Jimmie Skinner was a country singer, guitarist and songwriter from Kentucky whose roots were in bluegrass music and who forged a successful career as a hit-making country artist.

His chart career began in the 1940s as he performed in his sparse, down-home style and continued through to 1960, despite making very few compromises to the changing tastes and styles within the genre until his later sessions. He was also unusual in that alongside his performing career he ran a well-known retail and mail order music store in Cincinnati, Jimmie Skinner’s Music Center, doing regular radio broadcasts from the shop window.

He recorded prolifically, and this 57-track set includes selected A- and B-sides from his releases on the Red Barn, Radio Artists, Capitol, Decca and Mercury labels during the 15-year span of this era, featuring at least one side of most of his releases in those years, and including duets with Connie Hall.

It features all ten of his country hits, including the Top 20 entries Tennessee Border, I Found My Girl In The USA, What Makes A Man Wander, Dark Hollow, John Wesley Hardin, Riverboat Gambler and Reasons To Live.

It represents a substantial cross-section of his output during the primary era of his career, and is an entertaining showcase for a highly distinctive artist.

REVIEWS

The late Ray Campi is on record as saying Jimmie Skinner was The Greatest Of Them All! In reality, however, Skinner is basically just a footnote in the history of country music… So, this collection, investigating his career from 1947 through to 1962, is most welcome. - Howard Cockburn (Now Dig This Issue 459)