John Campbell (blues guitarist)
Encyclopedia
John Allen Campbell was an American
blues
guitarist
, singer and songwriter
, who was born in Shreveport
, Louisiana
.
s with a blend of driving rhythms, staccato
riffs and bravura
slide guitar
sequences, his favoured instruments were a 1952 Gibson
Southern Jumbo acoustic
, a 1934 National
Steel
and a 1940's National
resophonic guitar.
He grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, and his first group was the Texas based electric power trio, Junction. Formed in 1973, the trio disbanded two years later, and Campbell cut his first album titled Street Suite. At the eve of the 1980s he spent a time at the Robin Hood Studios in Tyler, Texas and taped a demo with his acoustic versions of blues standards. In 2000 these twelve tracks were issued as the compilation album
, Tyler, Texas Session.
As a solo artist, Campbell continued to play in clubs of east Texas, and he also appeared in New Orleans. In 1985 he moved to New York
and joined the local blues scene. His next album, A Man And His Blues, featured Ronnie Earl
as producer and guest guitarist, was recorded during two days in April 1988, and was released on a small German
record label
. Its follow-up releases were on Elektra
, One Believer (1991) and Howlin' Mercy (1993). The latter included the single
cover version
of Led Zeppelin
's "When The Levee Breaks".
At the time when his recordings and live performances, including an extensive U.S.
tour with Buddy Guy
as well as two European ventures in 1992 and 1993, were gaining him popularity, Campbell suffered heart failure, in his sleep, aged 41, at his home in New York.
He is survived by his wife, Dolly Fox; his daughter, Paris; his daughter, Elizabeth; and his brother, William.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, who was born in Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
Biography
A guitarist who took blues technique to new heights in concertConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s with a blend of driving rhythms, staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
riffs and bravura
Bravura
In classical music, a bravura is a virtuosic passage intended to show off the skill of a performer, generally as a solo, and often in a cadenza. It can also be used as an adjective , or to refer to a performance of extraordinary virtuosity. The term comes from the Italian language for great skill....
slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
sequences, his favoured instruments were a 1952 Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
Southern Jumbo acoustic
Steel-string acoustic guitar
A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
, a 1934 National
National String Instrument Corporation
The National String Instrument Corporation was a guitar company that formed to manufacture the first resonator guitars.-National resonator guitar designs:...
Steel
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
and a 1940's National
National String Instrument Corporation
The National String Instrument Corporation was a guitar company that formed to manufacture the first resonator guitars.-National resonator guitar designs:...
resophonic guitar.
He grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, and his first group was the Texas based electric power trio, Junction. Formed in 1973, the trio disbanded two years later, and Campbell cut his first album titled Street Suite. At the eve of the 1980s he spent a time at the Robin Hood Studios in Tyler, Texas and taped a demo with his acoustic versions of blues standards. In 2000 these twelve tracks were issued as the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Tyler, Texas Session.
As a solo artist, Campbell continued to play in clubs of east Texas, and he also appeared in New Orleans. In 1985 he moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and joined the local blues scene. His next album, A Man And His Blues, featured Ronnie Earl
Ronnie Earl
Ronnie Earl is an American blues guitarist and music instructor.-Career:Earl collected blues, jazz, rock and soul records while growing up. He studied American History at C.W...
as producer and guest guitarist, was recorded during two days in April 1988, and was released on a small German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. Its follow-up releases were on Elektra
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
, One Believer (1991) and Howlin' Mercy (1993). The latter included the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's "When The Levee Breaks".
At the time when his recordings and live performances, including an extensive U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tour with Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
as well as two European ventures in 1992 and 1993, were gaining him popularity, Campbell suffered heart failure, in his sleep, aged 41, at his home in New York.
He is survived by his wife, Dolly Fox; his daughter, Paris; his daughter, Elizabeth; and his brother, William.
Album discography
- Street Suite (1975, Sync Records)
- A Man And His Blues (1988, Cross Cut Records; re-issued in July 1994, Blue Rock'it Records)
- One Believer (1991, ElektraElektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
) - Howlin' Mercy (1993, ElektraElektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
) - Tyler, Texas Session (2000, Sphere Sound Records)