Jimmie Dale Gilmore: In Song, A Eulogy For Dad

Fresh Air

Published June 19, 2009 at 12:35 PM EDT

Texas singer-songwriter Jimmie Dale Gilmore brings together country, folk, blues and rock in his 2005 album Come On Back.

The album, Gilmore's seventh, is a touching tribute to the artist's father, who died of ALS in 2000. It features Gilmore performing his father's favorite songs, including "Train of Love," "Peace in the Valley" and "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down."

In the early 1970s, Gilmore was an original member of the short-lived (but now legendary) band the Flatlanders, with Butch Hancock and childhood friend Joe Ely. After the band split up, Gilmore temporarily left professional music, returning to performing only in the 1980s. His first solo album, Fair and Square, was released in 1988.

This interview was originally broadcast Nov. 23, 2005.

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