Johnny J. Blair

Johnny J. Blair "Singer at Large" is an American singer-songwriter. Known for a lively stage persona, Blair's influences include David Bowie, Brian Wilson, Erik Satie, George Gershwin, Motown, and British Invasion Rock. His music is described as an innovative brand of maverick pop; a fast-paced mix of old-school soul, psychedelia, punk/new wave, and the melodicism of classical, gospel, jazz, and world beat music. Spotlight Magazine dubbed him "the Harry Houdini of rock 'n' roll" for his "escape from typecasts."
Lyrically, Blair's vocabulary is influenced by The Bible, classic comedy (Charlie Chaplin, Marx Brothers) the poetry of T.S. Eliot, and the writings of Raymond Chandler, Graham Greene, and John Steinbeck. Common subjects are urban allegories, apocalyptic justice, surreal road trips, and offbeat nostalgia.
Blair's concert set includes originals joined to covers from glam rock to Motown to show tunes to spirituals. Besides making music for commercials, documentaries, and films, he has produced a variety of artists and has performed and/or recorded with John Bechdel (Fear Factory, Killing Joke), Eric Biondo/Beyondo, The Badlees, Ron Dante, Mike Garson (David Bowie), Sandy Gennaro, Julie Miller, Prairie Prince (The Tubes, Todd Rundgren), Michael Roe, and Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown), Chris von Sneidern and, most notably, with Monkee Davy Jones. Blair recorded and toured with Jones until his death in 2012. Blair was also the touring bassist/vocalist for The Monkees on their acclaimed 45th Anniversary tour of the UK and USA in 2011.
Now based in San Francisco, Blair is currently working on new recordings—including a project of unfinished material by Davy Jones, a compilation, and a full album of all new material.
Blair's selected discography
Dancin’ So Hard (single) Produced by Rick Anderson (The Tubes), 1980
Care Package (self-released), EP 1983
Door in the Water (Morada), full-length vinyl LP 1985; remastered as download album 2005
Johnny J Blair, a.k.a. "The Green Album" (Unknown Potential), full-length 1987
Yellow House (Unknown Potential), full length 1988
Suspension Britches in San Francisco (compilation 1989 to 1991) (Unknown Potential), full length 1991
She's Not Some Animal (Unknown Potential), EP 1997
Fire (CJAM) CD 2000, reissued 2006 on Foldback Records/Wampus Multimedia
Exotic Animals & Beaches of Pennsylvania (CJAM), CD 2001
Snapshots (CJAM), 2002
The Complete Mr. Beat Vol. 3 (Comic Library International) 2002 bonus CD with comic book; collaboration with comic artist-writer Chris Yambar
After Hours: a Tribute to the Music of Lou Reed (Wampus Multimedia) with Blair's cover of "Sunday Morning", backed by members of The Badlees, CD 2003
Treadmarks (Wampus Multimedia) CD 2005
Word2Soul Project (CJAM) CD, 2006 collaboration of several pop and gospel singers, featuring Blair as producer, musician, and singer
Grateful (Foldback Records/Wampus Multimedia) CD 2007
I Like the Street (Wampus Multimedia) CD 2011
The Sky Cries EP 2012, collaboration with Samuel Bowen
If I Could Dress Like Clive Owen (Music for Films Not Yet Made) (Singer at Large) download compilation album 2013

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