Willis Alan Ramsey

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Willis Alan Ramsey (born 1953) is an American singer/songwriter, a cult legend among fans of Americana and Texas country. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in Dallas, Texas. In 1972, he released his only album, a Self-titled Debut Album on the Shelter label that received critical acclaim. However, owing to conflict with his label, he subsequently quit the music industry. In the 1980s, he moved to the British Isles to study Celtic songwriting. At the same time, he enjoyed a revival in the United States, due in part to numerous artists who cut versions of Ramsey's songs, including Jerry Jeff Walker ("Northeast Texas Women"), Waylon Jennings ("Satin Sheets"), Jimmy Buffett ("The Ballad of Spider John"), and Jimmie Dale Gilmore ("Goodbye to Old Missoula"). In the 1990s, he returned to the United States and started a songwriting collaboration with his longtime friend Lyle Lovett. He and Ramsey co-wrote "North Dakota" and "That's Right (You're Not From Texas)" for albums by Lyle Lovett.

In 2001, after a hiatus of more than 20 years, Ramsey returned on stage to perfom nine new songs as well as some older material. Reliable sources report that in 2004 Ramsey recorded the long-awaited "next" Willis Alan Ramsey record, scheduled it for release and a promotional tour in the fall, but that Ramsey withdrew the record release and canceled the tour. There has been no word of a scheduled release date or tour, and his website has been idle for two years.