Real name James Lewis Carter Ford, he began playing guitar in his late 50s when his fifth wife gave him an instrument as a parting gift ahead of their divorce.

He came to prominence with his first album, Pee-Wee Get My Gun, in 1997. He delivered another four albums via Fat Possum Records before moving to Mudpuppy for 2008's Jack Daniel Time, then to Alive Naturalsound for 2010's The Ladies Man and 2011's Taledragger.