John Sebastian: Difference between revisions

| name = John Sebastian

| image = John Sebastian 2 - 1974 (cropped).jpg

| background = solo_singer

| birth_name = John Benson Sebastian

| alias = Giovanni Pugliese

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1944|3|17|}}

| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|harmonica|autoharp}}

| genre = {{hlist|[[Rock music|Rock]]|[[Pop music|pop]]|[[Folk music|folk]]|[[Blues music|blues]]}}

| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|musician|songwriter}}

| years_active = 1964–present

| website = {{URL|johnbsebastian.com/}}

}}

 

 

 

==Early life==

 

Sebastian grew up surrounded by music and musicians, including [[Burl Ives]] and [[Woody Guthrie]], and hearing such players as [[Lead Belly]] and [[Mississippi John Hurt]] in his own neighborhood.<ref name="SHOF">[http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/bio/C6011 Songwriter Hall of Fame John Sebastian biography.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311183101/http://songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/bio/C6011 |date=March 11, 2012 }}. Retrieved January 5, 2009.</ref><ref name="JBS">[http://www.johnbsebastian.com/bio.html John Sebastian biography at www.johnbsebastian.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210200516/http://www.johnbsebastian.com/bio.html |date=February 10, 2010 }}. Retrieved January 6, 2009.</ref> He graduated from [[Blair Academy]], a private boarding school in [[Blairstown, New Jersey]], in 1962.<ref>Blagden, Nellie, [http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20069148,00.html "Talk About a Steady Job— Miss Ellen Has Toiled at Blair Academy For 69 Years,"] ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'', September 26, 1977, archived online at People.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.</ref> He next attended [[New York University]] for just over a year, but dropped out as he became more interested in musical pursuits.<ref name=echoes /><ref>Tuma, Debbie, [http://www.die-augenweide.de/spoon/story/jbs_interv2.htm "John Sebastian: Finding His Roots" (interview with John Sebastian)], die-augenweide.de. Retrieved June 8, 2015.</ref>

In the early 1960s, Sebastian developed an interest in [[blues]] music and in playing harmonica in a blues style, rather than the classical style of his father. Through his father's connections, he met and was influenced by blues musicians [[Sonny Terry]] and [[Lightnin' Hopkins]] (for whom Sebastian served as "unofficial tour guide and valet" when Hopkins was in New York City).<ref>Williamson, Chet, "A Lovin' Spoonful of Blues: The John Sebastian Trio With Paul Rishell and Annie Raines," ''[[Worcester Magazine]]'', June 12, 2002, p. 64.</ref><ref>Bob Ruggiero, [http://www.houstonpress.com/music/john-sebastian-and-lightnin-hopkins-the-odd-couple-6493934 "John Sebastian & Lightnin' Hopkins: The Odd Couple,"] ''[[Houston Press]]'', houstonpress.com, September 25, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2015.</ref> Sebastian became part of the folk and blues scene that was developing in Greenwich Village, which in part later gave rise to [[folk rock]].<ref>Ruiz, Toni, & Henri Llach, [http://www.furious.com/perfect/folkniks.html "Fred Neil: The Other Side of 60s Greenwich Village Folk Scene,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030801182621/http://www.furious.com/perfect/folkniks.html |date=August 1, 2003 }} ''[[Perfect Sound Forever (magazine)|Perfect Sound Forever]]'', July 2003, available online at furious.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.</ref>

 

 

