<back - JOHNNY 'GUITAR' WATSON -As a youngster growing up in Houston of the 40’s, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson had ample opportunities to see and hear such memorable guitarists as T-Bone Walker, Gatemouth Brown, and Lightnin' Hopkins. Upon moving to L.A. in 1950, quickly impressed stalwarts like Amos Milburn, Chuck Higgins, and Big Joe McNeely, with his stellar piano work. Johnny eventually gravitated to the electric 6-string guitar after checking out Guitar Slim, that experience would shape Watson's playing style.

'Young John Watson' at 17 years (as dubbed by Federal Records) was a vocalist/pianist on those initial 1953 sessions, while composing/performing durables such as the Blues-drenched Highway 60, the dreamy balladry of Sad Fool. The seductive charms of I Got Eyes, the jive-talkin’ What’s Going On, and the boozy bravado of Thinking. Dazzling feedback and economical note selection embellished novelties like I’m Getting Drunk and Half Pint Of Whiskey, adding a slightly out-of-control dimension. But the 'piece de resistance' remains 'Space Guitar', an unbelievably excitable instrumental that explored the vast cosmos of sounds that could be wrenched out of Stratocaster. In 1955, Johnny switched to the Modern/RPM label, the first session producing 3 epic releases, including the simmering Hot Little Mama and I Love To Love You was more brilliance unleashed. Blues lovers have probably heard She Moves Me numerous times (Kim Wilson did a version), but always remember that Watson did the knockout original. Ironically, Watson’s most successful recording for Modern was his re-working of Earl King’s New Orleans-flavored Those Lonely Lonely Nights. Then there was Ain’t Gonna Hush, practically as wild and wooly as Space Guitar. Motorhead Baby (recently covered by Jimmie Vaughan) is a souped-up version of the version he'd recorded on Federal. Returning to King/Federal in 1960 (often accompanied by Johnny Otis), those sessions maintained the expected high quality, examples being Cuttin’ In (Watson’s most successful R&B release), That’s What You Do For Me (recently covered by JW Jones), and especially the swaggering Gangster of Love which has become a standard in at least 3 different genres (Blues, Funk and Rock). By 1965, Johnny was touring the British Isles with Larry Williams, and they would record 2 albums on Decca and Okeh. Felled by a heart attack while touring Japan in 1996, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson was rumored to be considering a Blues comeback just prior to his death. I’ll leave the final words to Etta James: “I got everything from Johnny. My whole ballad style comes from imitating his ballad style. He was the baddest and the best'. -Gary Tate/  MP3- Hot Little Mamma | She Moves Me |