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(Guitar, vocals, 1937–97) The Houston guitarist played with bluesman Joe ‘Guitar’ Hughes before forming his own band in the late 1950s. Relocating to New York in 1974, Copeland debuted on Rounder Records with 1977’s Copeland Special. In 1985 he recorded a guitar summit meeting with Albert Collins and Robert Cray (Showdown!) and in 1986 recorded Bringin’ It ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

Few guitarists have gone through as many career changes as Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson (1935–96). Rock, blues, jazz, funk, disco – Watson excelled at all of them. He wasn’t just a guitarist either. He could, and did, play anything except drums and horns on his records. But it is as a guitarist that he left the ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin

(Guitar, piano, vocals, 1935–96) The self-proclaimed ‘Gangster Of Love’, Watson learned piano from his father in Houston, Texas but became known for his terse, stinging guitar, which influenced Frank Zappa and has been sampled by rappers. Etta James patterned her early singing after Watson’s declarative vocals, best immortalized along with his wicked instrumental prowess ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

(Vocal duo, 1958–61) The Memphis-born brothers Dorsey (1932–79) and Johnny (1934–64) were both successful amateur boxers and formed the Rock And Roll Trio c. 1953 with guitarist Paul Burlison. Their rockabilly, too wild for the time, was later regarded as seminal, and the Burnettes moved to California, where they began songwriting (Ricky Nelson scored hits with ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

(Vocal/instrumental group, 1958–61) Formed in Ohio in 1958 by John Pocisk (a.k.a. Johnny Paris, saxophone), Paul Tesluk (organ), Dave Yorko (guitar), Lionel Mattice (bass) and Tony Kaye (drums, replaced by Don Staczek on ‘Red River Rock’ and by Bo Savich), the group accumulated nine US hits between 1959 and 1961, the biggest of which was ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

(Vocals, guitar, 1915–78) Oklahoma-born Johnny Bond originally formed a trio with Jimmy Wakely and gained national attention on Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch radio show. He made appearances in several singing-cowboy movies, first as a member of The Jimmy Wakely Trio, then leading his own group, The Red River Valley Boys. A prolific songwriter, he is ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

(Vocals, guitar, b. 1935) Bush is best known for writing ‘Whiskey River’, for Willie Nelson, who used it to open and close every concert from the mid-1970s onwards. But Bush was a favourite of Texas audiences from the early 1950s through to the early twenty-first century with his vigorous dancehall brand of honky-tonk. He played in the bands ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

(Vocals, guitar, 1937–95) Johnny Carroll, from Cleburne, Texas, recorded some wild rockabilly for Decca in Nashville and appeared in the cult movie Rock Baby Rock It in 1957. He later toured with Scotty Moore and Bill Black after they left Presley. He nearly died after a nightclub shooting in the 1960s, but he recovered and ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

(Guitar, singer-songwriter, 1932–2003) Arkansas-born Cash enjoyed a 49-year career involving several periods of huge popularity. After USAF service, he formed a trio with Luther Perkins (guitar) and Marshall Chapman (bass). Auditioning for Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, Cash played rockabilly. He scored more than 20 US country hits and several US pop hits before signing ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

One of the most revered figures in modern country music, Johnny Cash’s vast, half-century-long body of work as both a songwriter and singer encompasses an extensive tapestry of musical Americana – everything from prison songs and railroad ballads, to folk-style broadsides and even clever novelty tunes like ‘A Boy Named Sue’. As a singer, he immortalized a ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

(Clarinet, 1892–1940) The premier New Orleans clarinetist of the 1920s, Dodds played in Kid Ory’s band from 1912–19 and then alongside Louis Armstrong and his own brother, Warren ‘Baby’ Dodds, in Fate Marable’s riverboat band. Dodds left New Orleans in January 1921 to join King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band in Chicago, taking part in that influential ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

Johnny Hiland (b. 1975) is one of the top guitarists to emerge from the Nashville music scene in recent years. His playing combines country chicken pickin’ with elements of blues, metal and jazz. Often compared to Danny Gatton, Hiland displays an amazing vocabulary as he plays seemingly effortlessly onstage. His skill is also noteworthy because he is legally blind ...

Source: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin

(Alto and soprano saxophones, 1907–70) Saxophonist Johnny Hodges was fortunate enough to forge an early relationship with Sidney Bechet; while playing at Club Bechet in New York he won the attention of Duke Ellington, who signed him in 1928. Hodges’ sweeping tone and scooping glissandos remained a vital part of Ellington’s orchestra for around 40 years, with only ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

(Vocals, guitar, 1925–60) The ‘Singing Fisherman’ recorded country for Abbott and Mercury with only limited success until, in early 1956, he formed a rockabilly trio and went on to cut several hits for Columbia. Born in Los Angeles, Horton married Hank Williams’ widow, Billie Jean. Horton later made the pop charts with a series of ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

(Vocal/instrumental group, 1959–67) Londoner Frederick Heath was vocalist/leader of one of the first credible UK beat groups. Wearing a patch over a defective eye, he became Johnny Kidd, and his backing group (guitarist Alan Caddy, Brian Gregg on bass and drummer Clem Cattini) The Pirates. Ten UK hits between 1959 and 1964 included chart-topping ‘Shakin’ All Over’ ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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