James Keelaghan has been called one of Canada’s finest singer-songwriters and deservedly so. For almost a quarter of a century now, this poet laureate of the folk and roots music world has combined his brilliantly-defined craftsmanship and artistic vision with his absolutely distinctive and exceptionally gorgeous voice.
His literate and layered songwriting weaves its way through marvelously etched stories of a historical nature with underlying universal themes, and then mines the depths of the soul and the emotional trails of human relations.¨He is a masterful storyteller, earning his share of nominations and awards, and acclaim from Australia to Scandinavia. His deep catalogue include timeless originals like Fires of Calais, Cold Missouri Waters, Jenny Bryce, Hillcrest Mine, and Kiri’s Piano.
James has won the Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo, and first prize in the Folk Category of the 8th Annual USA Songwriting Competition. His song “Cold Missouri Waters” was covered by super band Cry, Cry, Cry with Richard Shindell, Lucy Kaplansky, and famed folk musicians Roy Bailey and Garnet Rogers. He also earned kudos as one of the Folk Project’s and Acoustic Getaway’s favorite artists. His music is awesome.