My career as a songwriter began in Manhattan, not far from where I was born.
In 1977, I moved to a mobile home on Robie Creek, a 40-minute drive from Boise. For the next three years I lived Idaho northeast of McCall in a cabin with no running water or electricity. After that I lived adjacent to the Salmon River for 38 years, with a national forest as my nearest neighbor.
kAm%96 7FEFC6 @7 p>6C:42’D ?2E:@?2= 7@C6DED :D 36:?8 D92A65 ?@H] %96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :D 56G6=@A:?8 2 DJDE6> E@ :?G6?E@CJ @=5\8C@HE9 2?5 >2EFC6 7@C6DED @? 7656C2= =2?5 E92E E96 AC6D:56?E H2?ED E@ 36 4@>A=6E65 3J ?6IE pAC:=] qFE 8:G6? E96 :>>65:2E6 E9C62ED 724:?8 >2?J @7 E96D6 7@C6DED 2?5 E96:C :>A@CE2?46 E@ D=@H:?8 4=:>2E6 492?86[ 3@=5 24E:@? :D C6BF:C65 :>>65:2E6=J E@ AC6D6CG6 ?@E ;FDE @=5\8C@HE9 2?5 >2EFC6 EC66D 3FE 6?E:C6 ?2E:@?2= 7@C6DE 64@DJDE6>D 4@>AC:D:?8 E9@FD2?5D @7 :?E6C56A6?56?E DA64:6D]k^Am
kAm!C6D:56?E y@6 q:56? D9@F=5 :DDF6 2? 6I64FE:G6 @C56C :>>65:2E6=J 5:C64E:?8 9:D D64C6E2C:6D @7 E96 :?E6C:@C 2?5 28C:4F=EFC6 E@ E2<6 2== DE6AD 2G2:=23=6 E@ E96> E@ DE@A 4@>>6C4:2= =@88:?8 @? AF3=:4 =2?5] (6 42?’E H2:E 2 J62C]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 36DE E649?@=@8:6D E@ DE@C6 42C3@? :D 2? F?=@8865 7@C6DE H:E9 >:?:>2= 9F>2? :?ECFD:@?] u@C6DED D6BF6DE6C G2DE 2>@F?ED @7 42C3@? :? E96 ECF?<D[ =62G6D 2?5 C@@ED @7 EC66D @7 2== 286D 2?5 D:K6D 2?5 E96 D@:= 36?62E9 E96>] %C66D 23D@C3 42C3@? 5:@I:56 2?5 H2E6C 7C@> E96 2:C 2?5 8C@F?5 2?5 E9C@F89 E96 AC@46DD @7 A9@E@DJ?E96D:D C6=62D6 @IJ86? :?E@ E96 2:C] xE 4@DED ?@E9:?8 E@ =62G6 E96> 2D E96J 2C6] p==@H:?8 4@>>6C4:2= =@88:?8 E@ 4@?E:?F6 :? @FC ?2E:@?2= 7@C6DED H@F=5 2=D@ 36 2 42E2DEC@A96 7@C E96 3:@5:G6CD:EJ E96J 4@?E2:?]k^Am
kAm%96 @C56C x AC@A@D6 H@F=5 3C:?8 23@FE 2 D:8?:7:42?E C65F4E:@? :? 2E>@DA96C:4 42C3@? 5:@I:56] p?5 :E H:== 96=A E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D >66E E96 C6BF:C6>6?ED @7 E96 !2C:D 28C66>6?E[ H9:49 q:56? C6;@:?65 @? E96 7:CDE 52J @7 9:D AC6D:56?4J] tG6? H:E9 E96 4=:>2E6 AC@G:D:@?D @7 E96 x?7=2E:@? #65F4E:@? p4E[ q:56? H:== 72== D9@CE @7 9:D @H? AC@>:D6 E@ C65F46 8C66?9@FD6 82D 6>:DD:@?D d_ E@ da A6C46?E 36=@H a__d =6G6=D 3J a_b_] rFEE:?8 >@C6 7@C6DED :D?’E 8@:?8 E@ 96=A 9:E E92E >2C<]k^Am
