Johnny Mars
| Johnny Mars | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 7, 1942 Laurens, South Carolina, United States |
| Genres | Electric blues |
| Occupation(s) | Harmonicist, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Harmonica, vocals |
| Years active | Early 1960s – present |
| Labels | Various |
| Website | www |
Johnny Mars (born December 7, 1942) is an American electric blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter. Over a long career, Mars has worked with Magic Sam, Earl Hooker, B.B. King, Jesse Fuller, Spencer Davis, Ian Gillan, Do-Re-Mi, Bananarama and Michael Roach.
Mars was born in Laurens, South Carolina, United States to sharecropping parents. His family regularly moved house when Mars was a youngster, but at the age of nine, he was presented with his first harmonica. When he was aged fourteen, and on the death of his mother, Mars and his younger siblings moved to New Paltz, New York, and having left high school, Mars began playing in various clubs in New York City. He signed a recording contract with Mercury Records whilst a member of a band named Burning Bush, and they recorded several sides with the label.
By the mid 1960s, Mars had moved to California and formed the Johnny Mars Band, who found work but no recognition beyond their North California base. However, they toured with Magic Sam, and played on the same bill as Earl Hooker, B.B. King and Jesse Fuller. After advice from Rick Estrin (Little Charlie & the Nightcats), Mars toured the United Kingdom in 1972, and subsequently recorded two albums there before fully relocating to Somerset in 1978. Mars worked with the record producer, Ray Fenwick, plus Spencer Davis and Ian Gillan. His 1984 album, Life on Mars, received critical acclaim.
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Wikipedia