Jason Ringenberg (born on November 22, 1958 in Kewanee, Illinois) is an American musician, and lead singer of Jason & the Scorchers. He is also a songwriter and guitarist.
The band had several minor hits, including "Golden Ball and Chain" and a blistering rock version of Bob Dylan's "Absolutely Sweet Marie."
Ringenberg was especially influential in the mid-1980s when the indie country/rock fusion movement was at its height. His music, and that of similar bands, served as the roots for the "alt country" genre that would arise in the 1990s.
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Born November 22, 1958, Jason came from a place lost in time, a small hog farm near Sheffield, Illinois. The Ringenberg farm bordered the Rock Island Line railroad track. The farm was built by his grandpa Emmerson, and until the current generation, all of Jason’s relatives farmed in Bureau County. His maternal great-grandfather, Peter VanDeKeere,s was known as “The King of the Belgians” because he would help the Belgian immigrants get started in the Sheffield area by giving them food, a place to stay, or a job on his farm. His father’s Ringenberg ancestors were German Mennonites, a sect related to the Amish. Jason enjoyed a very idyllic, if hard working, childhood on the farm.
After touring solo, he reunited with the Scorchers in 2010 and together they released a new studio album titled "Halycon Times."
In 2002 Jason released an album of duets named All Over Creation featuring Steve Earle, Lambchop, The Wildhearts and more.
His most recent solos album, Empire Builders was released in 2004.
He featured on the album Greetings From Cairo, Illinois by Stace England in 2005.
These days, when not Scorching, he is head-over-heels involved in his children’s music character, Farmer Jason. He won an Emmy for the “It’s a Farmer Jason!” video program running on PBS stations around the country. The past 10 years he has done close to 2,000 shows as Farmer Jason and Jason Ringenberg solo, touring extensively in the United States, Europe, and Australia.
Jason now lives near Bon Aqua, Tennessee, with his wife Suzy; daughters Kelsey, Addie, and Camille; and a barnyard full of animals.