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Johnny "Guitar" Watson (February 3, 1935 - May 17, 1996) was
an American blues and funk guitarist/singer
an American blues and funk guitarist/singer
John Watson, Jr. was born in Houston, Texas. His father John Sr.
was a pianist, and taught his son the instrument. But young
Watson was immediately attracted to the sound of the guitar, in
particular the electric guitar as practiced by the "axe men" of
Texas: T-Bone Walker and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.
His grandfather, a preacher, was also musical. "My grandfather
used to sing while he'd play guitar in church, man," Watson
reflected many years later. When Johnny was 11, his grandfather
offered to give him a guitar if, and only if, the boy didn't play any
of the "devil's music"—blues. Watson agreed, but "that was the
first thing I did." A musical prodigy, Watson played with Texas
bluesmen Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland.
His parents separated in 1950, when he was 15. His mother
moved to Los Angeles, and took Johnny with her. In his new city,
Watson won several local talent shows. This led to his
employment, while still a teenager, with Jump blues style bands
such as Chuck Higgins's Mellotones and Amos Milburn. He
worked as a vocalist, pianist, and guitarist.
He quickly made a name for himself in the African-American juke
joints of the West Coast, where he was billed as "Young John
Watson" until 1954. That year, he saw the Joan Crawford film
"Johnny Guitar," and a new stage name was born.
He affected a swaggering, yet humorous personality, indulging a
taste for flashy clothes and wild showmanship on stage. His
"attacking" style of playing, without a plectrum, resulted in him
often needing to change the strings on his guitar once or twice a
show, because he "stressified on them" so much, as he put it.
His album Gangster of Love was first released on Keen Records
in 1957. It was not especially heralded at the time—the title song
in particular was deemed too fast, too raw, and too witty,
especially compared to the likes of the then-kingpins of blues
Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Watson's ferocious "Space
Guitar" of 1954 pioneered guitar feedback and reverb. Watson
would later influence a subsequent generation of guitarists.
Frank Zappa, for example, would cite Watson as one of his all-
time favorite guitarists.
He toured and recorded with his friend Larry Williams, as well as
Little Richard, Don & Dewey, The Olympics , Johnny Otis and, in
the mid 1970's with David Axelrod. He also played with Sam
Cooke, Herb Alpert and George Duke. But as the popularity of
blues declined and the era of soul music ascended in the 1960s,
Watson, in his inimitable style, transformed himself from the
southern blues singer with pompadour into the urban soul singer
with pimp hat. He went all out - the gold teeth, broad-brimmed
hats, fly suits, designer sunglasses, and ostentatious jewellery
made him one of the most colorful figures in the West Coast funk
circle.
He modified his music accordingly. His LPs Ain't That a Bitch
(from which the successful singles Superman Lover and I Need It
were taken) and Real Mother For Ya were landmark recordings of
'70s funk. "Telephone Bill" (on Love Jones 1980) featured
complex, rapid-fire lyrics that foreshadowed rap music. His
subsequent LPs employed and popularized the modern
"computer sound"
In his exhaustively researched book Dream Boogie: The Triumph
of Sam Cooke (2005), Peter Guralnick claims that Watson was an
actual pimp, as well as a performer. Watson himself, however,
reportedly felt "ambivalent" about prostituting women, even
though it "paid better" than music.
The shooting death of his friend Larry Williams in 1980 and other
personal setbacks led to Watson briefly withdrawing from the
spotlight in the 1980s. "I got caught up with the wrong people
doing the wrong things", he was quoted as saying by the New
York Times. Nevertheless, a series of summer appearances in
France resulted in his becoming known there as the "Godfather
of Funk".
The release of his album Bow Wow in 1994 brought Watson more
visibility and chart success than he had ever known. The album
received a Grammy nomination, and retrospective releases of his
work showered him with critical acclaim.
In a 1994 interview with David Ritz for liner notes to The Funk
Anthology, Watson was asked if his 1980 song "Telephone Bill"
anticipated rap music. "Anticipated?" Watson replied. "I damn
well invented it!... And I wasn't the only one. Talking rhyming
lyrics to a groove is something you'd hear in the clubs
everywhere from Macon to Memphis. Man, talking has always
been the name of the game. When I sing, I'm talking in melody.
