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 Johnny "Yard Dog" Jones
Johnny “Yard Dog” Jones, a
multi-instrumentalist (harmonica, guitar, vocals) has been a vital
force in the Detroit music scene since he moved there from Chicago in
1971. His voice is expressive and soulful and he has a versatile
instrumental technique that can range from suave uptown blues to
backstreet grit.
Born John Junior Jones on June 21, 1941 on a plantation in
Crawfordsville, Arkansas, his family soon moved to East St. Louis,
Illinois where
he grew up listening to records of Robert Johnson, T-Bone Walker, and
Sonny Boy Williamson. At the age of thirteen, he was heard by Little
Walter Jacobs, who encouraged him and gave him pointers on playing
harmonica. Johnny frequently hung around the blues clubs, where he also
met Albert King and Little Milton.
The stirring sounds of gospel vocalists, however, inspired
him the most. Jones heard O.V. Wright, Johnnie Taylor, and the Spirit
of Memphis when he was only six years old, and remembers the impact
their music had on him. When Jones was a teenager he moved to Chicago,
where he spent the next twelve years as a guitarist for various gospel
groups.
After picking up skills as a welder, Johnny moved to Detroit, where he
quickly became a key figure in the Detroit blues scene. After years of
playing Detroit area clubs he recorded his first track on a 1991 Blues
Factory anthology that also introduced Detroit’s Butler
Twins. Shortly after this he moved back to the Chicago area, where he
caught the attention of Earwig Music’s Michael Frank, who
would later record Jones’ critically acclaimed debut album,
“Ain’t Gonna Worry,” which gained him
recognition in Living Blues Critics Poll for Best New Blues Album
(Contemporary) in 1996, and a W.C. Handy Award for best new male blues
artist in 1997.
QUOTES
“If
you like your blues straight-ahead and tough, with just a hint of soul,
this is the one to get” –Blues Revue
“…solid
blues marked by Yard Dog’s soulful vocals and flowing harp
solos.” –Campus Reader
PRESS
Detroit Blues (Winter 96-97)
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