==The Lovin' Spoonful==

Sebastian was joined by [[Zal Yanovsky]], [[Steve Boone]], and [[Joe Butler]] in the Spoonful, which was named after "The Coffee Blues," a Mississippi John Hurt song. [[The Lovin' Spoonful]], which blended folk-rock and pop with elements of blues, [[country music|country]], and [[jug band|jug band music]], became part of the American response to the [[British Invasion]], and was noted for such [[chart-topper|hits]] as "[[Do You Believe in Magic (song)|Do You Believe in Magic]]", "Jug Band Music", "[[You Didn't Have to Be So Nice]]", "[[Daydream (1966 song)|Daydream]]", "[[Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?]]", "[[Summer in the City (The Lovin' Spoonful song)|Summer in the City]]", "Rain on the Roof", "Nashville Cats", "[[Darling Be Home Soon]]", and "Six O'Clock".<ref name="RRHOF" /><ref>Bogdanov, Vladimir, et al., ed. [https://books.google.com/books?id=xR7MdpuSlAEC&pg=PT213 ''All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide to Popular Music'', 4th ed.] Backbeat Books, 2001, p. 240.</ref>

 

 

==Solo career 1960s–1970s==

 

===Broadway musical composer===

 

===Woodstock appearance===

 

Sebastian has stated that his musical career suffered in the early 1970s from being out of step with the trends set by emerging artists such as [[Alice Cooper]], and that he made more money by buying and selling real estate than he did from his music. After ''Tarzana Kid'' failed to chart, Sebastian sought a release from his Reprise contract, which required him to make one more album. However, in 1976, Sebastian had an unexpected No. 1 single with "[[Welcome Back (John Sebastian song)|Welcome Back]]", the [[theme song]] to the sitcom ''[[Welcome Back, Kotter]]'',<ref name="SHOF" /> causing the label to rush the production of an album, also titled ''[[Welcome Back (John Sebastian album)|Welcome Back]]''.<ref name=echoes /> Despite the "monster hit" status of the song "Welcome Back", Sebastian expressed frustration that Reprise did not do more to promote the associated album, his last for Reprise.<ref name=kiersh /><ref name=unter5>Unterberger, Richie, [http://www.richieunterberger.com/sebastian5.html "Liner Notes for John Sebastian's 'Welcome Back'" (Collector's Choice Music reissue CD)], richieunterberger.com. Retrieved June 5, 2015.</ref> His later albums have been released primarily on [[independent record labels]]. The song, Sebastian's only top-40 solo hit, found new life 28 years later when a sample from it became the hook for [[rapper]] [[Mase]]'s 2004 hit "[[Welcome Back (Mase song)|Welcome Back]]".

 

In 2001, [[Rhino Entertainment]] re-released all five of Sebastian's Reprise albums, plus the non-LP "Give Us a Break" single, on [[compact disc|CD]] in a limited-edition [[box set]] entitled ''Faithful Virtue: The Reprise Recordings''. The box set also included live recordings of Sebastian's entire Woodstock performance and six previously unreleased songs recorded in mono from a performance at the [[Winterland Ballroom]] in [[San Francisco]] on October 4, 1969.<ref>Planer, Lindsay, [https://www.allmusic.com/album/faithful-virtue-the-reprise-recordings-mw0000967198 "Allmusic Review: John Sebastian, Faithful Virtue: The Reprise Recordings"], October 10, 2001. Retrieved June 4, 2015.</ref> In 2006, Sebastian's five Reprise albums were reissued as individual CDs by [[Collectors' Choice Music]], with new liner notes by [[Richie Unterberger]].<ref name=unter1 /><ref name=unter2 /><ref name=unter3 /><ref name=unter4 /><ref name=unter5 />

[[Image:John Sebastian 1979.jpg|thumb|Performing at the Woodstock Reunion 1979 at [[Parr Meadows]] in [[Ridge, New York]]]]Sebastian left the Lovin' Spoonful in 1968 and did not play with any later versions of the band, except for a brief reunion with the other three original members to appear in [[Paul Simon]]'s 1980 film ''[[One-Trick Pony (film)|One-Trick Pony]]'', and again for a single performance at their [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] induction ceremony in 2000.<ref name="RRHOF" />

 

 

