- Jim Abel
Jim Abel (born
March 1 ,1947 ) is an American singer-songwriter born inIndependence, Missouri . He writes and performs a style of folk and alternative music, influenced by theAmerican Songbook ,Woody Guthrie ,Tom Paxton , and music of the '60s.cite journal| last=Dalton | first=Brett | date=2008-06-13 | title=Former executive trades briefcase for guitar case | journal=Lee's Summit Journal | url=http://www.lsjournal.com/100/story/11364.html] cite journal| last=Blankenship | first=Bill | date=2008-06-13 | title=Leawood singer-songwriter Jim Abel performs tonight at the Celtic Fox | journal=The Topeka Capital-Journal | url=http://www.cjonline.com/stories/061308/lei_290172337.shtml]Abel began writing songs while attending Wheaton College, where he majored in philosophy. He subsequently received an MBA from
Northwestern University 'sKellogg School of Management , where he was an Austin Scholar, and embarked on a successful career as an executive in the healthcare industry.Abel left the corporate world in 1984 to manage his investments full-time and became a stay-at-home father to son Ted. In 2002 he began to focus more intensively on his musical career.
Abel writes, performs, and records a wide variety of music, including humorous and serious songs about love, friends, and family; political songs; parodies; and show tunes.
Abel plays regularly in venues in
Kansas City, Missouri and surrounding communities. He has received a great deal of press attention including articles inThe Kansas City Star , [cite magazine| last=Uhlmansiek | first=Laura | title=Leawood investor brings songwriting into focus | journal=The Kansas City Star | date=2007-09-05 | pages=BV1–] the Johnson County Sun, the Lee’s Summit Journal,The Topeka Capital-Journal , and 435 South magazine; TV coverage on KBMC TV9 Evening News and WDAF TV4 Midday News; and online coverage in The Pitch Wayward Blog, KansasCity.com Prime Buzz, KClightrail.com, and the Midwest Record.Abel has released four independent albums: Live! from Death Valley Junction (2003); Patriot Act (2003); Decoration Day (2006); and Thunder (May 2008).
Abel lives in
Leawood, Kansas , with his wife, Deborah Hays.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