When I play, I'm talking with my guitar. I may be talking trash,
baby, but I'm talking".
In 1995, he was given a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm & Blues
Foundation in a presentation and performance ceremony at the
Hollywood Palladium.
In February 1995, Watson was interviewed by Tomcat Mahoney
on his Brooklyn, New York-based blues radio show, The Other
Half, on WNYE-FM. Watson discussed his influences and those he
influenced at length, referencing Guitar Slim, Jimi Hendrix, Frank
Zappa and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
He made a special guest appearance on Bo Diddley's 1996 album
A Man Amongst Men, playing vocoder on the track "I Can't Stand
It" and on vocals on the track "Bo Diddley Is Crazy".
His international bookings soared. Back home, his music was
sampled by Redman (He based his Sooperman Luva saga on
Johnny "Guitar" Watson's Superman Lover song), Ice Cube, Eazy-
E, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and Mary J. Blige. He sometimes
would enter the studio with rappers, at their request. Snoop Dogg
and Dr. Dre borrowed P-Funk's adaptation of Watson's
catchphrase "Bow Wow Wow yippi-yo yippi-yay" for Snoop's hit
"What's My Name".
"Johnny was always aware of what was going on around him",
recalled Susan Maier Watson (later to become the musician's
wife) in an interview printed in the liner notes to the album The
Very Best of Johnny 'Guitar' Watson. "He was proud that he could
change with the times and not get stuck in the past".
Watson died on stage May 17, 1996, while on tour in Yokohama,
Japan. According to eyewitness reports, he collapsed mid guitar
solo. His last words were "ain't that a bitch", probably in
reference to the song "Ain't that a Bitch". His remains were
brought home for interment at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Watson, a recognized master of the Fender Stratocaster guitar,
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." - although he did have an
overly long lead, standing on his hands and "getting on top of the
auditorium" were not features of Hendrix' act with the Jimi
Hendrix Experience.
Frank Zappa stated that "Watson's 1956 song Three Hours Past
Midnight inspired me to become a guitarist". Watson contributed
to Zappa's albums One Size Fits All (1975), Them or Us (1984),
Thing-Fish ' (1984) and Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of
Prevention (1985). Zappa also named Three Hours Past Midnight'
his favorite record in a 1979 interview[4]. His vocal on Zappa's
song "In France" is considered a masterpiece by many.
Steve Miller not only did a cover of "Gangster of Love," he made a
reference to it in his 1969 song "Space Cowboy" ("Some call me
the a gangster of love") as well as his 1973 hit song "The Joker"
("Some call me the gangster of love"). Miller also covered "The
Gangster Is Back", on his 1971 album "Rock Love".
Sly Stone was influenced by Watson growing up, and later they
became friends.
Jimmie Vaughan, brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan, is quoted as
saying: "When my brother Stevie and I were growing up in Dallas,
we idolized very few guitarists. We were highly selective and
highly critical. Johnny 'Guitar' Watson was at the top of the list,
along with Freddie, Albert and B.B. King. He made magic."
Elvis Costello's bootleg 1984 album is titled "The Gangster Is
Back," a nod to Watson's 1975 album of the same title, which
was also a bootleg compilation.
Bobby Womack: "Music-wise, he was the most dangerous
gunslinger out there. Even when others made a lot of noise in the
charts - I'm thinking of Sly Stone or George Clinton - you know
they'd studied Johnny's stage style and listened very carefully to
Johnny's grooves."
Near the end of his career, Watson toured with the O'Jays.
