Jim Salestrom

     notes by Rick Shubb

Jim Salestrom loves Shubb capos. When I met him, and he found out who I was, he asked me to autograph his guitar. There were no other autographs on his guitar; he just decided this spontaneously, because he was so blown away to meet the guy who made Shubb capos. We’re talking about someone who’s accustomed to working with big name stars. He spent years on the road with John Denver, and likewise Dolly Parton. Anyhow, I signed his guitar, and tried to make it as small and tidy as I could.

Jim fronts his own group these days, but I’ve always seen him work as a solo. He is a captivating singer /songwriter /storyteller, an accomplished guitarist, and a consummate pro.

Jim Salestrom has such a gentle personality that it’s difficult to imagine him ever having a hard word with anyone, but he tells me that he occasionally had to take John Denver to task. Apparently Denver had the habit of “borrowing” Jim’s Shubb capos, and “forgetting” to return them.

Often when Jim and I meet, as he approaches he will take his Shubb capo from his pocket and display it aloft, smiling, as a greeting. People must think we belong to some secret fraternity. Come to think of it, I guess we do.