Ramsay Midwood is an

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 ...

-based singer and songwriter. His voice has been likened to

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He ...

, and

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

, his lyrical imagery to

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

, and his raw blues music to

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...

Biography

Midwood born in

Woodstock, New York Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, NY. It lies within the borders of the Catskill Park. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 in 2000 ...

and raised in Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

His father, novelist Bart Midwood who also wrote for

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

, and his mother, painter Susan Kellogg, encouraged his musical interests. After graduating from

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...

in 1987, Midwood moved to Chicago and acted as an understudy with the

Steppenwolf Theater Company Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry, and Gary Sinise in the Unitarian church on Half Day Road in Deerfield, Illinois and is now located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood on ...

in a production of ''

The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize ...

'', playing both Al Joad and Floyd Knowles. Midwood moved to Los Angeles, where he met guitarist

Randy Weeks Randy Weeks is an American singer and songwriter. Lucinda Williams (who covered Weeks' song " Can't Let Go") has said: "Randy Weeks writes amazingly well crafted, beautifully melodic songs and delivers them with his own brand of laid back vocals ...

(Lonesome Strangers) who would co-produce Midwood's first album. Midwood and Weeks started the band Wayfarer. In 2002, Midwood recorded his debut album ''Shoot Out at the OK Chinese Restaurant'' for the German label

Glitterhouse Records Glitterhouse Records is a German independent record label and mail order company based in Beverungen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was founded in the mid-1980s. From the late 1980s until the mid-1990s it was the European branch of the American la ...

who initially released it Germany. Guest artists included Randy Weeks (guitar, banjo, harmonica, drums), Josh Grange (guitar), Brantley Kearns (fiddle), Skip Edwards (accordion, piano, organ),

Rami Jaffe Rami Jaffee (born March 11, 1969) is an American musician. He is best known as the keyboardist for the rock band Foo Fighters, whom he initially joined in a touring and session capacity in 2005. Jaffee has contributed to six of the band's studio ...

(accordion, organ), Matt Margucci (trumpet), Donny McGough (piano, organ), Kip Boardman (piano, bass),

Sheldon Gomberg Sheldon Gomberg is an American record producer, audio engineer and bassist, who has worked with many artists including Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite, Warren Zevon, Rickie Lee Jones, Ryan Adams, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Five for Fighting, Mandy Moo ...

(bass),

Don Heffington Don Heffington (December 20, 1950March 24, 2021) was an American drummer, percussionist, and songwriter. He was a founding member of the Los Angeles alternative country band Lone Justice, which he performed with from 1982 to 1985. Heffington was ...

, Kevin Jarvis, and

Nelson Bragg Nelson Bragg (born August 14, 1961) is an American percussionist, vocalist and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. Biography Nelson Bragg was born in Dover, New Hampshire on August 14, 1961. He played in several bands from 1979 to 19 ...

(drums). The album was released in the United States with a slightly different set of songs in November 2002 by

Vanguard Records Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City. It was a primarily classical label at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but also has a catalogue of recordings by a n ...

. By then, Midwood had moved to Austin after his Los Angeles home burned down, and began playing at venues such as The Saxon Pub, Sam’s Town Point and The White Horse. Midwood released ''Popular Delusions and the Madness of Cows'' on his own label Farmwire Music label in 2006. Don Heffington produced and played drums. Others helping out included David Jackson (bass), Kip Boardman (bass, piano), David Vaught (bass), Randy Weeks (guitar, banjo), Jake Labotz (guitar),

Greg Leisz Gregory Brian Leisz ( ; born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Biography Leisz grew up in the garage band cu ...

(lap steel guitar, mandolin), Danny McGough (organ), Phil Parlapiano (organ, accordion), and Jon Birdsong (tuba). In 2011, Midwood released ''Larry Buys a Lighter'', self-released on Farmwire and produced by Midwood and Weeks. Other musicians were

Radoslav Lorković Radoslav Lorković (born September 3, 1958) is a Croatian born and classically trained folk and blues musician, known in particular for his flair on the piano and accordion. He has six solo studio recordings, three live albums and has recorded a ...

(accordion), Joey Thompson (bass, piano), Mark Hays (drums), Seth Gibbs (drums, bass), Wayne Chojo Jacques (fiddle), Kevin Russell (mandolin),

Tony Scalzo Tony Scalzo (born May 6, 1964 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is an American rock musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the band Fastball. Early life Tony Scalzo was born in Hawaii to a mother from Arizona and an Italian-American fath ...

(organ), and Justin Sherburn (organ, piano).

Discography

Solo albums

* 2000: ''Shoot Out at the OK Chinese Restaurant'' (

Glitterhouse Glitterhouse Records is a German independent record label and mail order company based in Beverungen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was founded in the mid-1980s. From the late 1980s until the mid-1990s it was the European branch of the American la ...

) released in the U.S. by

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...

) in 2002. * 2006: ''Popular Delusions & The Madness of Cows'' (Farmwire) * 2011, "Larry Buys a Lighter'' (Farmwire)

Also appears on

* 2000: Randy Weeks - ''Madeline'' (

Hightone HighTone Records was an American independent record label based in Oakland, California, United States. HighTone specialized in American roots music including, country, rockabilly, western swing, blues and gospel. The label was created by Larry ...

) * 2007:

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 m ...

- ''Noble Creatures'' (

Yep Roc Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Nick Lowe, Paul W ...

) * 2012:

Tex Smith Tex may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tex (nickname), a list of people and fictional characters with the nickname * Joe Tex (1933–1982), stage name of American soul singer Joseph Arrington Jr. Entertainment * ''Tex'', the Italian ...

- ''A Wayfarer's Lament'' (self-released) * 2015: various artists - ''Cold and Bitter Tears: The Songs of Ted Hawkins'' (Eight 30) - track 11, "My Last Goodbye"

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Midwood, Ramsay Living people Year of birth missing (living people) American male singer-songwriters