has entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, and received an award f ...

Patty Griffin Patricia Jean Griffin (born March 16, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.Griffin, Patrici She is a vocalist and plays guitar and piano. She is known for her stripped-down songwriting style in the folk music genre. Her songs ha ...

, Calvin Russell, and

Lone Justice Lone Justice is an American country rock band formed in 1982 by guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee. They have recently announced they are recording new material as per Marvin Etzioni July 2022. They are part of a new exhibit in Se ...

. His music has been featured in soundtracks such as ''

Ladder 49 ''Ladder 49'' is a 2004 American disaster thriller film directed by Jay Russell and written by Lewis Colick. The film follows Baltimore firefighter Jack Morrison, who is trapped inside a warehouse fire, and his recollection of the events that got ...

'' and ''

Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series prem ...

''. In 1992,

Patty Smyth Patricia Smyth (born June 26, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter. She first came into national attention with the rock band Scandal and went on to record and perform as a solo artist. Her distinctive voice and new wave image gained broa ...

covered Graham's song, "One Moment to Another" on her album, ''Patty Smyth''.

Career

To date, Graham has released ten solo albums: ''Escape from Monster Island'' (1997, Freedom Records); ''Summerland'' (1999,

New West Records New West Records is a record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, and Athens, Georgia. It had offices in Burbank, California, and Beverly Hills, California. The label was established in 1998 by Cameron Strang "for artists who perform real music ...

); ''Hooray for the Moon'' (2002, New West Records); ''The Great Battle'' (2004, New West Records); ''Full'' (2006, Freedom Records); ''Swept Away (Film Soundtrack) ''(2008, Freedom Records) ''It's Not As Bad As It Looks'' (2010, Freedom Records), and ''Garage Sale'' (2012, Freedom Records), "Do Not Forget" (2015 Freedom Records), and "Knoxville Skyline" (2016, South Central). His 2004 record, ''The Great Battle,'' was produced by Austin guitarist

Charlie Sexton Charles Wayne Sexton (born August 11, 1968) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Sexton is best known for his years as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band, though also has become well known as a music producer. Sexton co-founded the Ar ...

, a longtime member of

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's band. Graham's music generally explores the struggles adults face as they work to raise their children, maintain marriages and jobs, and grapple with the quick passage of time. Despite the heaviness of such themes, Graham's music is infused with a strong sense of the joys of life and the need to remain optimistic. Graham's second son, Willie, suffered from a chronic, rare childhood disease called Legg-Perthes. In 2005, the Austin music community banded together in an effort to raise money for Willie's treatment. The resulting benefit concert at Austin's Continental Club became a CD/DVD release called "Big Sweet Life: The Songs of Jon Dee Graham." Musicians like

Bob Schneider Bob Schneider (born October 12, 1965) is an Austin, Texas–based musician and former lead singer of the rock band Ugly Americans. He has released around a dozen albums, mostly on his own Shockorama label. ''Lonelyland'' (2001) was license ...

, David Garza,

Ray Wylie Hubbard Ray Wylie Hubbard (born November 13, 1946) is an American singer and songwriter. Early life Hubbard was born in the town of Soper, Oklahoma. His family moved to Oak Cliff in southwest Dallas, Texas, in 1954. He attended W. H. Adamson High Schoo ...

Ian McLagan Ian Patrick McLagan (; 12 May 1945 – 3 December 2014) was an English keyboardist, best known as a member of the rock bands Small Faces and Faces. He also collaborated with the Rolling Stones and led his own band from the late 1970s. He was in ...

, and

Steve Poltz Steve Poltz (born February 19, 1960) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is a founding member of the indie-rock band The Rugburns and collaborated on several songs with singer Jewel, including the 1996 single " You Were ...

all contributed by covering Graham's tunes. An additional benefit concert, held the same night at the Saxon Pub, featured performances by Roky Erickson and the Skunks. Graham commuted the short distance between clubs to participate in both shows. Over the years, Graham has been backed by

Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America".Howard Sounes. ''Down ...

Rafael Gayol Rafael Bernardo Gayol (born July 13, 1958) is an American drummer. He is best known for his work with singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, and with such diverse artists as Charlie Sexton, BoDeans, Robbie Robertson, A-ha, Shawn Colvin, Bob Schnei ...

