James Hand (musician)

James "Slim"[1] Hand (July 7, 1952 – June 8, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter.

This article is about the country music singer & songwriter. For other people by that name, see James Hand.

James Hand
Born(1952-07-07)July 7, 1952
Waco, Texas, U.S.
DiedJune 8, 2020(2020-06-08) (aged 67)
Waco, Texas, U.S.
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Musical career
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Labels

Early life

James Edward Hand was born on July 7, 1952, in Waco, Texas.[2][3] He was raised in the community of Tokio in McLennan County, Texas,[3] and took to guitar playing and singing when approximately twelve years old. He worked in various jobs, including horse training and driving a truck. About his work with animals, Hand said, “People act like it’s some big deal, like this whole horse whispering thing. But I’ll tell you something – you can whisper to ’em, you can get down on your knees and act like ’em, but the horse knows you ain't a horse."[4]

Career

As a teenager, Hand joined a small band and began performing in honky-tonks and roadhouses across Central Texas. At some point he started to write and perform his own songs.[5] After many years of live performances, he released his first album in 1997, when he was 45 years old.[6]

In 2014, Hand played a fictional version of himself in the independent film Thank You a Lot. The Austin Film Society's website noted that Hand and co-protagonist Blake DeLong, playing his son, had a chemistry that was "hilariously realistic".[7]

About the life he sings about, Hand once remarked: "I don't know if I've been more blessed or cursed. But I've been diversified."[8]

Critical appraisal

Reviewers have generally emphasized the "authenticity" of Hand's songs.[9] His music reportedly can match the "rigor" of historical performers of country music, "with the slightest touch of outlaw bluster," while his voice can be "uncertain in moments."[10] On the release of his first album, one reviewer wrote that Hand "sings the songs as if he has lived every minute of them,"[11] while The Washington Post's reviewer called him "the real deal,"[12] a view shared also by Willie Nelson.[13]

Death and legacy

On June 8, 2020, Hand died from complications of heart failure at the Providence Healthcare Center in Waco, Texas.[3][14]

On February 26, 2021, Charley Crockett released a tribute album to Hand titled 10 For Slim: Charley Crockett Sings James Hand.[15] It was met with critical acclaim from Rolling Stone,[16] The Boot,[17] Austin American-Statesman,[18] Forbes,[19] Saving Country Music,[20] and American Songwriter[21] among others.

Discography
  • Shadows Where the Magic Was (1997)
  • Evil Things, on Cold Spring Records (1999)
  • Live From The Saxon Pub Austin TX, on Knight Klub Records (2003)
  • The Truth Will Set You Free, on Rounder Records (2006)
  • Shadow on the Ground, on Rounder Records (2009)
  • Mighty Lonesome Man, on Hillgrass Bluebilly Records (2012)
  • Stormclouds in Heaven, on Slim Hand Music (2014)

References
  1. Powers, Calvin (December 3, 2012). "James Hand". Americana Music Show. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  2. Deming, Mark (2018). "James Hand". AllMusic. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  3. Blackstock, Peter (June 10, 2020). "Texas country great James Hand dies at 67". Austin 360. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  4. "James Hand". The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. September 14, 2006. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  5. "Country Legend James Hand is One of Texas's Best Kept Secrets". Texas Hill Country magazine. January 15, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  6. Thanki, Juli (September 8, 2009). "Review of James Hand's Honky-Tonk Shadow on the Ground". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  7. Cerda, Debbie (March 25, 2014). "SXSW 2014: Connecting With Local and Indie Music Through Film". Slackerwood. Austin Film Society. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  8. Blackstock, Peter (June 10, 2020). "Texas country great James Hand dies at 67". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  9. Bell, Ben (February 19, 2012). "James Hand". Saving Country Music. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  10. Caramanica, Ron (October 15, 2009). "Honoring Inspirations From Life and Beyond It". The New York Times. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  11. Munro, Stuart (April 28, 2006). "James Hand : The Truth Will Set You Free". Boston Globe. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  12. McClain, Buzz (March 19, 2006). "The Truth Will Set You Free : Review". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  13. Bell, Ben (March 19, 2006). "James Hand". Houston Press. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  14. "Central Texas musician James "Slim" Hand passes away Monday morning". KXXV. June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  15. Reuter, Annie. "Charley Crockett Is Releasing Music His Own Way In A Pandemic And It's Working". Forbes.com. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  16. Bernstein, Jonathan (March 24, 2021). "Charley Crockett's Throwback Country Sound Isn't in Fashion. That's Fine With Him". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  17. Angela Stefano. "WATCH: Charley Crockett Drives All Night in 'Midnight Run' Video". The Boot. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  18. Blackstock, Peter. "Austin360 On The Record: Blue Water Highway, David Ramirez, Charley Crockett". austin360. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  19. Reuter, Annie. "Charley Crockett Is Releasing Music His Own Way In A Pandemic And It's Working". Forbes. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  20. Trigger (February 26, 2021). "Album Review – Charley Crockett's "10 For Slim"". Saving Country Music. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  21. "Charley Crockett Honors James "Slim" Hand: "I Had No Choice But To Record His Music"". American Songwriter. March 3, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
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