Studebaker John


John Grimaldi , better known by his stage name Studebaker John is an American blues guitarist and harmonica player. He is a practitioner of the Chicago blues style, with his stage name arising from an automobile he once owned.

Biography

He was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Studebaker John's father was an amateur musician, and he played early in life at the Maxwell Street flea market. Grimaldi began playing harmonica at age seven. In the 1970s he put together his band, the Hawks, and worked as a construction worker while recording and performing on the side. He recorded extensively for Blind Pig Records in the 1990s. Grimaldi counts Hound Dog Taylor as the reason he began playing slide guitar. Atom Egoyan chose three of John's songs for his 1993 film Calendar, and included two songs in his 1994 film Exotica. In 1995, John played on Little Mack Simmons', High & Lonesome album.

Discography