Jimmy Colvard

Born 1943, Minnesota country guitar player Jimmy Colvard was an innovative musician and a much used session guitarist. He began playing in Minneapolis-St. Paul as early as 1957, when he was still in his teens. He performed with his steel guitar playing friend Al Udeen and in 1958 both Colvard and Udeen toured across Minnesota with stars like Wanda Jackson, George Jones, Bobby Lord, Marvin Rainwater and others. Later he founded the Jimmy Colvard Trio. Colvard was lead guitarist on Dave Dudley's "Six Days on the Road" playing the "popping" sound which eventually would become a significant element of trucker country music. He soon left for Nashville, working as a session guitarist with Faron Young, Don Williams, Cal Smith, Connie Francis, Charlie Walker, Dolly Parton, Little Jimmy Dickens and others. He died by suicide in 1977.