Sebastian has continued to tour and play live, both solo and with a variety of backing bands. He had a long association with the eclectic rock band [[NRBQ]], dating back to the early 1980s, when he played on NRBQ's album ''Grooves in Orbit'' (1983). He has said that NRBQ "to a large extent, picked up where The Lovin' Spoonful left off" because of NRBQ's "wide range of musical styles that they're not only able but accurate at playing," and he expressed appreciation for NRBQ's support during a low point in his career.<ref>DeAngelis, John, [http://www.nrbq.com/history/js_interview.html "Keeping the Magic Alive: The John Sebastian Interview"], ''DISCoveries Magazine'', excerpted at nrbq.com. Retrieved June 7, 2015.</ref> In turn, Sebastian helped NRBQ by using them on his own [[Nelvana]] and [[Disney Channel]] soundtrack projects during a period when litigation prevented them from recording.<ref>Freedman, Sam. [https://web.archive.org/web/20151016205628/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/nrbq-rsvp-19900111?page=2 "N.R.B.Q. R.S.V.P."], ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]'', January 11, 1990, archived at Rollingstone.com. Retrieved June 7, 2015.</ref> Sebastian has used NRBQ as his own backing band,<ref name=boone /> appeared regularly at their concerts,<ref>Holden, Stephen, [https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/26/arts/rock-sebastian-and-nrbq.html "Rock: Sebastian and NRBQ"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 26, 1982, archived at NYtimes.com. Retrieved June 7, 2015.</ref><ref>Catlin, Roger, [http://articles.courant.com/1999-11-25/entertainment/9911250739_1_johnny-spampinato-nrbq-joey-spampinato "It's NRBQ's Time at Toad's"], ''[[Hartford Courant]]'', November 25, 1999, archived at courant.com. Retrieved June 7, 2015.</ref> and recorded frequently with the band members,<ref>[http://www.nrbq.com/history/js_discography.html John Sebastian/ NRBQ Discography], nrbq.com. Retrieved June 7, 2015.</ref> and NRBQ founding member [[Terry Adams (musician)|Terry Adams]] refers to Sebastian as an "honorary member" of the band.<ref>Oates, Bridget, [http://www.slideshare.net/BridgetOates/016017key0515hearroadwarriorsterryadamsspreadlow-res "Terry Adams: NRBQ Co-Founder Goes From Funk to Monk"], ''Keyboard'', May 2015, p. 16.</ref> Although he performed Lovin' Spoonful songs solo and with NRBQ (who were themselves promoted in the 1980s as "the new Lovin' Spoonful"<ref name=boone />), he declined to reunite with several former Spoonful members in 1991.<ref name=larkin>Larkin, Colin. [https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&pg=PA2714 ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 5th Concise Edition.''] Omnibus Press, 2011, p. 2714. {{ISBN|978-0-85712-595-8}}.</ref>

 

===Instructor at Homespun Tapes===

 

===Other appearances and activities===

In November 1992, Sebastian made a cameo appearance on the sitcom ''[[Married... with Children]]'' (Season 7, Episode 9, "Rock of Ages") as himself, along with other 1960s rock stars [[Spencer Davis]], [[Richie Havens]], [[Robby Krieger]], [[Mark Lindsay]], and [[Peter Noone]].

 

 

On January 12, 2014, Sebastian appeared on ''[[CBS News Sunday Morning]]'' to talk about his career with and without [[the Lovin' Spoonful]], [[Eric Clapton]], and the [[C. F. Martin & Company|Martin guitar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-mystique-of-martin-guitars/|title=The mystique of Martin Guitars|website=cbsnews.com|access-date=November 3, 2017}}</ref>

 

 

==Influence and legacy==

Sebastian is a notable songwriter whose work has been [[cover version|covered]] by many artists, including [[Elvis Costello]] ("The Room Nobody Lives In"), [[Johnny Cash]] ("Darlin' Companion"), and [[Del McCoury]] ("Nashville Cats"). Several songs have also spawned multiple covers, including:

* "Lovin' You" – covered by [[Dolly Parton]], [[Helen Reddy]], and [[Bobby Darin]];

