BIOGRAPHY
As the title of his critically
acclaimed Atlantic Records 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, and in 1995 the veteran blues man released
his major label debut "The Real Deal". 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.
Biography written by Austin Bader.
© 2002 B.B.P. BECKER BOOKING
& PROMOTION, All Rights Reserved