Johnny Heartsman

Johnny Heartsman
Johnny Heartsman, 1991.
Background information
Birth name	Johnnie Eastman Jr.
Also known as	John Leroy Heartsman
Born	(1936-02-09)February 9, 1936 Houston, Texas, United States
Origin	San Fernando, California, U.S.
Died	December 27, 1996(1996-12-27) (aged 60) Sacramento, California, United States
Genres	Electric blues, soul blues
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, musician, arranger
Instruments	Vocals, bass guitar, flute, keyboards, guitar
Years active	1953–1996
Labels	Alligator Records

John Leroy "Johnny" Heartsman (February 9, 1936 – December 27, 1996) was an American electric blues and soul blues musician and songwriter. Heartsman showed musical diversity, playing a number of musical instruments, including the electric organ and flute. His distinctive guitar playing appeared on a number of 1950s and 1960s San Francisco Bay Area recordings, and he was still playing up to the time of his death.

His best known recording, "Johnny's House Party", was a R&B hit in 1957. His other better known tracks were "Paint My Mailbox Blue" and "Heartburn". He variously worked with Jimmy McCracklin, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Big Mama Thornton, Ray Agee, Jimmy Wilson, Johnny Fuller, Al King, Tiny Powell and Joe Simon.

He is not to be confused with the American jazz singer, Johnny Hartman.

Heartsman was born Johnnie Eastman Jr. in Houston, Texas, moving at an early age to San Fernando, California, United States. Originally influenced by Lafayette Thomas, in his teenage years Heartsman started operating as a session musician, in the studio with local record producer, Bob Geddins. One of his earliest involvements was playing the bass guitar for the 1953 recording of "Tin Pan Alley" by Jimmy Wilson. His own efforts yielded the instrumental track, "Johnny's House Party (Parts 1 & 2)" on the Music City label, which reached number 13 on the US Billboard R&B chart in June 1957. The record billed the act as 'John Heartsman, the Rhythm Rocker and the Gaylarks'.