Bill Staines

Bill Staines (born February 6, 1947 in Medford, Massachusetts) is an American folk musician and singer-songwriter from New Hampshire, who writes and performs songs about a wide array of topics. He has also written and recorded children's songs.

Bill Staines
At the Pawtucket Arts Festival, 2004. Photo by Thom C.
Background information
Born (1947-02-06) February 6, 1947
Medford, Massachusetts, United States
GenresFolk music
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
InstrumentsGuitar, vocals
Years activeEarly 1960s–present
LabelsRed House, Rounder, Philo, Mineral River
Websitewww.acousticmusic.com/staines

Raised in Lexington, Massachusetts, Staines began his professional career in the early 1960s in the Cambridge area. He began touring nationwide a few years later. In 1975 he won the National Yodeling Championship at the Kerrville Folk Festival. He performs about 200 times a year and has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, and The Good Evening Show.[1]

Staines's songs include "Bridges", "Crossing the Water", "Sweet Wyoming Home", "The Roseville Fair", "A Place in the Choir", "Child of Mine", and "River".

His songs have been recorded by many other artists, including Peter, Paul and Mary, Makem and Clancy, Nanci Griffith, Mason Williams, The Highwaymen, Glenn Yarbrough, Skip Jones, Jerry Jeff Walker, Schooner Fare, Grandpa Jones, The Grace Family, Hank Cramer, Coty Hogue and Priscilla Herdman. Staines has recorded 22 of his own albums, 15 of which were still in print as of 2005. Staines's songs have been published in four songbooks, If I Were a Word, Then I'd Be a Song; River; Music to Me: The Songs of Bill Staines, and All God's Critters Got a Place in the Choir.

Staines is left-handed and plays a right-handed guitar upside-down, with the bass strings on the bottom. Consequently, he has developed his own fingerings and picking style.

In 2004 his memoir, The Tour: A Life Between the Lines, was published.

Staines currently lives in Rollinsford, New Hampshire with his wife, Karen; his son, Bowen; and his springer spaniel, Andy, who was featured on the cover of his album Old Dogs. His son also pursues a career as folk singer.

Discography

All references from the Acoustic Music Bill Staines Discography[2] except when noted.

  • A Bag of Rainbows (1966)
  • Somebody Blue (1967)
  • Bill Staines (1971)
  • Third Time Around (1973)
  • Miles (1975)
  • Old Wood and Winter Wine (1977) with Guy Van Duser
  • Just Play One Tune More (1977)
  • Whistle of the Jay (1979)
  • Rodeo Rose (1981)
  • Sandstone Cathedrals (1983)
  • Bridges (1984)
  • Wild, Wild Heart (1985)
  • Redbird's Wing (1988)
  • The First Million Miles (1989)
  • Tracks & Trails (1991)
  • The Happy Wanderer (1993)
  • Going to the West (1993)
  • The Alaska Suite (1993)[3]
  • Looking for the Wind (1995)
  • One More River (1998)
  • The First Million Miles, Vol. 2 (1998)[4]
  • October's Hill (2000)
  • Journey Home (2004)
  • The Second Million Miles (2005)
  • Old Dogs (2007)
  • Beneath Some Lucky Star (2012)

References
  1. Bill Staines on John Shreve Biographies
  2. Acoustic Music
  3. Bill Staines – Pandora
  4. The First Million Miles, Vol. 2 at Amazon.com
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