May 20th, 2016 8:30 AM
SpareTime is saddened by the news of the passing of James King at 57. He was a friend of ours for over fifteen years and we opened for him at the Copper Grid and Dudley’s. We were on the bill at Swamp n’ Grass and helped get his unique voice into a concert at the Roxbury Tavern.
James was called The Bluegrass Storyteller and excelled at poignant songs fraught with emotion and conviction. He was one of the most honest artists in traditional bluegrass—often moved to tears on stage by the lyrics he sang. One particular musical moment that comes to mind occurred at the Copper Grid when James, with only his guitar, sang “Dream of the Miner’s Child”. He imbued that hoary chestnut with utter sincerity and conviction. There were few dry eyes.
With James, what you saw was what you got (warts and all). And there were warts. At various times he lived hard. The road took a toll. He was in declining health for over a year.
Our thoughts go out to his loved ones.
