Jim Ringer : Tramps And Hawkers

Singer-songwriter, Jim Ringer, was born in Yell County in the Arkansas Ozarks. During the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s, his family migrated to California's Central Valley, settling near the town of Clovis in the San Joaquin Valley. It was a hard-scrabble life they led. Ringer would help the family by working, often missing school as a result. By the time he was 18, Ringer was serving a three-year prison sentence, for driving someone else's car, if I recall. In the years after his release, he lived a transient life for a while, hopping freight trains from job to job until 1969, when he decided to become a professional musician. Two years later, as part of a hippie community in Berkeley, he and 12 other friends bought a 1948 Chevy school bus and formed the Portable Folk Festival. This group spent 1971 touring the country and performing. Near the end of the year, Ringer began performing with Kenny Hall & the Sweet's Mill String Band, with whom he cut an album in 1972. That same year, Jim also cut his first solo album, Waitin' for the Hard Times to Go, for Folk-Legacy Records. It was during this time that he met singer Mary McCaslin in 1972, Ringer teamed up with Mary professionally (they became a couple as well), and continued to play on his own as well. In 1973, Ringer signed to Philo and released Good to Get Home. Two more albums followed in the three years that followed. Ringer and McCaslin were married, and recorded a duet album for Philo called "The Bramble and the Rose." Ringer signed to Flying Fish in 1981 and recorded Endangered Species, which produced the highly touted "Whiskey and Cocaine" and featured performances by the Dillards, the Burrito Brothers, and the Hot Band. Jim and Mary split up in 1989. Three years later, Ringer died. It was on St. Patrick's Day, 1992. He was 56 years old. Utah Phillips said, "Jim was part of the true vine."

There aren't many photographs available on the web of Jim Ringer. I did the best I could with what I could find, keeping the imagery as simple as possible. I met Jim and Mary briefly in 1979 or 1980 at a folk festival I was performing at. I liked listening to them. Jim was a bit intimidating in appearance, those deep-set eyes, his eyebrows like claw hammers, but his soul was generous. When Jim sang, there was no mistaking the fact that you were listening to a genuine voice and a true storyteller. DL

Note: If anyone objects to this video due to copyright issues, please make contact and it will be removed. My purpose in making the video was to get something of Jim's work on youtube. He's worth it.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Jim
• Ringer
• Tramps
• And
• Hawkers
• Mary
• McCaslin
• Doug
• Lang
• paganmaestro

[ParnellArt]

I recognize the melody as an Irish song I heard years ago by the Clancy Bros. called Paddy West. Any idea where the tune originated?

[paganmaestro]

@ParnellArt and Restlessjohn... I know it's an old tune, one that's been used a few times I'm sure. No idea who first came up with it, though.

[mpopky100]

I spent hours scouring the web to find a copy of 'Tramps and Hawkers' for my wife. Her dad played the album on many road trips they took as a kid. I finally found ONE...in the UK!!

It has since become one of my all time favorite albums. There is a mesmerizing quality to Jim's performances. IMHO, his music is so honest in its simplicity, but at the same time deep and rich...I can listen to the album over and over, and never get tired of it. Thanks for the post.. and thanks Jim for the music.

[westmeathguy]

Thank you for this and for the bio. I used to see Jim and Mary play too and yep, Jim was rough to look at but he sang sweet. The real deal. Thanks again!

[colindominy]

Great posting. I've still got my original 1972 vinyl copy of Jim's album "Waitin For The Hard Times To Go" .. in mint condition, it still plays like pure gold. It's a prime-precious-prize amongst my considerable record collection from that era & genre. Jim has such a unique, captivating style of singing + story-telling .. I adore his talent & I still play him to this day .. newcomers whom I play his music to are amazed that he never was given wider recognition & more richly-deserved acclaim.

[eulessgirl1]

Thank you.

[capitanotedeschi]

Thanks for posting this song. I was listening to it this evening. I saw Jim Ringer & Mary McCaslin perform in Kansas City at the Foolkiller in the 1970s. They made beautiful music both separately and together. I live in the San Joaquin Valley and Jim Ringer's voice and lyrics capture it well. Hot, dusty, full of hardworking people and all-American towns. It's a place you want to get away from, but to which you always return. Again thanks for sharing. 30

[kattywumpus2000]

@patmonkrn I agree. My dad would have liked this video, and I would love to see more, also. I miss him. -Kim Ringer



[AF2Z]

Jim Ringer did the definitive version of "Willing". I haven't heard it for years but keep looking for it. Also, "Bramble and the Rose" with Mary McCaslin. Those songs were my favorites.

[CHRISBEME1]

I'VE SEEN JIM AND MARY MANY TIMES AT McCABE'S IN SANTA MONICA CA. BACK IN THE 70'S AND AT DIFFERENT FOLK FESTIVALS AROUND SO. CAL. HAVE SEVERAL OF HIS AND HERS AND THEIR ALBUMS BOUGHT THERE. THEY WERE SO GREAT TOGETHER. ALSO UTAH PHILIPS THE SAME DEAL. THE LAST TIME I SAW HIM WAS IN THE 80'S AT THE PANIDA THEATER IN SANDPOINT IDAHO.

[denvereddennis]

I saw Jim ringer in 1970 with Utah phillips!

[germcgrath7]

its an old scots gaelic song of the same name. made famous in this part of the world by the late luke kelly of the dubliners.