Trop Rock Singer/Songwriter Jim Hoehn and his Journalistic Life

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I first met and interviewed Jim Hoehn in 2012 and he was extremely gracious and entertaining… and patient, since we talked for over an hour! He let me steal him away for some more chat time recently, but this time I asked him to focus on his life as a journalist.

Jim Hoehn hails from Wisconsin and has worked at a local town newspaper, for United Press International, for a rugby magazine back in his rugby-playing days and is now a free-lance sports writer. He can be found in the press boxes of huge stadiums and in the gymnasiums of nearby high schools. And what is a common link that ties his sports writing career together? I say it’s discipline.

I can’t write about Jim and not mention his music. Much of his songs are classified as Americana; in fact, he’s on the Americana music charts in Europe. Many of us like to think of him as a Trop Rock singer/ songwriter, though. Since he produced four volumes of Trop Rock artist compilations called “Thongs in the Key of Life,” it’s valid to think of him in Trop Rock terms. The Trop Rock Music Association calls on him in the fall in Key West to emcee their annual TRMA Music Awards, since his writing is peppered with humor and stories. But then, he knows how to use his journalism skills in his music masterfully.

Jim told me his goal was to make people think about his words in his songs and indeed, many have picked up on his storytelling and journalism in his music. One of my favorite songs of his is “Kings of Black Velvet” in which he unfolds how Elvis and Jesus (on black velvet, of course!) trade stories in a roadside display. If you haven’t heard this selection yourself, you need to hear what great imagination and writing can invent.

Recently, Jim went back to finish his Masters degree and also started teaching a couple of university night courses. His first was “Introduction to the Music Business” at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis. and more recently, he has taught “Sports Journalism” at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Wouldn’t it be great to have Jim Hoehn as a professor? Currently, he’s taken on a new challenge with an administrative position with the university while continuing to cover professional sports as a freelance writers and playing music as life allows.

Back to Jim’s discipline: He wrote an award-winning wining book called “The Father’s Guide to Birth, Babies and Loud Children,” and I know that being an author is not an easy thing. He does his homework before any sports assignment and arrives with folder in hand, already knowledgeable about the teams he’ll be covering that night.

But the most important thing Jim told me was through the years after a gig, he will take time to stuff envelopes with CDs for promotion instead of “going to the bar.” He personifies what it takes to be successful in both the music and journalism world. If you don’t know Jim’s music, take time to seek it out and listen. You’ll be glad you did.

Find out more about Jim and his music: Jim Hoehn Website

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