American country-western singer, popular in the ’60s and ’70s. Gilmore acknowledges the three common influences for American singer-songwriters: Hank Williams, Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan.
His dad played in a country band and as a kid, the family moved to Lubbock, a Texas town that turned out a surprising number of country stars. Gilmore learned to play fiddle, trombone and guitar at local coffee houses, singing in a nasal whine that was suited to his laid-back, folksy delivery. When he was around 20 he wrote “Treat Me Like a Saturday Night,” which remained one of his most enduring pieces.
In 1970 he formed an acoustic band, the “Flatlanders” along with Joe Ely and Butch Hancock and they played gigs for a year around Austin and Lubbock. After they disbanded, Ely won a record contract in which he played some of Gilmore’s material while Gilmore moved to Denver where he played only as a hobby. It was not until 1988 when Gilmore, back in Austin, put out a debut solo album “Fair and Square” on Ely’s label. His second LP featured a more straightforward honky-tonk style. Generally, Gilmore sings a rich blend of traditional country, folk, blues, and rock styles, and his friendly delivery makes him easy to listen to and like. He later moved away from country into more of a psychedelic blues rockabilly. His first two albums gave him solid acclaim and in 1990 he signed to Elektra. “Spinning Around the Sun” came out in 1993 and “Braver Newer World” in 1996. Both albums were Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary Folk Artist.
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