With deep Texas roots and a singular place in American songwriting history, Willis Alan Ramsey is a true cult legend. His self-titled debut album, released in 1972 on Leon Russell’s Shelter Records, remains a quiet masterpiece — a record revered for its wit, warmth, and timeless storytelling.
The album included “Boy From Oklahoma,” a heartfelt tribute to Woody Guthrie, and introduced songs that would go on to take unexpected lives of their own. Ramsey’s work has been covered by Jimmy Buffett and Jerry Jeff Walker, and his melody for “Muskrat Candlelight” later became the pop phenomenon “Muskrat Love,” recorded by America and famously taken to the Billboard Top 10 by Captain & Tennille.
At the height of his success, Ramsey stepped away from the spotlight, eventually leaving the United States for Great Britain in the 1980s to explore Celtic songwriting and instrumental traditions — adding to the mystique of an artist who has always followed his own compass.
Rare, personal, and deeply rooted in songcraft, a night with Willis Alan Ramsey is a chance to experience a living chapter of American music history — told softly, honestly, and up close.
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