The Front Porch Blog

The (Big) Heart and Soul of a Poet

Jessica Phillips  |  April 27, 2009

Rumor has it that Jimmy Wayne could be part of tonight's Extreme Makeover:Home Edition. A few months ago, Jimmy spent two days on location in Montgomery, Alabama, putting in long hours and swinging a hammer alongside the rest of the Home Edition crew to frame a house for a less fortunate family in the area. Wayne then put on a concert that raised over $2,000.00 for the family.

So he's generous, sings well, writes solid songs like "I Love You This Much," and "Stay Gone," and has an interesting biography, to say the least. So what else do I like about this big-hearted artist? He seems to be a "writer's writer." By that, I don't just mean a "songwriter's writer,"-somebody who can pen an awe-inspiring song. I mean an artist who loves writing in all its different forms. Jimmy has mentioned in several interviews that he was writing and reading poetry long before he put music behind his home-spun lyrics.

He also has a respect for other poets and writers, citing Alan Jackson and Maya Angelou as influences. At an awards show a few years ago, I was backstage with several artists and the legendary Angelou (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings/And Still I Rise). While other top-name country artists that evening were schmoozing mainly with each other, it was Jimmy who said, "I definitely want to meet her. She's the one they should all be talking to."

Want to read more of Jimmy's writings? Check out his Myspace blog entry about the women in his life who have inspired him.