From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Sun Feb 3, 2002  2:23 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Johnny "Guitar" Watson
 
JOHNNY "GUITAR" WATSON

Born 3 February, 1935, Houston, Texas
Died 17 May 1996, Yokohama, Japan

Guitarist, vocalist, also plays piano

Like every other guitar player, Watson was influenced by T-Bone Walker.
In turn he influenced Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa and many others.
It was as a pianist however, that he first appeared on record, as a member
of Chuck Higgins's band. Watson can be heard as a vocalist on "Motorhead
Baby", the B-side of the first Higgins record on Combo (1952). Well worth
checking out! After about a year with Higgins, he switched from piano to guitar,
formed his own band and signed a contract with Federal, where he recorded
the futuristic instrumental "Space Guitar" (1954). A switch to Modern Records
in 1955 resulted in his first chart entry, a cover of Earl King's "Those Lonely
Lonely Nights" (# 10 R&B). In 1957 he signed with Keen Records, for which
he recorded the original version of "Gangster Of Love" (covered by The Cadets
as "Love Bandit"). Watson was a member of The Shields who had a # 12 hit
in 1958 with "You Cheated" on Dot. Fast forward to 1962, "Cuttin' In" for King
was another big hit (# 6 R&B). In the mid-sixties he toured and recorded with
Larry Williams. Their LP "The Larry Williams Show" was recorded in England
(Decca LK 4691) and in the US they had a few chart entries on Okeh. In the
seventies he switched to funk, and with great success too. He collapsed after
taking the stage at the Yokohama Blues Cafe in Japan, stricken by a heart
attack.

CD recommendation: "Hot Just Like TNT : The Best Of The Early Years"
(Ace 621). Twenty-eight tracks from the Modern, RPM and Keen labels,
1955-1958.