Etta James stated in an interview at the 2006 Rochester Jazz
Festival: “Johnny "Guitar" Watson... Just one of my favorite
singers of all time. I first met him when we were both on the road
with Johnny Otis in the ‘50s, when I was a teenager. We traveled
the country in a car together so I would hear him sing every
night. His singing style was the one I took on when I was 17 –
people used to call me the female Johnny 'Guitar' Watson and
him the male Etta James... He knew what the blues was all
about...” Etta James is also quoted as saying: "I got everything
from Johnny... He was my main model... My whole ballad style
comes from my imitating Johnny's style... He was the baddest
and the best... Johnny Guitar Watson was not just a guitarist: the
man was a master musician. He could call out charts; he could
write a beautiful melody or a nasty groove at the drop of a hat; he
could lay on the harmonies and he could come up with a whole
sound. They call Elvis the King; but the sure-enough King was
Johnny 'Guitar' Watson."
Most recently, Talib Kweli's song "Hot Thing", produced by Will.i.
am samples the song "We're No Exception", from Watson's 1976
album Ain't That a Bitch.
In Scottish writer Irvine Welsh's novel Glue, there is a character
named Johnny Watson, a guitarist who is given the nickname
Johnny "Guitar" Watson.
Pearl Jam features a song called "Johnny Guitar" on its most
recent album, Backspacer. The song is said to be inspired by a
Johnny Guitar album cover hanging on a wall.
Albums
1957 Gangster of Love
1963 I Cried for You (Cadet 4056) [Johnny Watson: piano]
1963 Johnny Guitar Watson [King]
1964 The Blues Soul of Johnny Guitar Watson
1965 Larry Williams Show with Johnny Guitar Watson
1967 Bad
1967 In the Fats Bag
1967 Two for the Price of One
1973 Listen (Fantasy 9437)
1975 I Don't Want to Be A Lone Ranger (Fantasy 9484)
1975 The Gangster Is Back
1976 Ain't That a Bitch (DJM 3)
1976 Captured Live
1977 A Real Mother for Ya
1977 Funk Beyond the Call of Duty (DJM 714)
1978 Giant (DJM 19)
1978 Gettin' Down with Johnny "Guitar" Watson
1979 What the Hell Is This? (DJM 24)
1980 Love Jones
1981 Johnny "Guitar" Watson and the Family Clone
1982 That's What Time It Is
1984 Strike on Computers
1985 Hit the Highway
1986 3 Hours Past Midnight
1992 Plays Misty
1994 Bow Wow (Wilma 71007)
Singles
1962 cuttin' in (King 5579) [French cover: Johnny Hallyday:
excuse-moi partenaire]
1973 Like Not Your Man / You Bring Love (Fantasy#721)
1975 It's Too Late / Tripping (Fantasy#752)
1976 Ain't That A Bitch / Won't You Forgive Me Baby (DJM#1020)
1976 I Need It / Since I Met You Baby
1976 Superman Lover / We're No Exception
1977 A Real Mother For Ya / Nothing Left To Be Desired
(DJM#1024)
1977 Lover Jones / Tarzan (DJM#1029)
1977 It's A Damn Shame / Love That Will Not Die (DJM#1034)
1977 The Real Deal / Tarzan
1978 Gangster Of Love / Guitar Disco (DJM#1101)
1978 Master Funk / The Institute
1978 Miss Frisco (Queen Of The Disco) / Tu Jours Amour
1978 I Need It / Superman Lover
1979 What The Hell Is This? / Can You Handle It (DJM#1106)
Soul Food / I'd Rather Be Your Baby (Okeh#7290)
Big Bad Wolf / You Can Stay (Magnum#726)
Ain't Gonna Move / Baby Don't Leave (Jowat#118)
Johnny Guitar / Untouchable (Arvee#5016)
Biography
The Gangster of Love - Johnny "Guitar" Watson: Performer,
Preacher, Pimp (2009) Vincent Bakker
References
1. Biography at rockabillyhall.com
2. Van Gelder, Lawrence. "Johnny (Guitar) Watson, Musical
Pioneer, Dies at 61" New York Times May 19, 1996: 34
3. Biography at we7.com
4. Kill Ugly Radio: Frank Zappa vs the World! - Part Three
External links
Johnny Guitar Watson at allaboutjazz.com
was a pianist, and taught his son the instrument. But young
Watson was immediately attracted to the sound of the guitar, in
particular the electric guitar as practiced by the "axe men" of
Texas: T-Bone Walker and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.
