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 John Primer
As the title of his critically acclaimed CD
suggests, Grammy Award Nominee and Handy Award Nominee, John Primer is
truly "The Real Deal". At 8 years old, John borrowed his first guitar
and started to strum. With the sounds of Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters,
Little Milton, Elmore James, B.B. & Albert King reverberating
through his Grandmother Laura Nell's tube radio, John was instantly
hooked. He was fascinated with Blues music and set forth on a life long
path of becoming a musical force. Early inspiration came from his
family steeped in spiritual, gospel, and R&B tradition. As a
young boy, John first appeared on stage at the local Baptist church,
and went on to play at house parties and fish fry's in and around his
hometown of Camden, Mississippi.
At the age of eighteen, feeling restless and in search of further
audiences, John followed the path of his mentors and migrated to
Chicago in the fall of 1963. He quickly found work in an era when
modern electric blues and West and South Side sounds were first taking
shape. Forming his first band The Maintainers in 1964, John and his old
Harmony guitar rocked such West Side clubs as The Place, The Bow Tie,
and Lover's Lounge. By 1968 John had left The Maintainers when the
opportunity arose to front the Soul and R&B group The
Brotherhood. Jamming late into the night and practicing by day, John
was forming his own unique style and expanding his repertoire. John's
success would lead him in 1974 to replace John Watkins in the house
band at the world famous Theresa's Lounge on the South Side of Chicago.
Over the course of the next 5 years, John would play with such
originators as Sammy Lawhorn, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Smokey Smothers,
Lonnie Brooks, and a host of other innovators sculpting the sound of
Chicago Blues.
It was during this point in John's career that quite a few people were
taking note of this outstanding performer. In 1979, master songwriter
and bassist Willie Dixon persuaded him to join his band The Chicago
All-Stars. Traveling through the U.S. Mexico and Europe, John developed
his Skills as a rhythm guitarist, a lead slide player, and a powerful
singer. Another blues master who believed in John Primer was none other
than the "Hoochie Coochie Man" himself, Muddy Waters. Muddy recruited
John not only as a guitarist, but also as an opening act. As he did
with so many other great musicians, Muddy served as a father to John,
instilling in him an unrelenting passion for the music that gave birth
to Rock and Roll. John stayed loyal to Muddy until his untimely death
in 1983.
Fresh off the heels of his great success with the Muddy Waters Band,
John signed on with the legendary Magic Slim. For the next 14 years, he
toured with Magic Slim & The Teardrops, bringing tight,
house-rocking sounds to every corner of the earth. But John's days as a
sideman were numbered with his solo career taking off in the
early
to mid-90s with the critically acclaimed album "Stuff You Got To
Watch," for Earwig Music in '93, and in '95 the veteran blues man
released the critically acclaimed "The Real Deal," on Code
Blue.
He has since toured extensively in
support of his ten solo albums to date. With John Primer's strong
traditionalist blues phrasing and lightning fast slide techniques, few
artists can match him. A master storyteller and songwriter, his catalog
of songs is endless and his sound is unforgettable. John Primer
& The Real Deal Blues Band continue to electrify audiences at
clubs and festivals around the world, and remain a driving force in the
world of Blues music today.
Quotes
“John
Primer is a small gem of a blues guitarist.” –Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette
"...a
confident, expressive singer and a skilled and versatile guitarist..."
-Chicago Blues Magazine
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