A visit with singers who know what it means to lose heart.

We find Phil Ochs sharpening his weapons for a final attack on injustice.

Not long after leaving the Blue Things, Stöecklein laid bare his deepest yearnings and despair.

In the melancholy wisdom of his lyrics, this lost singer-songwriter has very few rivals.

Raised on the fertile musical soil of Mississippi and Tennessee, Jesse Winchester’s career began when Robbie Robertson took him under his wing.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of waning religious zeal and disco experimentation, the epoch of brilliant outtakes like “Blind Willie McTell” and lackluster releases like Down in the Groove. You May Also Like: Mark Knopfler credits Bob Dylan forRead More

Though the late Warren Zevon didn’t record a whole lot of covers, when he did they always revealed his excellent taste: from Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” to Steve Winwood’s “Back in the High Life Again” and Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” You May Also Like: A glimpse into Warren Zevon’sRead More

Whatever god dreamed up Jackson C. Frank’s fate must have been in a pretty morbid mood. You May Also Like: 1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music, by Andrew Grant Jackson (2015): Books Jackson Browne, “Shaky Town” from Running on Empty (1977): One Track Mind

“The jukebox in the café don’t play nothing that I know: Hell, I guess I’ll save my quarter to hear that steam-boat whistle blow”: Sammy Walker’s voice still sounds strong on Blue Ridge Mountain Skyline. You May Also Like: Seth Walker – Gotta Get Back (2016) Seth Walker, “We GotRead More

Some careers follow a beaten path to fame and fortune, but for others the road is rough and rocky, winding its way past brief success and disappointment. This has certainly been the case for Sammy Walker You May Also Like: Phil Ochs – ‘The Best of the Rest: Rare andRead More