Jim Varsos (1952 – October 5, 2021), known by the stage name Hobo Jim, was an Alaskan folk singer-songwriter. He was one of the most popular guitar players in Alaska,[1] playing frequently at small venues across the state.[2] In 1994, Hobo Jim was named Alaska's official balladeer.[3][4][5]
Early life and career
Varsos was born in Indiana in 1952, one of four children of Milton M. Varsos (1922–2013) and his wife Mary Ann (née Culbertson).[6][7][8] His father was of Greek descent, and his family celebrated a number of Greek traditions.[9] Varsos was raised in Madison, Wisconsin, where he began playing the guitar at the age of 12.[10] He hitchhiked to Nashville after some time in college, hoping to make it as a country musician.[10] After spending time hitchhiking and freight riding around the United States, he moved to Alaska in 1972.[10][11] He settled in the state, making his home in Soldotna.[12]
Varsos's songs are primarily regional and occupational songs, focusing on Alaska's commercial fishermen, loggers, and miners.[10] Perhaps the best known of these songs, "Iditarod Trail Song", commemorates the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.[11]
On September 18, 2021, Varsos announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.[11][19] He died in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 5, 2021.[20][12]
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