Johnny Copeland
Johnny Copeland | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Clyde Copeland |
| Born | March 27, 1937 Haynesville, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 1997 (aged 60) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Texas blues, electric blues |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
| Years active | 1950s–1997 |
| Labels | Various, including Duke and Verve |
John Clyde Copeland (March 27, 1937 – July 3, 1997)[1][2] was an American Texas blues guitarist and singer. In 1983, he was named Blues Entertainer of the Year by the Blues Foundation.[3] He is the father of blues singer Shemekia Copeland.
In 2017, Copeland was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.[4]
Career
Copeland was born in
His early recording career embraced blues, soul and rock and roll. He recorded singles for Mercury, Golden Eagle and All Boy, amongst others.[5] His first single was "Rock 'n' Roll Lily",[6] and he later cut successes such as "Down on Bending Knees" and "Please Let Me Know". For the most part, his singles featured Copeland as a vocalist more than a guitar player.
Driven by
Touring widely, Copeland appeared at the 1983 Long Beach Blues Festival and the 1988 San Francisco Blues Festival. Copeland also played at the 1985 Montreux Jazz Festival, as a guest with Stevie Ray Vaughan and his band Double Trouble. Vaughan and Copeland performed the Bob Geddins song "Tin Pan Alley" together on Vaughan's compilation album Blues at Sunrise. He also played on the first edition of BRBF (Blues Peer Festival) later that year.
His later years were dogged by ill health due to a congenital heart defect. He died, aged 60, in
Copeland was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey.[10] His daughter, Shemekia Copeland, established a successful career as a singer. He was also survived by his wife, son and two daughters.
In 2017, Copeland was posthumously inducted in to the Blues Hall of Fame.[4]
Selected recordings
- 1981: Copeland Special (Rounder)
- 1984: Texas Twister (Rounder)
- 1985: Bringin' It All Back Home (Rounder)
- 1989: Blues Power (P-Vine Records)
- 1989: Boom Boom (Rounder)
- 1991: When the Rain Starts Fallin' (Rounder)
- 1994: Catch Up with the Blues (Verve)
- 1995: Jungle Swing (Verve Records)
- 1996: Texas Party
- 1998: The Crazy Cajun Recordings(Edsel Records)
- 1999: Honky Tonkin'[7]
See also
- List of blues musicians
- List of electric blues musicians
- List of Texas blues musicians
- List of people from Teaneck, New Jersey
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ Skelly, Richard. "Johnny Copeland: Biography, Credits, Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
- ^ a b Tinder, Cliff (June 1983). "A Good-Lookin' Texas Sound". Record. 2 (8): 21.
- ^ a b "BLUES HALL OF FAME – ABOUT/Inductions – Blues Foundation". Blues.org. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-673-1.
- ^ "Rock 'n' Roll Lily: Johnny Copeland: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
- ^ ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
- ^ Communications, Emmis (October 1982). "Texas Monthly".
- ^ "eFortress.com". Users.efortress.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
- ^ "Johnny Copeland, 60, Who Sang Texas Blues and Played Guitar". The New York Times. July 4, 1997. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
External links
- Official memorial website
- More information
- Copeland biography at Allmusicwebsite
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