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John Primer

The Real Deal

John Primer was born on March 3, 1946 in Camden, Mississippi. At 8 years old, John Primer borrowed his first guitar and started to strum. With the sounds of Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Little Milton, Elmore James, B.B. King and Albert King reverberating through his Grandmother Laura Nell's tube radio, John Primer was instantly hooked. John Primer was fascinated with Blues music and set forth on a life long path of becoming a musical force. Early inspiration came from his family steeped in spiritual, gospel, and R&B tradition. As a young boy, John Primer first appeared on stage at the local Baptist church, and went on to play at house parties and fish fry's in and around his hometown of Camden, Mississippi. At the age of eighteen, feeling restless and in search of further audiences, John Primer followed the path of his mentors and migrated to Chicago in the fall of 1963. He quickly found work in an era when modern electric blues and West and South Side sounds were first taking shape. Forming his first band The Maintainers in 1964, John Primer and his old Harmony guitar rocked such West Side clubs as The Place, The Bow Tie, and Lover's Lounge. By 1968 John Primer had left The Maintainers when the opportunity arose to front the Soul and R&B group The Brotherhood. Jamming late into the night and practicing by day, John Primer was forming his own unique style and expanding his repertoire. John Primer's success would lead him in 1974 to replace John Watkins in the house band at the world famous Theresa's Lounge on the South Side of Chicago. Over the course of the next 5 years, John Primer would play with such originators as Sammy Lawhorn, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Smokey Smothers, Lonnie Brooks, and a host of other innovators sculpting the sound of Chicago Blues. It was during this point in John Primer's career that quite a few people were taking note of this outstanding performer. In 1979, master songwriter and bassist Willie Dixon persuaded him to join his band The Chicago All-Stars. Traveling through the U.S., Mexico, and Europe, John Primer developed his Skills as a rhythm guitarist, a lead slide player, and a powerful singer. Another blues master who believed in John Primer was none other than the "Hoochie Coochie Man" himself, Muddy Waters. Muddy Waters recruited John Primer not only as a guitarist, but also as an opening act. As he did with so many other great musicians, Muddy Waters served as a father to John Primer, instilling in him an unrelenting passion for the music that gave birth to Rock and Roll. John Primer stayed loyal to Muddy Waters until his untimely death in 1983. Fresh off the heels of his great success with the Muddy Waters Band, John Primer signed on with the legendary Magic Slim. For the next 14 years, he toured with Magic Slim & The Teardrops, bringing tight, house-rocking sounds to every corner of the earth. But John Primer's days as a sideman were numbered, and in 1995 the veteran blues man released his major label debut The Real Deal. John Primer has since toured extensively in support of his ten solo albums to date. With John Primer's strong traditionalist blues phrasing and lightning fast slide techniques, few artists can match him. A master storyteller and songwriter, his catalog of songs is endless and his sound is unforgettable. John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band continue to electrify audiences at clubs and festivals around the world, and remain a driving force in the world of Blues music today.

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