His grandfather, a preacher, was also musical. "My grandfather
used to sing while he'd play guitar in church, man," Watson
reflected many years later. When Johnny was 11, his grandfather
offered to give him a guitar if, and only if, the boy didn't play any
of the "devil's music"—blues. Watson agreed, but "that was the
first thing I did." A musical prodigy, Watson played with Texas
bluesmen Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland.
His parents separated in 1950, when he was 15. His mother
moved to Los Angeles, and took Johnny with her. In his new city,
Watson won several local talent shows. This led to his
employment, while still a teenager, with Jump blues style bands
such as Chuck Higgins's Mellotones and Amos Milburn. He
worked as a vocalist, pianist, and guitarist.
He quickly made a name for himself in the African-American juke
joints of the West Coast, where he was billed as "Young John
Watson" until 1954. That year, he saw the Joan Crawford film
"Johnny Guitar," and a new stage name was born.
He affected a swaggering, yet humorous personality, indulging a
taste for flashy clothes and wild showmanship on stage. His
"attacking" style of playing, without a plectrum, resulted in him
often needing to change the strings on his guitar once or twice a
show, because he "stressified on them" so much, as he put it.
His album Gangster of Love was first released on Keen Records
in 1957. It was not especially heralded at the time—the title song
in particular was deemed too fast, too raw, and too witty,
especially compared to the likes of the then-kingpins of blues
Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Watson's ferocious "Space
Guitar" of 1954 pioneered guitar feedback and reverb. Watson
would later influence a subsequent generation of guitarists.
Frank Zappa, for example, would cite Watson as one of his all-
time favorite guitarists.
He toured and recorded with his friend Larry Williams, as well as
Little Richard, Don & Dewey, The Olympics , Johnny Otis and, in
the mid 1970's with David Axelrod. He also played with Sam
Cooke, Herb Alpert and George Duke. But as the popularity of
blues declined and the era of soul music ascended in the 1960s,
Watson, in his inimitable style, transformed himself from the
southern blues singer with pompadour into the urban soul singer
with pimp hat. He went all out - the gold teeth, broad-brimmed
hats, fly suits, designer sunglasses, and ostentatious jewellery
made him one of the most colorful figures in the West Coast funk
circle.
He modified his music accordingly. His LPs Ain't That a Bitch
(from which the successful singles Superman Lover and I Need It
were taken) and Real Mother For Ya were landmark recordings of
'70s funk. "Telephone Bill" (on Love Jones 1980) featured
complex, rapid-fire lyrics that foreshadowed rap music. His
subsequent LPs employed and popularized the modern
"computer sound"
In his exhaustively researched book Dream Boogie: The Triumph
of Sam Cooke (2005), Peter Guralnick claims that Watson was an
actual pimp, as well as a performer. Watson himself, however,
reportedly felt "ambivalent" about prostituting women, even
though it "paid better" than music.
The shooting death of his friend Larry Williams in 1980 and other
personal setbacks led to Watson briefly withdrawing from the
spotlight in the 1980s. "I got caught up with the wrong people
doing the wrong things", he was quoted as saying by the New
York Times. Nevertheless, a series of summer appearances in
France resulted in his becoming known there as the "Godfather
of Funk".
The release of his album Bow Wow in 1994 brought Watson more
visibility and chart success than he had ever known. The album
received a Grammy nomination, and retrospective releases of his
work showered him with critical acclaim.
In a 1994 interview with David Ritz for liner notes to The Funk
Anthology, Watson was asked if his 1980 song "Telephone Bill"
anticipated rap music. "Anticipated?" Watson replied. "I damn
well invented it!... And I wasn't the only one. Talking rhyming
lyrics to a groove is something you'd hear in the clubs
everywhere from Macon to Memphis. Man, talking has always
been the name of the game. When I sing, I'm talking in melody.
When I play, I'm talking with my guitar. I may be talking trash,
baby, but I'm talking".
In 1995, he was given a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm & Blues
Foundation in a presentation and performance ceremony at the
Hollywood Palladium.
