Southside Johnny

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Southside Johnny

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Img_capt = Southside Johnny in performance, 2008
Img_size =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = John Lyon
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1948|12|4
Ocean Grove, New Jersey, U.S.
Died =
Instrument = Vocals
Guitar
Harmonica
Piano
Genre = Rock
Blues
Blue-eyed soul
Occupation = Singer-songwriter
Musician
Years_active = 1970–present
Label = Columbia Records
Associated_acts = Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
URL = [http://www.southsidejohnny.org/ SouthsideJohnny.com]
Notable_instruments =

Southside Johnny (real name John Lyon, born December 4, 1948 in Neptune, New Jersey) is an American singer-songwriter who usually fronts his band The Asbury Jukes.

Biography

Lyon grew up in Ocean Grove, New Jersey [Minor, E. Kyle. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E3DC103EF93BA25755C0A9669C8B63 "MUSIC; A Bar Band Once Again Takes to The Road"] , "The New York Times", June 18, 2000. Accessed January 8, 2008. "That association was made in Mr. Lyon's youth, growing up Ocean Grove, N.J., half a mile from Asbury Park."] and graduated from Neptune High School. [Kaz, Ed. [http://www.asburyjukes.net/index.php?s=news&p=FEATURES&m=37 "IT'S HIS PARTY, AND HE'LL SING THE BLUES IF HE WANTS TO "] , "Asbury Park Press", December 29, 2000, copy of article on AsburyJukes.net. Accessed August 26, 2008. "JERSEY ALIVE: And where did you guys go to high school? SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY: Neptune High School. The Scarlet Flyers, man."]

Southside Johnny first achieved prominence in the mid-1970s as the second act to emerge from the Jersey Shore music scene and be considered part of the Jersey Shore sound, following Bruce Springsteen. Southside's first three albums, "I Don't Want to Go Home" (1976), "This Time It's For Real" (1977), and "Hearts of Stone" (1978), were Stax-influenced R&B arranged and produced by the co-founder of the band and Springsteen confederate Steven Van Zandt and largely featured songs written by Van Zandt and/or Springsteen. The Van Zandt-written "I Don't Want To Go Home" became Southside's signature song, an evocative mixture of horn-based melodic riffs and sentimental lyrics. Other notable songs included "The Fever","Talk to Me," "This Time It's For Real," "Love on the Wrong Side of Town," and the definitive version of Springsteen's " Hearts of Stone."

Southside has long been considered the Grandfather of "the New Jersey Sound." Jon bon Jovi has acknowledged Southside as "his reason for singing."

In 1982 the Rolling Stone Magazine voted the album "Hearts of Stone" among the top 100 albums of the 70's and 80's.

Cast under Springsteen's long shadow, Southside and the Jukes never gained national commercial success, and in 1979 they were dropped by their record company. Now working without Van Zandt, they released "The Jukes" in 1979 and "Love is a Sacrifice" in 1980. Neither of these achieved much success either. The band's first official live release also came out in 1980, the double album "Reach Up and Touch the Sky".

During the 1980s Southside Johnny's recording contracts continued to change almost by album, but he continued to release records: "Trash It Up" (1983), a disco influenced album written by Billy Rush and produced by Nile Rodgers; "In the Heat" (1984) an album trying to reach out to "Adult Oriented Radio"; and "At Least We Got Shoes" (1986) where guitarist and Jersey shore fixture Bobby Bandiera took over songwriting and guitar work from Billy Rush and led the Asbury Jukes back to their original sound. Songwriting credits on "At Least We Got Shoes" also contain a song co-written by Bandiera and singer Patti Scialfa, who was known as a Jukes collaborator since the 1980 album "Love is a Sacrifice" and who became a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band in 1984.

In 1988 Southside Johnny released his first solo record "Slow Dance" containing ballads and love songs, but also "Little Calcutta" which is still discussed as Southside's most political song of his career, describing the life and environment of the homeless in New York City.

More record label switches, Jukes personnel changes, tours and club dates followed.

Bobby Bandiera Years

His recording career was re-launched with the album "Better Days" (1991), which featured production by Van Zandt, songs by Springsteen, and vocal performances from Van Zandt, Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. With Bobby Bandiera driving the band, the Jukes were gaining new energy for a world wide tour supporting the album. But once again, Southside Johnny's bad luck with the industry was shown when the record label went bankrupt while the tour was still rolling.

Southside performed the theme song for the 1990s sitcom "Dave's World", a cover of Billy Joel's "You May Be Right."

Southside eventually relocated to Nashville taking a break from the music business. A few members of the Asbury Jukes would end up being part of The Max Weinberg 7 on the "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" television show, while some others went on tour and into the recording studio with artists like Jon Bon Jovi, Mink DeVille, Graham Parker, Robert Cray.

In 1998 Southside Johnny came back into the spotlight with an independent release titled "Spittin' Fire", a live record with a semi-acoustic Jukes lineup released in France containing a 20 song set recorded during a series of 10 shows at the "Chesterfield Café" in Paris, France.

After a decade without a record contract Southside finally founded his own record label in 2001 under the name of Leroy Records, and started releasing and distributing his new records fully under his own control: "Messin' with the Blues" (2000), "Going to Jukesville" (2002), "Missing Pieces" (2004), "Into the Harbour" (2005).

Southside continues to perform, and maintains substantial audience followings in some regions of the U.S., such as New Jersey, New York, northeast Ohio, and abroad, in the UK and continental Europe, as 2002's "Live At The Opera House" DVD, filmed at a sell-out performance in Newcastle upon Tyne, demonstrates. As of 2005, he resides on the Delaware Bay. His annual appearances at Springsteen's Asbury Park holiday shows draw as much crowd excitement as Springsteen himself.

Since 2001 Southside Johnny and the Jukes have toured the UK and Europe as an annual event, their first since the 1992 Better Days tour, although Southside and Bobby Bandiera did some acoustic shows in 1995.

Over the last few years Southside Johnny and the Jukes have appeared at WFAN's Mike and the Mad Dog annual beach party (held, usually the Friday of the last week of August) at Lake Como, NJ's Bar-A.

In 2008, Southside is touring Europe again. The concert he's looking forward to the most is at Paradiso, Amsterdam. The special thing about this concert is that every fan around the globe could enjoy the show because it was broadcasted live and for free by www.fabchannel.com.

Discography

Albums

* I Don't Want To Go Home (1976)
* This Time It's For Real (1977)
* "Hearts Of Stone" (1978)
* Havin' A Party (compilation) (1979)
* The Jukes (1979)
* Love Is A Sacrifice (1980)
* Reach Up And Touch The Sky (live) (1981)
* Trash It Up (1983)
* In the Heat (1984)
* At Least We Got Shoes (1986)
* Slow Dance (1988)
* Better Days (1991)
* All I Want Is Everything (compilation) (1993)
* Rockin' With The Jukes (compilation) (1996)
* Spittin' Fire (1997)
* Restless Heart (compilation) (1998)
* Live at The Paradise Theater, Boston 12.23.78 (2000)
* Messin' With The Blues (2000)
* Going To Jukesville (2002)
* Missing Pieces (2004)
* Into The Harbour (2005)
* Jukebox (compilation 5 CD box set) (2006)
* From Southside To Tyneside (2008)
* Grapefruit Moon: The Songs Of Tom Waits (2008, with La Bamba's Big Band)

References

External links

* [http://www.southsidejohnny.org/ SouthsideJohnny.com - Official website]
* [http://www.asburyjukes.net/ AsburyJukes.net - Fan website]