Johnny Copeland

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

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

In 1979 he moved to New York City. There he met the pianist Ken Vangel and the producer Dan Doyle . Together with the two of them he recorded songs over the next two years, which were released in 1981 on the album Copeland special on the Rounder label . This album caused a great stir in the blues scene, as it seemed as if a brilliant musician had apparently appeared out of nowhere. In the years that followed, Copeland was very busy. The albums Make my home where I hang my hat (1982), Texas twister (1984) and Bring it all back home (1985) were released. For the longplayer showdown! (with Robert Cray and Albert Collins ), he received the 1987 the Grammy 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 parted ways with the Rounder record label.

After a two-year hiatus, he released the album Flyin 'high in 1991 , followed by Catch up with the blues in 1993. At this point, however, health problems arose. In 1992 he complained of shortness of breath at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena , Arkansas . In 1995 he was hospitalized with heart failure but was rescued. From that point on, he waited for a donor organ to be able to go back to work. Johnny Copeland then died on July 3, 1997 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York as a result of complications from his heart transplant, which he had undergone seven months earlier.

His daughter Shemekia Copeland is a singer who u. a. already with blues greats like Steve Cropper or Dr. John worked together.

Discography

• 1981 Copeland Special
• 1982 Make My Home Where I Hang My Hat
• 1984 I'll Be Around
• 1985 Down On Bended Knee
• 1985 showdown! by Albert Collins , Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland
• 1986 Bringin 'It All Back Home
• 1988 Ain't Nothing But A Party (Live)
• 1988 Houston Roots
• 1990 boom boom
• 1992 Flyin 'High
• 1993 Further On Up The Road
• 1994 Catch Up With The Blues
• 1996 Jungle Swing (received the Big Bill Broonzy Prix )
• 1997 Live In Australia 1990 , ( Black Top Records )
• 1999 Working Man's Blues

Individual evidence

1. ^ Johnny Copeland at allmusic.com
2. ^ "Johnny Copeland, 60, Who Sang Texas Blues and Played Guitar," New York Times article
3. ↑ Shemekia Copeland at allmusic.com