If you’ve lived in Yazoo for very long you’ve probably been blessed to hear Jamie Isonhood perform.
It might have been in a local church, at a local nightclub or even at the Sunflower grocery store. Jamie Isonhood played all over the place.
He provided memorable performances at the Jerry Clower Festival and brought fellow world class musicians to town for his album release parties. He wouldn’t hesitate to appear at a church event, and the small congregation at Castle Chapel Church was treated to his incredible talent every Sunday morning.
We could fill this entire paper attempting to document all the places he played. The one thing they all had in common was that he was going to pour his heart and soul into every note he played.
Jamie Isonhood had a rare talent.
He believed that God gave him his talent, which is probably why he dedicated so much time to glorifying God through it. When we first heard of his passing, his version of the classic hymn “I’ll Fly Away” was the first thing that came to mind.
Jamie Isonhood has indeed flown away, and we can be sure of his destination because he was never bashful about sharing his faith. He loved the Lord, and he honored Him wherever he went.
He also loved his family, and we should all lift them up during this time of mourning. We thank his family for sharing Jamie with us for so many years.
We make our living with words, and it’s still hard for us to find the right ones to say how much we will miss our friend Jamie Earl Isonhood.
Perhaps the best way to honor his memory is to live like he did.
Most of us will never have his musical talent, but we can certainly emulate his loving and encouraging spirit, his faith, his love for his family, and his work ethic.
Yazoo is going to miss Jamie Isonhood terribly, but we are also missing a great opportunity if we fail to honor his memory by following his example.
