John Primer at Hotburrito's Bluesencyclopedia

John Primer

guitar, vocals
born: March 3, 1945 in Camden, Mississippi

John Primer & the Little Boogie Boy Bluesband - They Call Me John Primer (Live at the Zoetermeer Blues Festival, Netherlands, June 7, 2008)

As the title of his critically acclaimed Atlantic Records CD suggests, John Primer is truly The Real Deal. At 8 years old, John borrowed his first guitar and started to strum. With the sounds of Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Little Milton, Elmore James, B.B. & Albert King reverberating through his Grandmother Laura Nell's tube radio, John was instantly hooked. He was fascinated with Blues music and set forth on a life long path of becoming a musical force. Early inspiration came from his family steeped in spiritual, gospel, and R&B tradition. As a young boy, John first appeared on stage at the local Baptist church, and went on to play at house parties and fish fry's in and around his hometown of Camden, Mississippi.

At the age of eighteen, feeling restless and in search of further audiences, John followed the path of his mentors and migrated to Chicago in the fall of 1963. He quickly found work in an era when modern electric blues and West and South Side sounds were first taking shape. Forming his first band The Maintainers in 1964, John and his old Harmony guitar rocked such West Side clubs as The Place, The Bow Tie, and Lover's Lounge. By 1968 John had left The Maintainers when the opportunity arose to front the Soul and R&B group The Brotherhood. Jamming late into the night and practicing by day, John was forming his own unique style and expanding his repertoire. John's success would lead him in 1974 to replace John Watkins in the house band at the world famous Theresa's Lounge on the South Side of Chicago. Over the course of the next 5 years, John would play with such originators as Sammy Lawhorn, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Smokey Smothers, Lonnie Brooks, and a host of other innovators sculpting the sound of Chicago Blues.

It was during this point in John's career that quite a few people were taking note of this outstanding performer. In 1979, master songwriter and bassist Willie Dixon persuaded him to join his band The Chicago All-Stars. Traveling through the U.S. Mexico and Europe, John developed his Skills as a rhythm guitarist, a lead slide player, and a powerful singer. Another blues master who believed in John Primer was none other than the "Hoochie Coochie Man" himself, Muddy Waters. Muddy recruited John not only as a guitarist, but also as an opening act. As he did with so many other great musicians, Muddy served as a father to John, instilling in him an unrelenting passion for the music that gave birth to Rock and Roll. John stayed loyal to Muddy until his untimely death in 1983.

Fresh off the heels of his great success with the Muddy Waters Band, John signed on with the legendary Magic Slim. For the next 14 years, he toured with Magic Slim & The Teardrops, bringing tight, house-rocking sounds to every corner of the earth. But John's days as a sideman were numbered, and in 1995 the veteran blues man released his major label debut The Real Deal. He has since toured extensively in support of his ten solo albums to date. With John Primer's strong traditionalist blues phrasing and lightning fast slide techniques, few artists can match him. A master storyteller and songwriter, his catalog of songs is endless and his sound is unforgettable. John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band continue to electrify audiences at clubs and festivals around the world, and remain a driving force in the world of Blues music today.

Albums:
- Poor Man Blues: Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 6 [Wolf 120852, 1991] with Billy Branch, Michael Coleman, Magic Slim
- Stuff You Got to Watch [Earwig 4924, June 1993]
- The Real Deal [Atlantic 82863, 1995] with Billy Branch, David Maxwell
- Keep On Lovin' The Blues [Atlantic, 1996] with David Maxwell
- Cold Blooded Blues Man [Wolf 120885, April 1997] with Billy Branch, Detroit Junior, Magic Slim, Eddie Shaw, Little Mack Simmons
- Blues Behind Closed Doors [Wolf 120875, June 1998] with Billy Branch, Magic Slim, Johnny B. Moore
- Easy Baby: Zoo Bar Collection, Vol. 6 [Wolf 120306, February 1999]
- Knockin' at Your Door [Blueside 102, June 1999] with Larry McCray, Ken Saydak, Matthew Skoller, Mike Vernon
- It's a Blues Life [Wolf 120899, April 2000] with Steve Bell
- Blue Steel: A Tribute to Elmore James [Wolf 120808, March 2003] with Steve Bell, Detroit Junior, Magic Slim

Jesse Thomas / John Primer / Jodie Christian:
- Blues Is a Feeling [Delmark 749, January 2001]

He appears on the following albums:
James Cotton - Take Me Back [Blind Pig 2587, 1987]
John Brim & Pinetop Perkins - John Brim and Pinetop Perkins [1989]
Magic Slim - Gravel Road [Blind Pig 3690, 1990]
Big Jack Johnson - Daddy, When Is Mama Comin' Home? [Earwig 4916, 1991]
Magic Slim - Magic Slim & the Teardrops [Wolf 120849, June 1993]
Magic Slim - Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 10 [Wolf 120856, May 1994]
Eddie Shaw - The Blues Is Nothing But Good News! [Wolf 120866, February 1994]
Magic Slim - Blues of the Magic Man [Wolf 120870, 1994]
Vance Kelly - Call Me [Wolf 120877, July 1994]
Vaan Shaw - Trail of Tears [Wolf 120878, 1994]
James Cotton - Living the Blues [Verve 521238, 1994]
Big Mama Thornton - The Rising Sun Collection [Just a Memory 2, September 1994]
Various Artists - Earwig 16th Anniversary Sampler [Earwig 4933, November 1995]
Big Daddy Kinsey - Ramblin' Man [Polygram 523760, December 1995]
Various Artists - Livin' in the House of Blues: Roadhouse Blues [A&M 161265, March 1997]
Various Artists - House of Blues: Essential Chicago Blues [A&M 161280, May 1997] 2 CD set
Magic Slim - Zoo Bar Collection, Volume 3 [Wolf 120303, January 1998]
Magic Slim - Zoo Bar Collection, Volume 4: Spider in My Stew [Wolf 120304, January 1998]
Various Artists - The Best of Slide Guitar [Wolf 120103, June 1998]
Bonnie Lee - I'm Good: Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 7 [Wolf 120853, June 1998]
Hubert Sumlin & Billy Branch - Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 22 [Wolf 120868, June 1998]
Phil Guy & Lurrie Bell - Chicago's Hottest Guitars: Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 25 [Wolf 120871, June 1998]
Vaan Shaw - Morning Rain [Wolf 120872, June 1998]
Nick Holt - You Better Watch Yourself [Wolf 120883, June 1998]
Various Artists - Earwig 20th Anniversary Collection [Earwig 4946, October 1999]
Magic Slim - 44 Blues [Wolf 120895, February 2000]
Various Artists - Telarc's Got More Blues [Telarc 83503, May 2000]
Jerry "Boogie" McCain - This Stuff Just Kills Me [Jericho 90005, June 2000]
Various Artists - Blues for a Rotten Afternoon [Telarc 83508, July 2000]
Magic Slim - Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 18: Live on the Road [Wolf 120864, October 2000]
Shirley Johnson - Killer Diller [Delmark 757, May 2002]
Various Artists - Blues Guitar Killers [Wolf 120104, March 2006]

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