Bio - Jim Rosenberg
If you have never heard of songwriter Jim Rosenberg, you haven’t missed anything. That’s because at the ripe young age of 61, Jim is just now releasing his first album containing 11 original songs written over the course of almost four decades.
“I guess life just happened as it does, in a good way though. I’ve managed to raise 2 sons, have a successful 36-year career in the musical instrument business and apparently keep my wife happy for 38 years. I haven’t officially verified that with her but I can at least confirm that we still speak to each other regularly,” says Rosenberg.
Amidst his busy work schedule Jim performs regularly at local venues both as a solo act and with his band “Not So Young”, which pays tribute to the songs of one of his musical idols - Neil Young. Other key influencers of his music include John Prine, Michael Franks, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Shawn Mullins, Bob Dylan, and James Taylor. Not surprisingly, his sons are named Dylan James and Taylor Young.
On the subject of performing live, Rosenberg notes, “There’s nothing more satisfying than looking out at a typical crowd of three or four family members knowing they enjoy your music… And if the sound on the TV above the bar is muted, there’s a good chance you might even hear some applause occasionally.”
In 1990, Jim was selected to perform on the Nashville-based TV talent show “Be A Star.” His mom, Betty Jo, said she really liked it. In 2002, his song “Part of Me” (which appears on his debut album) scored 4th place in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and garnered him $1,000 - which kept him in premium beer for about 3 weeks.
“I love the music business,” says Jim. “It really helps build your self-esteem and yet, at the same time, is so lucrative.”
Looking ahead, Jim and his wife Janet have retired from their day jobs. Now, Jim is looking forward to more time performing and writing new material. With the release of his first album, “The Cold Hard Truth,” Jim is paving the path for another 30 years of music.
“The way I see it, Willie didn’t really make it big until his mid-50’s. I’m not that far behind,” notes Jim. “OK, he’s made over 100 albums but frankly, he’s got to slow down some time, right? And Lord knows, I don’t smoke as much weed as he does. Maybe I should?”
