Kenai Representative Ron Gillham announced Tuesday that he has Prefiled legislation to name a day in March of every year after James Varsos.
Varsos, known far and wide as Hobo Jim, was Alaska’s Official Balladeer by legislative proclamation. He died on October 5, just a couple of months after discovering he had cancer. Hobo Jim was known for singing about The Last Frontier, its people, and its way of life.
Hobo Jim moved to Alaska in 1972, eventually making his home on the Kenai Peninsula. While he spent a great deal of time playing in venues on the Kenai Peninsula, he was known and loved throughout the state. His “Iditarod Trail Song” brought him into schools to teach about “The Last Great Race on Earth,” all around the world.
Gillham said that Hobo Jim’s contribution to the culture of Alaska should be celebrated, which is why he introduced the bill.
If adopted by the legislature, the first Sunday following the first Saturday in March would become Hobo Jim Day.
