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Artist
Studebaker John
12+ albums
bluesblues rockUSAguitarModern Blues
about
Studebaker John is American blues guitarist and harmonica player John Grimaldi (born in Chicago, IL, on 5 November 1952). He is a practitioner of the Chicago blues style. In the mid-70s, he formed the band Studebaker John & The Hawks, named for a car that Grimaldi owned at the time (and inspired by J.B. Hutto & The Hawks). As well as the band recordings, he records as Studebaker John. Grimaldi, whose father was an amateur musician, grew up listening to blues music on Chicago’s Maxwell Street where he heard the blues first-hand from Big Walter Horton, "One-Armed" John Wrencher, Johnny Littlejohn and other regulars. "I can remember a time when you could see Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, he'd play in his own club, Hound Dog Taylor would always be around Maxwell Street. J.B. Hutto, too. Being able to see them perform live was breathtaking. I'm basically self-taught and I'd pick things up by just watching them." He also took to heart their advice about developing his own style. He recalls, "The old guys, like Walter Horton, gave me the best advice when they told me not to try to sound like them, but to sound like myself. To me, blues is really finding the heart of the music and putting yourself into it." In addition to the aforementioned artists, Grimaldi lists his harmonica influences as Little Walter, both Sonny Boys, and Paul Butterfield. On guitar he names Albert Collins, Albert King, Freddie King, and Elmore James. Nonetheless, unwilling to merely emulate the masters, Grim