Mark Andes Mark Andes (born February 19, 1948) is an American musician, known for his work as a bassist with Canned Heat, Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, Firefall, Heart, and Mirabal. Early life Andes was born in Philadelphia, but grew up in Los Angeles, one ...

, Michael Hardwick, and Andrew Duplantis, who went on to play in

Son Volt Son Volt is an American rock band formed in 1994 by Jay Farrar after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo. The band's current line-up consists of Farrar (vocals, guitar), Andrew DuPlantis (bass guitar), John Horton (guitar), Mark Patterson (drums), and Ma ...

with

Jay Farrar Jay Farrar (born December 26, 1966) is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis. A member of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001. Beyond his estab ...

. In early 2006, production began on a feature-length documentary on Graham and his music. Entitled, ''Jon Dee Graham: Swept Away'', it was released on DVD on May 20, 2008 and later made available to stream on Amazon Prime. The film was directed by a friend of Graham's, Mark Finkelpearl, who happens to be a documentary television professional with a background on the staffs of the

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...

and

National Geographic Television National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by the National Geographic Global Networks unit of Disney General En ...

. In August 2008, Graham underwent emergency surgery after being injured in a one-car accident. In 2012,

Susan Cowsill Susan Claire Cowsill (born May 20, 1959; Canton, Ohio) is a musician, vocalist and songwriter. The Cowsills Cowsill began her musical career with the Cowsills in 1967; she is the youngest member of the Cowsills and the only daughter of parent ...

Freedy Johnston Freedy Johnston (born Frederic John Fatzer in 1961) is a New York City–based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas. Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation, and disappointm ...

, and Graham, working together as The Hobart Brothers and Lil' Sis Hobart, released a collaborative album on Freedom Records entitled ''At Least We Have Each Other.'' ''Dreamer: A Tribute to Kent Finlay'', released in early 2016 on Austin-based Eight 30 Records, features Graham's version of Finlay's "Taken Better Care of Myself." That year Graham performed at

FitzGerald's American Music Festival FitzGerald's American Music Festival is an annual festival which takes place just west of Chicago in Berwyn, Illinois. In 2013, it is a 4-day festival over the July 4 holiday. The festival focuses on roots music, and presents performers from around ...

. In 2019, Graham announced plans and launched a fan-funding campaign to record a new album in conjunction with his 60th birthday.

Discography

Albums

* ''Escape From Monster Island'' – 1997 (Freedom) * ''Summerland'' – 1999 (New West) * ''Hooray For The Moon'' – 2002 (New West) * ''The Great Battle'' – 2004 (

New West New West Records is a record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, and Athens, Georgia. It had offices in Burbank, California, and Beverly Hills, California. The label was established in 1998 by Cameron Strang "for artists who perform real music ...

) * ''First Bear On The Moon'' – 2005 (Freedom) * ''Big Sweet Life: The Songs of Jon Dee Graham'' – 2005 (Freedom) * ''FULL'' – 2006 (Freedom) * ''Swept Away'' (Music from the documentary film by Mark Finkelpearl) – 2008 (Freedom) * ''It's Not As Bad As It Looks'' – 2010 (Freedom) * ''At Least We Have Each Other - The Hobart Brothers with Lil' Sis'' – 2012 (Freedom) * ''Garage Sale'' – 2012 (Freedom) * ''Do Not Forget'' – 2015 (Freedom) * ''Knoxville Skyline –'' 2016 (South Central Music)

Guitar, producer, vocals

* 1986 "Blue City",

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, an ...

, Guitar * 1986 "True Believers", True Believers, Guitar, Guitar (Steel), Vocals * 1990 "Meet John Doe",

, Guitar * 1990 "Running Sacred",

, Guitar (Electric) * 1992 Edge of the Valley, Terry Garland Guitar (Acoustic), Bass, Guitar, Arranger, Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Steel), Tambourine, Lap Steel Guitar * 1992 Forever Simon Bonney Dobro, Lap Steel Guitar, Bottleneck Guitar * 1993 13 Ribs

Susan Voelz Susan Voelz (born Susana Maria Voelz) is an American musician. A Grammy Award-nominated vocalist, violinist, and composer. She is a member of the alternative rock band, Poi Dog Pondering. She has also worked with a long list of famous musician ...

