Proposed parish pipeline provides promise
May 3, 2011
Rebecca Cheramie
May 5, 2011
Jim Witter was born to perform.
“My mother told me I was singing before I was talking. From then on, I could carry a tune,” the 46-year-old Canadian-born singer/songwriter said. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I can tell you at age 7, I was putting on concerts in living rooms of neighbors. Broadways, Beatles, you name it.
“My mom would get phone calls from the neighbors telling her about my shows,” Witter recalled. “I would be out on the porch singing at the top of my lungs.”
By the time he reached 14, Witter joined Magic Carpet, his first band. He played guitar and sang lead vocals. “We had a guy on snare drum – that’s all he had – and two tambourine girls with matching outfits and the whole bit.”
He also wrote his first song, “Maybe Someday You’ll Be Mine,” which was a hit at area gigs.
It was always a given that Witter would be a music man.
“I never questioned that I would ever do anything other than music,” he said. “My folks were very, very supportive of that.”
And after high school, Witter spent his days working “very, very hard to get better at my craft.”
“The first several years were not the easiest of my career, but I made the best of it,” he said. “I got lots of support from my family. And when I married, my wife Rebecca was 150-percent behind me.”
Twenty years later, the couple is going strong. And so is Witter’s music career, even if it has taken a few unexpected turns.
In 1990, a demo Witter cut caught the ear of a Sony Music Canada exec, resulting in a contract with FRE Records.
A cut from Witter’s self-titled album, “Everything and More,” entered the National Country Chart at No. 40, a first for a Canadian debut single.
His career was going strong in 1994 when he received a Juno nomination for Best New Solo Artist and a nomination for Best Country Male Vocalist.
In 1999, Witter’s second album, “All My Life” dropped on Curb Records. It was released in Canada and the U.S. to a cooler reception. After opening for the likes of Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Steve Wariner (with whom he’s also penned songs) and Wynonna, Witter branched away from the country scene.
His third and final release, “Forgiveness,” came in 2003 and earned Witter a GMA Dove Award nomination the following year for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year.
But without the full backing of the record label, Witter felt a different calling.
“It was a tough time trying to figure out my place in the industry,” he recalled. “I always felt God had given me a gift, but I didn’t think he wanted me to use it in that way.”
As he neared age 40, Witter said he began to get nostalgic for his youth. “That’s when I came up with the idea for the ‘Piano Men’ show.”
“Piano Men” is a concert tribute – complete with visuals – to superstars Billy Joel and Elton John. The show includes the mega-hits both performers produced in the 1970s, as well as a slideshow of those times.
“I figured I could go out on the road and do the show a few times a year. It was fun for me and the audience,” Witter said. “Now, 10 years and 120 shows a year later, it shows no sign of slowing down. We’re traveling to different places each year, and we’re invited back to a lot of places.
“I believe this is what I am meant to do with my music,” he continued. “Audiences hear the songs, see the photos and get a big smile on their faces remembering what they were like back then.”
Witter’s “Piano Men” tribute rolls into Morgan City’s Municipal Auditorium May 23 for the local Community Concert Association’s final show of the season.
His website, www.thepianomen.net, includes photos and music clips from the show. The vocal resemblance between Witter and his idols is immediately noticeable.
“I don’t really try to sound like these guys. It just comes naturally,” Witter explained. “I learned to play listening to the “Piano Man” album. I learned to sing listening to Billy Joel and Elton John. It’s probably natural to emulate those vocal styles.”
Witter fans praise the nostalgic show and the singer’s sound. “We take audiences on a little trip back in time,” he said. “For some, it brings back a lot of emotions. All in all, it’s a good experience for everyone.”
The youngest of four boys, Witter’s tastes are heavily influenced by the heavyweights: the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and the like.
He’s developed roadshow tributes to both, which draw audiences of all ages. “It’s such an emotional journey for audiences. It’s very powerful and exciting to be able to create that.”
For the time being, Witter has one more month on the road with “Piano Men” and then he’s off for summer and back home to his wife and four children. Come fall, he’ll back out with the Joel/John tribute.
“There’s no rest of the wicked.”
