When he was seven, Zimmerman moved with his family to Healdsburg, a rural town in the Wine Country region of Sonoma County, California.
In December 1968 Zimmerman recorded and released his first album Ten Songs, produced by Tony Visconti.
In 1985, Zimmerman turned to writing novels, short stories, poems and composing film music and compositions for symphonic orchestras.
In 1996 he formed his Nightshift trio, accompanied by bassist Jeff Van Gool, and his son, Quanah Zimmerman, a self-taught guitarist.
Dance of Love was produced by Big Thief, who also serve as the backing band, along with collaborators Iji and Twain.