Louisiana-born Jesse Winchester had a persuasive, gentle voice and the rare ability to make bleakness sound optimistic. After fleeing to Canada in '67 to avoid the Vietnam War draft, he landed Bob Dylan's manager and got The Band's Robbie Robertson to produce his 1970 debut. Acclaimed albums followed, but he couldn't tour the U.S. until after a '77 pardon from then-President Jimmy Carter, so he never caught on as a recording artist. But his iconic songs have been covered by many greats, like Tim Hardin, Elvis Costello, Joan Baez, and Reba McEntire. He died in 2014 at his home in Virginia.