Jim Lauderdale

Singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale helped write the blueprint for the Americana movement of the '90s, earning high critical marks for eclectic albums that spanned hard country, slick pop, rootsy rock & roll, blues, folk, R&B, and bluegrass. Stylistically restless, Lauderdale's roots were in hard country and bluegrass, but his first release, 1991's Planet of Love, was a savvy blend of rock, blues, and traditional country influences. It scored rave reviews, but with 1999's I Feel Like Singing Today, a collaboration with Dr. Ralph Stanley, he revealed he was also a first-rate bluegrass vocalist. Over the next two decades, Lauderdale would move back and forth between electric and acoustic projects, always steeped in roots music (such as on the diverse 2021 LP Hope), while building an estimable reputation as a songwriter -- his compositions were recorded by a number of country stars, including George Strait, Patty Loveless, and George Jones.