Biography
R.B. Morris began as a poet and playwright before establishing himself as a singer-songwriter whose work stood out for its literary depth within the alternative-country scene of the 1990s. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, he grew up immersed in old-time music until an older brother exposed him to Beat literature, poetry, drama, and the songs of Bob Dylan. His earliest honky-tonk shows featured string-band accompaniment, yet his sound gradually incorporated stronger rock elements. After extensive touring across the United States, Canada, and Europe, he withdrew to the Appalachians for a year of isolation in a rudimentary mountain cabin. A short stay in San Francisco preceded his return to Knoxville, where he concentrated on writing, read poems at open-mike events, edited the literary journal Hard Knoxville, and wrote the one-man play The Man Who Lives Here Is Loony, which centered on the life of James Agee. By the middle of the decade Morris had settled in Nashville and begun performing there, eventually attracting the notice of John Prine. Signed to Prine’s Oh Boy imprint, he released his first album, Take That Ride, in 1997; two years later came Zeke and the Wheel.
Albums
