Jim Bohn received the top awards in Rock and Gospel categories at the Songwriter's of Wisconsin Awards Showcase in September 2005!
JIM BOHN
"Every day is another step farther up the mountain." - Jim Bohn
Musician Jim Bohn has been writing songs for 30 years. In that time, he estimates he's penned over 150. And in the last four years, he's recorded many of those tunes on three CDs: "Farther Up the Mountain" (2004); "Clear Blue Sky" (2002); and "Old Dogs, New Tricks," with Ozaukee County Jam Band (2001). All are on the Walls Have Ears label.
The "climbing up the mountain" metaphor pretty much sums up Bohn's philosophy of moving ahead, of reaching a goal: slow and steady. "It's all about putting one foot in front of the other and keeping on going until you get to where you want to be - the mountaintop," singer-songwriter Bohn says. "Every step of the way is another step closer to your dreams, no matter how hard the path."
Certainly, Bohn is a man who is living the metaphor. While working full-time in business management and marketing, raising a family, and earning three college degrees, Bohn never lost sight of his ultimate dream: being a performer, writing songs and recording music.
You'll often hear Bohn's strong tenor and see him playing finger-style guitar at festivals, clubs and coffeehouses. After the show, people surround the stage to buy his CDs. It is only one part of the dream, so Bohn continues along his path. There is always more to accomplish. He recently completed his fourth CD, "These Walls Tell a Story," to be released in May 2006, plus is seeking a song publishing deal and looking ahead to selling a tune or two to a national recording artist.
Born in the Midwest to a father who was a farmer and welder and a mother who was a homemaker and bookkeeper, Bohn bought his first electric guitar for $35. About the same time, he wrote his first song at his parents' kitchen table.
Bohn was 15, and the song was "Country Jane," about an imaginary woman he never met. That song has held up well, winning a weekly award in the 2004 Nashville Song Search competition. So it's no surprise that Bohn embraced country music in those early tunes as the house was often filled with the sounds of Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves and Ernest Tubb.
A self-taught, multi-instrumentalist, Bohn plays banjo and piano as well as guitar. He learned to play piano, by ear -- after school at his Grandma's house. "When my grandma's sixth boyfriend died, she gave me the piano," Bohn says with a smile.
Bohn has traveled widely throughout the U.S. and Europe. At airports, in railroad stations, and in his car, Bohn is a keen observer of people. He weaves these observations into his songs, which frequently emphasize life experiences. There's a completeness to Bohn's music, an attentiveness that catches many layers of human existence. Often his songs feature themes about love and family - what he calls the "good stuff."
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