Blues guitarist Johnny “Guitar” Watson (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996) was an American blues, funk guitarist and singer from Houston, Texas. His father who was a pianist taught him piano, but Watson was more attracted to guitar as a young child and when he was 11, his grandfather gave him a guitar. Watson won several local talent shows in Los Angeles, where he moved to after his parents separated, and started working as a vocalist, pianist, and blues guitarist, while still a teenager. In 1957, his first album, Gangster of Love, was released on Keen Records. Watson died on stage—collapsed during a guitar solo—while on tour in Japan.
Top 5 Songs
Ain’t That A Bitch
Superman Lover
Gangster of Love
I Wonna Ta Ta You
A Real Mother For Ya
Top 3 Albums
Love Jones
What the Hell is This?
Gettin’ Down with Johnny “Guitar” Watson
Discography
1957 Gangster of Love
1963 I Cried for You (Cadet 4056) [Johnny Watson: piano]
1963 Johnny Guitar Watson [King]
1964 The Blues Soul of Johnny Guitar Watson
1965 Larry Williams Show with Johnny Guitar Watson
1967 Bad
1967 In the Fats Bag
1967 Two for the Price of One
1973 Listen (Fantasy 9437)
1975 I Don’t Want to Be A Lone Ranger (Fantasy 9484)
1975 The Gangster Is Back
1976 Ain’t That a Bitch (DJM 3)
1976 Captured Live
1977 A Real Mother for Ya
1977 Funk Beyond the Call of Duty (DJM 714)
1978 Giant (DJM 19)
1978 Gettin’ Down with Johnny “Guitar” Watson
1979 What the Hell Is This? (DJM 24)
1980 Love Jones
1981 Johnny “Guitar” Watson and the Family Clone
1982 That’s What Time It Is
1984 Strike on Computers
1985 Hit the Highway
1986 3 Hours Past Midnight
1992 Plays Misty
1994 Bow Wow (Wilma 71007)