 

Sebastian is also credited with helping to popularize the art of [[tie-dye]]ing clothing among music fans and festival goers in the late 1960s, by publicly appearing in outfits that he tie-dyed himself after learning the process from Ann Thomas of Water Baby Dye Works.<ref name=fornatale /><ref>"The Psychedelic Tie-Dye Look", ''[[Time (magazine)|Time Magazine]]'', January 26, 1970, p. 38.</ref> His tie-dyed yellow patterned denim jacket, which he dyed himself and wore at Woodstock, has been prominently displayed in the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].<ref>Soeder, John, [http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2009/08/forty_years_after_woodstock_jo.html "Forty Years After Woodstock, John Sebastian Shares Tie-Dyed Memories"], ''[[The Plain Dealer]]'', Cleveland.com, August 9, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2015.</ref>

Sebastian has been married three times. His first wife was Jean "Butchie" Webber (later known as Butchie Denver after she married actor [[Bob Denver]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.taosnews.com/news/sixties-socialite-taos-bruja-butchie-denver-dies-at-74/article_26176bd0-4e36-5b9b-a276-8f8096b31d13.html|first=J.R.|last=Logan|newspaper=The Taos News|title=Sixties Socialite, Taos 'Bruja' Butchie Denver Dies at 74|date=April 16, 2016|access-date=December 1, 2020}}</ref> According to Steve Boone, Butchie was an early supporter and friend of the Lovin' Spoonful and secretly married Sebastian in the early 1960s to reduce his chances of being [[Conscription in the United States#Vietnam War|drafted]] for service in the [[Vietnam War]]. The couple divorced in 1966. That same year, Sebastian married Loretta "Lorey" Kaye, a waitress at [[Steve Paul]]'s [[The Scene (performance venue)|The Scene]] who later worked for ''[[Hit Parader]]'' magazine; they divorced in 1968.<ref name=echoes /><ref name=boone /><ref name=kiersh /><ref>Heil, Jane, [http://forumworldcultures.blogspot.com/2008/07/rock-roll-and-me-writing-60s.html "Rock, Roll and Me: Writing the '60s"], forumworldcultures.blogspot.com, July 20, 2008. Retrieved June 3, 2015.</ref>

 

 

Since the early 1990s, Sebastian has struggled with throat problems that eventually affected and changed his singing voice, but he has continued to perform and tour.<ref name=larkin /><ref>Brend, Mark. [https://books.google.com/books?id=gAMVnyNIYZ8C&pg=PA172 ''American Troubadours: Groundbreaking Singer Songwriters of the 60s.''] Backbeat Books, 2001, p. 172. {{ISBN|0-87930-641-6}}.</ref>

| 1970|| [[MGM Records|MGM]]<br> SE-4654 || ''[[John B. Sebastian (album)|John B. Sebastian]]'' ||{{center| – }}|| Vinyl||Exact same album as Reprise RS 6379, with different cover art. Withdrawn from market in 1970.

|-

|-

| 1996|| [[King Biscuit Flower Hour#King Biscuit Flower Hour Records|King Biscuit Flower Hour]]<br> KBFHCD016 || ''John Sebastian Live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour'' ||{{center| – }}||CD (original and reissue)<br> DVD Audio (reissue)|| Recording of a live concert in [[Brookhaven, NY]], Sept. 9. 1979. Reissued several times with different running order and/or some tracks omitted as:<br>''From the Front Row&nbsp;... Live!'' (DVD Audio, Silverline, 2003) <br>''John Sebastian Live'' (CD, [[EMI-Capitol Special Markets]], 2006; not the same as the 1970 MGM vinyl LP of the same name) <br>''Nashville Cats'' (CD, Disky (Netherlands), 2001).

 

==External links==

* {{Official website|http://www.johnbsebastian.com/}}

* [http://www.wirz.de/music/evendoz.htm Illustrated Even Dozen Jug Band discography]