Hank Williams Tribute with Jack Murray & The Blue Tarp Wranglers | Annual New Year’s Day Homage to the Patron Saint of Singer-Songwriters

For over a decade, Godfrey Daniels has welcomed the New Year with a beloved tradition — the annual Hank Williams Tribute featuring Jack Murray & The Blue Tarp Wranglers! Now in its 14th year, this heartfelt homage celebrates the 73rd anniversary of Hank’s passing with a powerful set of timeless classics like Hey, Good Lookin’, Cold Cold Heart, and Jambalaya. Led by Jack Murray and joined by Alan Landes, Nick Franclik, Dave Van Allen, and Josh Kanusky, the band captures the spirit of Hank’s music with energy and authenticity. With special guests and an opening by Godfrey’s own Dave Fry, this evening offers a warm, communal start to the year in our Intimate Atmosphere — your true Backstage Pass to live music in Bethlehem.

JACK MURRAY AND THE BLUE TARP WRANGLERS

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Being born in the same town as Dolly Parton (Sevierville, TN) and being kin to Merle Haggard, Jack Murray enjoys the unique challenges of navigating such elevated expectations. Jack was a founding member of the country-rock band Golden Rocket in the late 70s, which featured a unique mix of folk, blues, rock & roll, and traditional country music. That was followed by a hot "Rockpile"-like 4-piece rock and roll band called "The Rockin' Eddies." In the ‘80s, he was lucky enough to have written some songs -for “Alabama” and for other Nashville recording artists. 

Jack has become a popular headlining act as a singer/songwriter at many venues in the Philadelphia area, including the legendary Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem, Landhaven in Huffs Church, MusikFest in Bethlehem as well as at the Sellersville Theater where he has opened the show for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Commander Cody Band, Chris Smither, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, and many others. 

He’s been invited to perform In Bluebird-style ‘In The Rounds’ with Nashville songwriting legends Craig Bickhardt, Thom Schuyler, Tony Arata, Don Henry, Michael Johnson and Poco’s Jack Sundrud. He was a featured guest on Gene Shay’s "The Folk Show" on WXPN and again with his band “The Midnight Creeps.” Jack has been a main stage performer at the Spring Gulch Festival and performed in back-to-back years at the prestigious Philadelphia Folk Festival. He’s been invited back again this year to be part of an “In The Round” Songwriter Workshop at the 2024 Philadelphia Folk Festival -swapping songs with Lenny Kaye, Christine Havrilla and Mary Battiata.

After learning that Nashville songwriting legend David Olney had adopted one of Jack’s songs “Bluebonnet Girl” in his final months among us, he found himself on stage at Nashville’s Belcourt Theater in March of 2020, having been invited to play and sing that song in a memorial concert for Mr. Olney after his untimely passing.

When not performing solo, Jack now fronts “The Blue Tarp Wranglers” –a band built to handle all manner of well-rooted American music, including his own. The line-up features charter members guitarist Alan Landes, bassist Nick Franclik, percussionist Josh Kanusky and pedal steel maestro Dave Van Allen. The Tarps often showcase special musical guests as well.

Jack’s 2008 debut CD “Then There’s That...” features his distinctive guitar and vocal stylings and powerful original songs. He recorded ten tracks in Nashville, TN with twice Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer Thomm Jutz. After much anticipation, those tracks, now an album titled “BlueTuxedo,” will be released in 2025.