HEY LOCO FANS – “Johnny Guitar” Watson was born February 3, 1935 . This flamboyant showman and electric guitarist had a recording career spanning forty years, and encompassed rhythm and blues, funk and soul music.
Watson’s roots resided within the fertile blues scene of Houston. As a teen, he played with fellow Texas future greats Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland. Watson moved to LA and recorded throughout the 1950s and 1960s with some success, hitting the R&B charts repeatedly.
The multi-talented performer parlayed his stunning guitar skills into a vaunted reputation as one of the hottest blues axemen on the West Coast during the 1950s. Watson has been compared to Jimi Hendrix and allegedly became irritated when asked about this comparison, supposedly stating: “I used to play the guitar standing on my hands. I had a 150-foot cord and I could get on top of the auditorium – those things Jimi Hendrix was doing, I started that shit.” But that guitar wizardry wasn’t paying the bills as the 1970s rolled in.
Little had been heard of this musical chameleon before he returned after totally changing his image to that of a pimp-styled funkster during the mid-’70s. He hit with “I Don’t Want to Be a Lone Ranger” for Fantasy before putting together an incredible run at DJM Records paced by “A Real Mother for Ya” in 1977 and an updated “Gangster of Love” the next year. After a typically clever “Strike on Computers” nicked the R&B lists in 1984, Watson again seemed to fall off the planet. But counting this remarkable performer out was always a mistake.
Bow Wow, his 1994 album for Al Bell’s Bellmark logo, returned him to prominence and earned a Grammy nomination for best contemporary blues album, even though its contents were pure old-school funk. Sadly, in the midst of a truly heartwarming comeback campaign, Watson passed away while touring Japan in 1996.
Best Live solos of Johnny “Guitar” Watson, #1: Hessen Concert 1993
Related Posts
