Ryan Bingham: Beyond 'Crazy Heart'

Ryan Bingham's bio sounds like the stuff of legend, but he swears it's true: He worked the rodeo circuit in Texas and New Mexico before catching the fast train to stardom with an assist from T-Bone Burnett. In between, Bingham drove a beater from town to town trying to pick up gigs, made a couple of records, and eventually moved to Los Angeles' famed Laurel Canyon to continue making music with his band The Dead Horses. In Southern California, Bingham connected with the makers of the film Crazy Heart, and worked with Burnett to craft the song that provided the musical centerpiece of the film.

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Ryan Bingham (third from left), seen here with his band The Dead Horses, recently appeared solo on New York City's WFUV. Anna Axster hide caption

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Anna Axster

Ryan Bingham (third from left), seen here with his band The Dead Horses, recently appeared solo on New York City's WFUV.

Anna Axster

In person, Bingham couldn't be less "Hollywood" (looks aside, of course). A man of few words, he appears relaxed and unimpressed with his own success not to mention unconcerned with the fact that his fame may be fleeting.

But he certainly knows a good thing when he sees it, so he brought Burnett on board again as producer for his new album, Junky Star. Here, Bingham stops in at WFUV to perform songs from the new record.