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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZMcCASLIN, Mary(b 22 December 1946, Indianapolis IN) A modern-day 'prairie songstress' singer-songwriter, guitarist, a female Marty Robbins with songs of the old West. Grew up in L.A. and played music during high school, sang in church; performed at local folk and country music clubs and signed to Capitol '67, moved to Barnaby '69 with album Goodnight Everybody. Met singer Jim Ringer '72 and they performed together; Ringer signed to Philo Records '73, McCaslin moved there '74. Albums like Way Out West and Prairie In The Sky focused on life in the West; Old Friends '77 collected her versions of songs by writers she admired (Cole Porter, Everly Brothers, Beatles, etc). She made a duet album with Ringer, The Bramble And The Rose '78, the year they married; Sunny California '80 on Philo was co-promoted through Mercury, but failed to bring her to a mass audience. She moved to Flying Fish '81 and her music was featured that year in the soundtrack to the Burt Lancaster film Cattle Annie And Little Britches; Ringer and McCaslin continued to perform both solo and as duet to '89 when they separated and divorced (he died '91). McCaslin continued as a cult singer-songwriter. Other albums include A Life And Time '81 on Flying Fish, Best Of '92 on Philo. |