Johnny Copeland

Johnny Copeland ( born March 27, 1937 in Haynesville, Louisiana, † July 3, 1997 in New York's Harlem ) was an American blues musician.

Shortly after his birth, his mother separated from his father and moved with the rest of the family in the vicinity of the town Magnolia, Arkansas. At age 13, she moved on to Houston, Texas. There he saw his siblings for the first time thanks to T -Bone Walker, Roy Brown and Joe "Guitar" Hughes. Then together with Joe Hughes, Charles Godfrey, Pat Paterson and Steve Washington, he founded 14 years the band Duke of Rhythm. With this line-up they then entered the next three years together. In 1954 he left the band and teamed up with pianist Earl Solomon first and later with guitarist Clarence Samuel. During a tour Copeland had then in 1956 his studio debut. He was heard on the single chicken hearted woman as a guitarist. In 1957 Copeland was the record company Duke under contract and there wrote some Söngs, including Farther up the road. In 1958 he then moved to the record label Mercury. There he took with rock and roll Lilly on his first single. In 1963, he landed in the southern states with Down on bending knees a hit.

In 1979 he moved to New York City. There he met the pianist Ken Vangel and producer Dan Doyle. Together with the two he took in the next two years on songs that were published in 1981 on the album Copeland special when Rounder label. This album made ​​in the blues scene for powerful vortex, it seemed as though a brilliant musician seemingly appeared out of nowhere. In the following years, Copeland had a lot to do. It appeared the albums Make my home where I hang my hat (1982 ), Texas Twister (1984) and Bring it all back home (1985). For the album Showdown! ( with Robert Cray and Albert Collins), he received a Grammy in 1987 for best contemporary blues album. In addition, he was constantly on tour, including at the Montreux Jazz Festival, where he was awarded the Grand Prix. After the album Boom boom in 1989, he separates from the record label Rounder and took a break of two years.

In 1991 he released the album Flyin 'high, followed by catch up with the blues 1993. At this time came, however, pre-existing health problems. He complains in 1992 on the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas respiratory distress. In 1995 he came to the hospital with heart failure, however, was saved. From this time he was waiting for a donor organ to again go on with the work. Johnny Copeland died then on July 3, 1997 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York due to complications of his heart transplant, he had seven months previously undergone.

His daughter Shemekia Copeland is a singer who, among other things has worked with blues greats like Steve Cropper or Dr. John together.

Discography

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