In February 1995, Watson was interviewed by Tomcat Mahoney
on his Brooklyn, New York-based blues radio show, The Other
Half, on WNYE-FM. Watson discussed his influences and those he
influenced at length, referencing Guitar Slim, Jimi Hendrix, Frank
Zappa and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
He made a special guest appearance on Bo Diddley's 1996 album
A Man Amongst Men, playing vocoder on the track "I Can't Stand
It" and on vocals on the track "Bo Diddley Is Crazy".
His international bookings soared. Back home, his music was
sampled by Redman (He based his Sooperman Luva saga on
Johnny "Guitar" Watson's Superman Lover song), Ice Cube, Eazy-
E, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and Mary J. Blige. He sometimes
would enter the studio with rappers, at their request. Snoop Dogg
and Dr. Dre borrowed P-Funk's adaptation of Watson's
catchphrase "Bow Wow Wow yippi-yo yippi-yay" for Snoop's hit
"What's My Name".
"Johnny was always aware of what was going on around him",
recalled Susan Maier Watson (later to become the musician's
wife) in an interview printed in the liner notes to the album The
Very Best of Johnny 'Guitar' Watson. "He was proud that he could
change with the times and not get stuck in the past".
Watson died on stage May 17, 1996, while on tour in Yokohama,
Japan. According to eyewitness reports, he collapsed mid guitar
solo. His last words were "ain't that a bitch", probably in
reference to the song "Ain't that a Bitch". His remains were
brought home for interment at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Watson, a recognized master of the Fender Stratocaster guitar,
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." - although he did have an
overly long lead, standing on his hands and "getting on top of the
auditorium" were not features of Hendrix' act with the Jimi
Hendrix Experience.
Frank Zappa stated that "Watson's 1956 song Three Hours Past
Midnight inspired me to become a guitarist". Watson contributed
to Zappa's albums One Size Fits All (1975), Them or Us (1984),
Thing-Fish ' (1984) and Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of
Prevention (1985). Zappa also named Three Hours Past Midnight'
his favorite record in a 1979 interview[4]. His vocal on Zappa's
song "In France" is considered a masterpiece by many.
Steve Miller not only did a cover of "Gangster of Love," he made a
reference to it in his 1969 song "Space Cowboy" ("Some call me
the a gangster of love") as well as his 1973 hit song "The Joker"
("Some call me the gangster of love"). Miller also covered "The
Gangster Is Back", on his 1971 album "Rock Love".
Sly Stone was influenced by Watson growing up, and later they
became friends.
Jimmie Vaughan, brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan, is quoted as
saying: "When my brother Stevie and I were growing up in Dallas,
we idolized very few guitarists. We were highly selective and
highly critical. Johnny 'Guitar' Watson was at the top of the list,
along with Freddie, Albert and B.B. King. He made magic."
Elvis Costello's bootleg 1984 album is titled "The Gangster Is
Back," a nod to Watson's 1975 album of the same title, which
was also a bootleg compilation.
Bobby Womack: "Music-wise, he was the most dangerous
gunslinger out there. Even when others made a lot of noise in the
charts - I'm thinking of Sly Stone or George Clinton - you know
they'd studied Johnny's stage style and listened very carefully to
Johnny's grooves."
Near the end of his career, Watson toured with the O'Jays.
Etta James stated in an interview at the 2006 Rochester Jazz
Festival: “Johnny "Guitar" Watson... Just one of my favorite
singers of all time. I first met him when we were both on the road
with Johnny Otis in the ‘50s, when I was a teenager. We traveled
the country in a car together so I would hear him sing every
night. His singing style was the one I took on when I was 17 –
people used to call me the female Johnny 'Guitar' Watson and
him the male Etta James... He knew what the blues was all
about...” Etta James is also quoted as saying: "I got everything
from Johnny... He was my main model... My whole ballad style
comes from my imitating Johnny's style... He was the baddest
and the best... Johnny Guitar Watson was not just a guitarist: the
man was a master musician. He could call out charts; he could
write a beautiful melody or a nasty groove at the drop of a hat; he
could lay on the harmonies and he could come up with a whole
sound. They call Elvis the King; but the sure-enough King was
Johnny 'Guitar' Watson."