kAm{2DE 72==[ @G6C a__ 4=:>2E6 D4:6?E:DED 7C@> 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ D6?E q:56? 2 =6EE6C F?56CD4@C:?8 E96 4@?D6BF6?46D :7 E:>36C 92CG6DE:?8 4@?E:?F6D :? E96 ?2E:@?2= 7@C6DED] %96J HC@E6 E92E “8C66?9@FD6 82D 6>:DD:@?D 7C@> =@88:?8 :? &]$] 7@C6DED 2C6 ?@H 4@>A2C23=6 E@ E96 2??F2=” 42C3@? 5:@I:56 “6>:DD:@?D 7C@> &]$] 4@2= 3FC?:?8]” !C@E64E:?8 7656C2= 7@C6DE=2?5D 7C@> =@88:?8[ @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ H@F=5 C6>@G6 gc >:==:@? E@?D @7 42C3@? 5:@I:56 7C@> E96 2E>@DA96C6 6G6CJ J62C[ E96J HC@E6]k^Am
kAm|J 6IA6C:6?46 :? x529@ =65 >6 E@ 364@>6 :?G@=G65 2D 2 G@=F?E66C :? E96 @?8@:?8 677@CE E@ AC@E64E 2 3:@C68:@? @7 ab >:==:@? 24C6D @7 ?2E:@?2==J @H?65 AF3=:4 =2?5 :? x529@[ |@?E2?2[ (2D9:?8E@?[ ~C68@? 2?5 (J@>:?8 3J >62?D @7 E96 AC@A@D65 }@CE96C? #@4<:6D t4@DJDE6> !C@E64E:@? p4E]k^Am
kAm%92E =68:D=2E:@? H@F=5 56D:8?2E6 4@CC:5@CD 7@C E96 D276 A2DD286 @7 H:=5=:76 36EH66? 6I:DE:?8 H:=56C?6DD 2?5 C@25=6DD 2C62D @? 7656C2= 7@C6DE=2?5] xE H2D AC@A@D65 3J D4:6?E:DED :? E96 =2E6 `hg_D H9@ F?56CDE@@5 E92E AC@E64E:?8 2?5 4@??64E:?8 =2C86\D42=6 7@C6DE 64@DJDE6>D H2D ?646DD2CJ 7@C DA64:6D E@ E9C:G6] s6DA:E6 E96 =68:D=2E:@? C646:G:?8 D@>6 3:A2CE:D2? DFAA@CE :? A2DE J62CD[ :E 92D ?@E 366? 6?24E65 :? E96 ?62C=J b_ J62CD D:?46 :E H2D :?EC@5F465]k^Am
kAmu@C6DE AC6D6CG2E:@? :D 2 4=:>2E6 D@=FE:@?] %92E’D H9J H6 ?665 24E:@? E@ D2768F2C5 E96 7@C6DED @? E96 AF3=:4 =2?5D H6 2== D92C6] u656C2= =2H C6BF:C6D E92E >@DE AF3=:4 =2?5D 36 >2?2865 7@C >F=E:A=6 FD6 — 7C@> C64C62E:@? E@ 82D 2?5 @:= 56G6=@A>6?E[ >:?:?8 2?5 =@88:?8] qFE E9:D =@?8DE2?5:?8 A@=:4J :D CF??:?8 9625=@?8 :?E@ 677@CED E@ D=@H E96 H2C>:?8 @7 @FC A=2?6E]k^Am
kAmu@C6DED @? 7656C2==J @H?65 =2?5 2C6 36:?8 56DEC@J65 2E 3C62<?64< DA665 3J 962GJ 6BF:A>6?E E92E 42? D2H E9C@F89 2 EC66[ DEC:A :ED 3C2?496D 2?5 D6E E92E EC66 @? 2 A:=6 @7 =@8D :? E96 E:>6 :E E@@< >6 E@ EJA6 E9:D D6?E6?46]k^Am
kAm%96 67764ED @7 E96 4=:>2E6 4C:D:D 2C6 F?56?:23=6] %96 D42=6 @7 E96 AC@3=6> D@>6E:>6D >2<6D FD 766= 96=A=6DD] qFE E96 AF3=:4 42? 5@ D@>6E9:?8 C:89E ?@H 3J 2D<:?8 !C6D:56?E q:56? — :? ?F>36CD E@@ 3:8 E@ :8?@C6 — E@ FD6 2== @7 9:D A@H6CD E@ DE@A E96 =@88:?8 @7 E96 ?2E:@?’D >2EFC6 2?5 @=5\8C@HE9 7@C6DED]k^Am
kAmx? `hf_[ >J 4@==23@C2E@C %@?: $E6C? HC@E6 E96 =JC:4D E@ >J >@DE A@AF=2C D@?8[ “xE’D %@@ {2E6]” %92E E:E=6 D9@F=5 ?@E C676C E@ E96 4=:>2E6] %92E’D H9J[ 2E 286 g_[ x’> FD:?8 >J G@:46 E@ 42== @? !C6D:56?E q:56? E@ DE@A 4@>>6C4:2= =@88:?8 :? @FC ?2E:@?2= 7@C6DED] !=62D6 255 J@FC G@:46 E@ >:?6]k^Am
kAmk6>mr2C@=6 z:?8 :D 2 D:?86C[ D@?8HC:E6C[ 2FE9@C 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 25G@42E6] $96 HC@E6 E9:D 4@=F>? 7@C %96 }6H *@C< %:>6D]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.