James Timothy Hardin was an American folk music and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his own success, his songs "If I Were a Carpenter", "Reason to Believe", "Misty Roses" and "The Lady Came from Baltimore" were hits for other artists.
Hardin was raised in Oregon and had no interest in school, withdrawing before graduating high school, and joined the Marines. After his discharge, he moved to Greenwich Village and Cambridge, where he played and recorded several albums. He also performed at the Newport Folk Festival and at Woodstock. He struggled with drug abuse throughout most of his adult life and his live performances were sometimes erratic. He was planning a comeback when he died in late 1980 from an accidental heroin overdose.