Born on January 31, 1965, in Cleveland, OH, heartland singer/songwriter Jimmy Ryser's interest in music was instilled at a young age. A congenital medical condition required considerable time in the hospital for young Ryser and he took violin lessons to pass the time. By his teens, he had also begun to play the guitar and was soon playing in bands at junior high functions in Indiana, where his family had moved. When his demos ended up in the hands of John Mellencamp through a stroke of luck, it led to a record deal. In 1988, Ryser was signed to Arista Records and his self-titled solo debut was released two years later. It sold modestly, but did produce one minor hit with "Same Old Look," which inched to number 78 during the summer of 1990 and Ryser toured successfully, including opening for the Moody Blues. However, health issues sidelined him and he parted ways with Arista in 1992. He recorded an unreleased album at Mellencamp's studio and released Let It Go in 1998 to little fanfare. Having gone back to school, he graduated from Indiana University with a degree in psychology in 1999. A live album, Alive for the First Time, was issued in 2000. ~ Tom Demalon