Possessed by Paul James

Konrad Wert, known as Possessed by Paul James since 2005, is an American folk singer, songwriter and musician from Lee County, Florida.[1] His music is composed of string instruments including banjo, guitar and fiddle with roots within folk, blues and punk. Raised within a small Mennonite Community among pacifists, service workers and transplants. He is currently living in Texas with his wife and sons meeting the music demand by touring, sales on line etc. He is also a special education teacher in Kerrville, Texas.[2] Possessed by Paul James has starred in The Folk Singer, a film by Slowboat Films in 2008 while in circulation internationally. In 2015 Wert along with Milk Products Media, embarked on a year documentary spreading the conversation and advocacy of Special Education awareness and the need for state/federal reform. When It Breaks completed production in 2018 and is soon to release.

Possessed by Paul James
Birth nameKonrad Wert
Also known asPossessed by Paul James
BornJuly 26, 1976
Immokalee, Florida
GenresAlternative country, folk, country, bluegrass, antifolk, blues, punk
Instrument(s)banjo, guitar, fiddle, stomp box

Breakout album

At the end of 2013 'There Will Be Nights When I'm Lonely' was released with Hillgrass Bluebilly Records. The album initially charted at #12 on Billboard Magazine under the Country/Bluegrass genre. National Public Radio, CMT, MTV featured both articles and tracks from the release. The New York Times stated "PPJ a one man folk wonder" [3] as well as one of the top concerts at the 2014 Pickathon Music Festival of Oregon.[4]

Current projects

After 19 years of working in social services and education, Wert and family are presently embarking on varied projects while continually teaching. "There must be a bond between the world of music performance and the world of social justice"; a strong theme in which the PPJ Family believes in and hopes to accomplish.[5]

Discography
Title Album details Peak positions
US Grass
Possessed by Paul James
  • Release date: 2006
  • Label: SYA Records
 —
Cold and Blind —
The Revival Tour
  • Release date: 2009[6]
  • Label: Ten Four Records
 —
Feed the Family
  • Release date: September 21, 2010[7]
  • Label: Hillgrass Bluebilly Records
 —
Live at Antone's
  • Release date: 2012
  • Label: Normandeep Blues Records
 —
There Will Be Nights When I'm Lonely
  • Release date: October 29, 2013
  • Label: Hillgrass Bluebilly Records
 12
As We Go Wandering
  • Release date: 2020
  • Label: PPJ Records
 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

References
  1. One in a Million
  2. "Konrad Wert, a.k.a. Possessed by Paul James, draws spotlight from Billboard charts, NPR and NY Times before returning (yet again) to EMU". 13 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  3. Caramanica, Jon (4 August 2014). "Photos from the Pickathon Music Festival". The New York Times.
  4. Pareles, Jon (29 December 2014). "Sounds That Lingered: Critics' Top 10 Concerts". The New York Times.
  5. "Home". ppjfamilyfilm.com.
  6. Ten Four Records Archived 2009-08-03 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "POSSESSED BY PAUL JAMES – FEED THE FAMILY". ninebullets.net. 2010-08-30. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
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