Most recently, Talib Kweli's song "Hot Thing", produced by Will.i.
am samples the song "We're No Exception", from Watson's 1976
album Ain't That a Bitch.
In Scottish writer Irvine Welsh's novel Glue, there is a character
named Johnny Watson, a guitarist who is given the nickname
Johnny "Guitar" Watson.
Pearl Jam features a song called "Johnny Guitar" on its most
recent album, Backspacer. The song is said to be inspired by a
Johnny Guitar album cover hanging on a wall.
Albums
1957 Gangster of Love
1963 I Cried for You (Cadet 4056) [Johnny Watson: piano]
1963 Johnny Guitar Watson [King]
1964 The Blues Soul of Johnny Guitar Watson
1965 Larry Williams Show with Johnny Guitar Watson
1967 Bad
1967 In the Fats Bag
1967 Two for the Price of One
1973 Listen (Fantasy 9437)
1975 I Don't Want to Be A Lone Ranger (Fantasy 9484)
1975 The Gangster Is Back
1976 Ain't That a Bitch (DJM 3)
1976 Captured Live
1977 A Real Mother for Ya
1977 Funk Beyond the Call of Duty (DJM 714)
1978 Giant (DJM 19)
1978 Gettin' Down with Johnny "Guitar" Watson
1979 What the Hell Is This? (DJM 24)
1980 Love Jones
1981 Johnny "Guitar" Watson and the Family Clone
1982 That's What Time It Is
1984 Strike on Computers
1985 Hit the Highway
1986 3 Hours Past Midnight
1992 Plays Misty
1994 Bow Wow (Wilma 71007)
Singles
1962 cuttin' in (King 5579) [French cover: Johnny Hallyday:
excuse-moi partenaire]
1973 Like Not Your Man / You Bring Love (Fantasy#721)
1975 It's Too Late / Tripping (Fantasy#752)
1976 Ain't That A Bitch / Won't You Forgive Me Baby (DJM#1020)
1976 I Need It / Since I Met You Baby
1976 Superman Lover / We're No Exception
1977 A Real Mother For Ya / Nothing Left To Be Desired
(DJM#1024)
1977 Lover Jones / Tarzan (DJM#1029)
1977 It's A Damn Shame / Love That Will Not Die (DJM#1034)
1977 The Real Deal / Tarzan
1978 Gangster Of Love / Guitar Disco (DJM#1101)
1978 Master Funk / The Institute
1978 Miss Frisco (Queen Of The Disco) / Tu Jours Amour
1978 I Need It / Superman Lover
1979 What The Hell Is This? / Can You Handle It (DJM#1106)
Soul Food / I'd Rather Be Your Baby (Okeh#7290)
Big Bad Wolf / You Can Stay (Magnum#726)
Ain't Gonna Move / Baby Don't Leave (Jowat#118)
Johnny Guitar / Untouchable (Arvee#5016)
Biography
The Gangster of Love - Johnny "Guitar" Watson: Performer,
Preacher, Pimp (2009) Vincent Bakker
References
1. Biography at rockabillyhall.com
2. Van Gelder, Lawrence. "Johnny (Guitar) Watson, Musical
Pioneer, Dies at 61" New York Times May 19, 1996: 34
3. Biography at we7.com
4. Kill Ugly Radio: Frank Zappa vs the World! - Part Three
External links
Johnny Guitar Watson at allaboutjazz.com
Johnny "Guitar" Watson gave me
the love I have for the blues.
This song/45 was my first record I
ever bought. It cost me 12 cents at
a Fedco in Oxnard, CA. I had just
made my first dollar shining shoes
and I went to the store and saw
this and knew it was for me.
the love I have for the blues.
This song/45 was my first record I
ever bought. It cost me 12 cents at
a Fedco in Oxnard, CA. I had just
made my first dollar shining shoes
and I went to the store and saw
this and knew it was for me.