Johnny Laws

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Johnny Laws
Born (1943-01-12) January 12, 1943 (age 81)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres Chicago blues, electric blues [1]
Occupation(s)Guitarist, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
Years activeMid-1960s–present
LabelsWolf Records, Electro-Fi Records

Johnny Laws (born January 12, 1943) is an American Chicago blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. [1] A regular performer for over half a century in Chicago's South Side clubs, [2] Laws has released two albums, including Burnin' in My Soul, of which Blues & Rhythm magazine in November 1999 noted, "It's a real shame that Johnny Laws has been unjustly ignored in the past... This is an enjoyable CD... Full marks to those folks at Electro-Fi." [3]

Contents

His version of McKinley Mitchell's "End of the Rainbow" demonstrates his versatility and vocal range. [4]

In an April 1999 editorial leader, the Toronto Star remarked that "South Side Chicago fave Johnny Laws... [is] winning plaudits for his seductive, soul-drenched blues." [5]

Life and career

Laws was born in Chicago, Illinois, and has remained there all his life. He has played and performed on the South Side of Chicago since the mid-1960s, remaining largely a local cult favorite for decades. [1] He learned his Chicago blues craft mainly from listening to Jimmy Reed and Buster Benton. [6] His aching falsetto voice and vast repertoire gained much local acclaim. [1] His style ranges from soul to postwar blues to, occasionally, country music. [6] In addition to a regular weekend slot at the Cuddle Inn, Laws has been a frequent performer at the annual Chicago Blues Festival, [2] [4] including a set in 2000. [7] Laws was featured in a 1993 issue of Living Blues magazine. [8]

Laws released his debut album, My Little Girl, for Wolf Records in 1995. [6] The album contains a couple of blues standards, but most of the songs were written by Laws. [2]

His second album, Blues Burnin' in My Soul, was released on Electro-Fi Records in 1999, [2] containing cover versions of Junior Wells's song "Little by Little"; "Steal Away", by Jimmy Hughes; "Honest I Do" and "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby", by Jimmy Reed; and "Sadie", written and originally recorded by Hound Dog Taylor. [9] The autumn 1999 issue of Juke Blues stated that "Johnny Laws has a smooth, silky voice, at times almost a whisper, then rising into a falsetto, and falling back again into gentle expressiveness... His appeal is in a delivery that seems so deceptively effortless." [3]

Discography

Albums

YearTitleRecord label
1995My Little GirlWolf Records
1999Blues Burnin' in My Soul Electro-Fi Records

[10]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ankeny, Jason. "Johnny Laws: Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Johnny Laws". Allaboutbluesmusic.com. July 12, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Johnny Laws – Blues Burnin' in My Soul". Parsifal.be. April 9, 1999. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Soto, Alfred. "Johnny Laws: Theater Critic's Choice". Chicago Reader . Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  5. Chapman, Geoff (April 9, 1999). "This weekend in T.O." Toronto Star . p. 18. Retrieved June 14, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 3 Komara, Edward (2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues . New York: Routledge. p.  585. ISBN   0-415-92699-8.
  7. "Johnny Laws Chicago Blues Festival 2000 Part 2". Song.vepees.tk. January 21, 2012. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  8. Sharp, Steve (1993). "Chicago Special: Johnny Laws". Living Blues . Vol. 110. pp. 34–35.
  9. "Johnny Laws". SecondHandSongs.com. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  10. "Johnny Laws: Album Discography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved August 2, 2016.