Freedom

For Immediate Release

It wasn't until the age of seventeen that the music bug really grabbed hold of him. "I heard George Strait's All My Ex's Live In Texas on the radio and I flipped over it, I tried to sing like George. Heck, I tried to sing like all the greats." Honing his singing through high school, Jim still wasn't quite sure what he was going to do following graduation. He decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.

After enlisting, Jim was on his way to California for a four year stint at Camp Pendelton. During his stay at Camp Pendelton Jim was deployed to the Gulf War and to Somalia. While away from home and family, Jim began his foray into songwriting. After many fruitless attempts to convey his musical ideas to other guitar players Jim finally picked up the guitar and began to teach himself to play. Jim and his guitar traveled from California to Kuwait, Japan to Germany, and played and sang the whole way. He would sing at any function that would have him. During the course of his travels, he penned forty original songs; some you can find in his live shows today. He finished up his stint in the Marines, moving through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. But Texas was his home, and soon after leaving the Marines, he returned. Utilizing the education and experience in architecture and drafting he received while enlisted in the Marine Corps, Jim soon found work at several architectural firms.

Jim's new CD "Pickin Mexico" also contains one of his new songs, Freedom. The Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund has been chosen as a beneficiary. Jim will donate 10% of the proceeds from this new CD to our organization to help further our Mission of providing financial support to U.S. Military servicemembers and their families. Visit Jim's website at: www.jimraby.com for further information.