Jimmy Rowbottom
Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter
Photo by L..J.
Photo by Barbie T. Photo by Pat Jimmy Rowbottom has been teaching guitar since 1975 and playing since 1972. His first
meeting with Randy Lee occurred somewhere around the spring of '78, when Jimmy was on a
friend's front porch on Ohio Avenue in Salisbury, MD. Randy was across the street practicing
his guitar and singing an old bluegrass tune. "I couldn't believe this mature sounding voice was
bursting out of this 15 year old boy," he remembers. Just a few years later when Randy's dad was
taking country bass lessons from Jim, he recalls Art coming to the very first lesson and saying, "Don't teach
me any of that fancy sh....tuff, just show me the bass line to "Help Me Make it Through the Night".
That was Jimmy's intro to the world of "Artisms" as Randy likes to call them.
Jim studied under Jack McCarthy for 4 years at Salisbury State University, Roland Raffaelle of Peabody
and also studied with "Red" Duyer and Ray Cormier of Berkley for many years.
Jack and Red were both students of Sophocles Papas, classical guitar
great. Jim has performed in many working local bands and runs a home recording studio using
digital and analog technology. He also teaches banjo, guitar, and bass.
Some of his favorite guitar influences come from such well-known professionals as Lindsay
Buckingham of "Fleetwood Mac", "Kansas", Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Jimmy
Page, Alex Degrasse of "Windam Hill" Vince Gill, and Brent Mason.
In early January of 2002, Jim and Willards native Paul Marriner collaborated on a CD entitled
"Rosewood". The album is a collection of original instrumentals entirely improvised on acoustic guitars,
and you can definitely hear Jim's influences coming out through his playing. It is available at the counter
at Salisbury Music, on this website, and at our shows. Jim has also recently released a new album of his
guitar work, as well as several vocal selections from his wife, Sylvia, entitled "Cankles". See below for
more info!
When not performing as a Salt Water Cowboy Jimmy is offering guitar lessons at his home on
Mondays and Wednesdays! Jimmy also teaches guitar at Salisbury School and does
minor repair work and set-ups on guitars, banjos, bass guitars, and dobros.
Here are the covers of Jimmy's CDs! Order them HERE