Bass, Guitar, Vocals (background) * 1993 Hasta La Victoria! The Silos * 1994 Adequate Desire Michael Hall Lap Steel Guitar * 1994 "Hard Road", The True Believers, Guitar, Guitar (Steel), Vocals * 1994 Susan Across the Ocean The Silos Lap Steel Guitar * 1995 Can O' Worms Dan Stuart Guitar, Vocals, Lap Steel Guitar * 1997 Anchorless

Kacy Crowley Kacy Crowley is an American musician and singer-songwriter. A New England native, she currently resides in Austin, Texas. Early life Born in Northampton, Massachusetts, her mother was a piano teacher and her father was a construction worker. Her ...

Guitar (Electric) * 1997 Dream of the Dog Calvin Russell Guitar, Arranger, Producer, Lap Steel Guitar * 1997 Glad I'm a Girl Various Artists Bass, Guitar, Vocals (background) * 1997 Too Much Is Not Enough Too Much TV Slide Guitar * 1997 Way Things Are Polk, Barton and Towhead Lap Steel Guitar * 1998 "One Possible Explanation" Roberto Moreno, Wicked Lead Guitar, Lap Steel, Vocals * 1998 Anchorless onus TrackKacy Crowley Guitar (Electric) * 1998 Crooked Mile Trish Murphy Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Multi Instruments, Lap Steel Guitar, Guitar (Baritone) * 1998 Gogitchyershinebox

The Gourds ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

, Guitar * 1998 Plebeians The Plebeians Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar * 1998 Stadium Blitzer

Lap Steel Guitar * 1998 This Is My Life Calvin Russell Guitar * 1998 Uprooted: The Best of Roots Country Singer/Songwriter Various Artists Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Lap Steel Guitar * 1998 We All Fall Down Gerald Bair Guitar (Electric) * 1999 What I Deserve

, Guitar (Electric), Lap Steel Guitar * 2000 And All The Colors... Ian Moore Lap Steel Guitar * 2000 Bolsa de Agua

, Lap Steel Guitar * 2000 Lunette Jim Roll Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar * 2000 Young Guitar Slingers: Texas Blues Evolution Various Artists Lap Steel Guitar * 2001 "Attacks" Roberto Moreno, Lap Steel * 2001 Earthquake Shake Skunks Guitar * 2001 Midnight Pumpkin Toni Price Lap Steel Guitar * 2001 Slinky Presents Superclub DJ's Guy Ornadel Producer * 2002 Buttermilk & Rifles Kevin Russell's Junker Lap Steel Guitar * 2002 Electric Jack Ingram Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Guitar (Electric) * 2002 Everybody Loves a Winner Jeff Klein Guitar (Electric), Choir, Chorus * 2002 From Hell to Breakfast: A Taste of Sugar Hill's Te Various Artists Lap Steel Guitar * 2003 Growl Ray Wylie Hubbard Vocals, Lap Steel Guitar * 2003 Patricia Vonne andoleraPatricia Vonne Lap Steel Guitar * 2004 Boogie Man Omar & The Howlers Guitar * 2004 Land of Milk and Honey Eliza Gilkyson Guitar (Electric), Harmony Vocals * 2004 Moodswing Kacy Crowley Guitar, Producer, Mixing, Mando-Guitar * 2004 "Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo", Various Artists, Guitar, Vocals * 2004 "Resentments", The Resentments Guitar (Acoustic), Dobro, Guitar (Electric), Vocals, Organ (Pump), Lap Steel Guitar, Group Member * 2005 Guitars & Castanets Patricia Vonne Lap Steel Guitar * 2006 Big Star Small World Various Artists Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar * 2006 "Boxing Mirror",

, Guitar * 2006 Tales from the Tavern, Vol. 1 * 2009 Live In Europe CD and DVD (James McMurtry), Guitar on Laredo

References

External links

*
KUT FM: "Swept Away"

KUT FM: Jon Dee Graham Live - November 28, 2007

KUT FM: Austin's Reluctant Rock Star

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Jon Dee Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American rock guitarists American male guitarists American male songwriters Guitarists from Texas Musicians from Austin, Texas New West Records artists Songwriters from Texas