William Elliott Whitmore, 1

I don't remember what I was doing when I first heard William Elliott Whitmore's music. All I remember is that I STOPPED whatever it was. And listened. And then went and found everything that I could lay my hands on about him and his music. And then paid to download as much as I could, and ordered physical copies of what wasn't available to download. And then listened to all of it. A LOT. And loved it even more.

And I love it even more than that now. So I'll keep this brief and just urge you to listen to the music, watch some videos, hear an interview or two with the man, and decide for yourself.

The bare bones: Whitmore's a singer/songwriter who grew up in the hills of Eastern Iowa, on a farm near the Mississippi River. He sings and plays guitar and (sometimes) banjo. His songs express his deep connectedness to the land and his family, friends, principles, loves, hopes, fears and doubts. He is articulate, passionate, and smart. He sings about the big things--life and death, loss and redemption, patriotism and shame--but he keeps it SIMPLE. His guitar and banjo playing aren't flashy, but they work. And his VOICE. Well, just listen to it here (and enjoy learning a little more about his life):

http://www.vimeo.com/7902412

If that intrigues you (and I hope it does), you can find a lot more of his music at his myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/williamewhitmore

If you only have a little time there, at least try to watch the video for "Hell or High Water" and listen to the song "Diggin' My Grave". I hope you'll be glad that you did--and that you feel moved to hear more!