Jon Fratelli
| Jon Fratelli | |
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Jon Fratelli performing with Codeine Velvet Club on 12 June 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Paul Lawler |
| Also known as | Jon Fratelli, Jon Lawler |
| Born | 4 March 1979 |
| Origin | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genres | Alternative rock, garage rock, garage punk, post-punk revival |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, piano, harmonica, vocals |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Associated acts | The Fratellis, Codeine Velvet Club |
| Notable instruments | |
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Fender Telecaster Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty |
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Jon Fratelli (born John Paul Lawler, 4 March 1979, Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish musician and songwriter best known for his work with the band The Fratellis. He has also played in a band called Codeine Velvet Club, and also performed as a solo artist.
Little is known about Lawler's life before he joined the Fratellis. He attended St. Maurice's High School and went to college before dropping out within three hours. Before joining the Fratellis, he played in an Oasis and Blur cover band. He was born to a Scottish mother and an Italian father.
In 2005, Lawler responded to an advert placed in a music shop by drummer Gordon McRory, which stated "Opportunity of a lifetime ... seeks band to make our mark on the music industry". On this advert he put his name as "Graeme" to avoid detection of his then current band mates finding out he was seeking a new band. After calling the number, asking for "Graeme" he got told repeatedly that he had the wrong number, he nearly gave up but tried one more time and got a hold of McRory and the band started to form, with Barry Wallace joining the band on bass.
Lawler's role in the band is songwriter, lead vocalist and lead guitarist. He was initially accompanied on guitar by Mince Fratelli (Gordon McRory), but Mince switched to drums after the initial drummer did not work out. Writing credits for Costello Music are for The Fratellis, however, for Here We Stand and We Need Medicine, they are solely credited to him.
After playing the Coachella festival in California in 2007, during promotion of Fratellis' debut album Costello Music, Lawler decided to flee from the US tour and return to Glasgow, stating that he was too tired to continue the rest of the tour. He later saw this as a mistake, but it allowed him to be even more grateful for the success of the band. The band spent much of 2008 touring and after playing a few dates in 2009, the band parted ways for the foreseeable future. During this time, Jon started and finished Codeine Velvet Club and a stint as a solo artist.
On 4 June 2012, The Fratellis announced they had reformed to raise money for The Eilidh Brown Memorial Fund on 15 June 2012, marking nearly 3 years since they last shared a stage together. After a couple of initial gigs, to see how playing together again felt and to test audience interest, they recorded and released their third studio album before embarking on an extensive tour of the UK, the USA and Europe, with more dates coming in 2014.
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