| Johnny Rawls | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 10, 1951 Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States |
| Genres | Soul blues[1] |
| Occupations | Singer, guitarist, arranger, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Labels | JSP, various |
| Website | Johnnyrawlsblues.com |
Johnny Rawls (born December 10, 1951)[2] is an American soul blues singer, guitarist, arranger, songwriter and record producer. He was influenced by the deep soul music of the 1960s, as performed by O. V. Wright, James Carr, and Z. Z. Hill, although his styling, production and lyrics are more contemporary in nature.[1][2]
To date, Rawls has released more than a dozen albums under his name.[3] He has been nominated five times for a Blues Music Award.[4][5]
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Rawls was in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States.[1][note 1] He was taught the rudiments of guitar playing by his blind grandfather, and also played the saxophone and clarinet in high school in Purvis, Mississippi.[1] Having mastered guitar playing by his mid teens, Rawls' schoolteacher arranged for him to back musicians who were touring through Mississippi, such as Z. Z. Hill and Joe Tex. In the mid 1970s, Rawls joined O. V. Wright's backing band, and played together with Wright until the latter's death in 1980. The band then continued billed as the O. V. Wright Band for another 13 years, and toured and performed with other musicians over this time span. These included B.B. King, Little Milton, Bobby Bland, Little Johnny Taylor, and Blues Boy Willie.[1] The band included the guitarist L.C. Luckett, and he and Rawls jointly released the 1994 album, Can't Sleep At Night, on Rooster Blues.[2]
His debut solo album, Here We Go, was released on JSP in 1996. The Allmusic journalist, Thom Owens, noted, "Rawls has a powerful, soulful voice which can make mediocre material sound convincing."[6] Rawls also worked as an arranger and record producer for JSP.[7] Further JSP releases included Louisiana Woman (1997), My Turn to Win (1999), and Put Your Trust in Me (2001), although by the time the latter was issued, Rawls had set up his own label, Deep South Soul.[2] Rawls appeared on the cover of the Living Blues magazine in April 2002, where he was described as "a soul-blues renaissance man".[4][7] The 2005 release No Boundaries, on Topcat Records increased his profile.[7]
His 2006 album Heart & Soul, was nominated for a Blues Music Award for 'Best Soul Blues Album of the Year'. In the same year, the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame named him 'Best Vocalist'. Rawls has twice played at the Chicago Blues Festival, twice at the Long Beach Blues Festival, and at the Boundary Waters Blues Festival. Red Cadillac (2008) won the Critics Award for Best Album of the Year in Living Blues. He has also been honored, along with Little Milton and Tyrone Davis, with a Blues Trail Marker in Hattiesburg.[4] The title song of Rawls 2009 album, Ace of Spades, was a tribute to his one time mentor, O. V. Wright.[7] The album also garnered Rawls with his first Blues Music Award for 'Best Soul Blues Album of the Year'.[8]
Rawls latest album Memphis Still Got Soul, was released in April 2011.[4][8] With a further reference to Wright, the album's track listing included Rawls cover of the song "Blind, Crippled and Crazy", which was originally associated with Wright.[5]
| Year | Title | Record label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Can't Sleep At Night | Rooster Blues | Billed as Rawls & Luckett |
| 1995 | Down to Earth | Rooster Blues | Billed as Rawls & Luckett |
| 1996 | Here We Go | JSP Records | |
| 1997 | Louisiana Woman | JSP Records | |
| 1999 | My Turn to Win | JSP Records | |
| 2001 | Put Your Trust in Me | JSP Records | |
| 2002 | Lucky Man | Deep South Soul | |
| 2002 | Get Up & Go | JSP Records | Compilation album |
| 2004 | Live in Montana | Deep South Soul | Live album |
| 2005 | No Boundaries | Topcat Records | |
| 2006 | Heart & Soul | Deep South Soul | |
| 2008 | Red Cadillac | Catfood Records | |
| 2009 | Ace of Spades | Catfood Records | |
| 2011 | Memphis Still Got Soul | Catfood Records |