Johnny Laws (born January 12, 1943) is an American Chicago blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.[1] A regular performer for over half a century in Chicago's South Side clubs,[2] Laws has released two albums, including Burnin' in My Soul, of which Blues & Rhythm magazine in November 1999 noted, "It's a real shame that Johnny Laws has been unjustly ignored in the past... This is an enjoyable CD... Full marks to those folks at Electro-Fi."[3]
Quick Facts Born, Genres ...
Johnny Laws |
---|
Born | (1943-01-12) January 12, 1943 (age 81) Chicago, Illinois, United States |
---|
Genres | Chicago blues, electric blues[1] |
---|
Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
---|
Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
---|
Years active | Mid-1960s–present |
---|
Labels | Wolf Records, Electro-Fi Records |
---|
Close
His version of McKinley Mitchell's "End of the Rainbow" demonstrates his versatility and vocal range.[4]
In an April 1999 editorial leader, the Toronto Star remarked that "South Side Chicago fave Johnny Laws... [is] winning plaudits for his seductive, soul-drenched blues."[citation needed]
Laws was born in Chicago, Illinois, and has remained there all his life. He has played and performed on the South Side of Chicago since the mid-1960s, remaining largely a local cult favorite for decades.[1] He learned his Chicago blues craft mainly from listening to Jimmy Reed and Buster Benton.[5] His aching falsetto voice and vast repertoire gained much local acclaim.[1] His style ranges from soul to postwar blues to, occasionally, country music.[5] In addition to a regular weekend slot at the Cuddle Inn, Laws has been a frequent performer at the annual Chicago Blues Festival,[2][4] including a set in 2000.[6] Laws was featured in a 1993 issue of Living Blues magazine.[7]
Laws released his debut album, My Little Girl, for Wolf Records in 1995.[5] The album contains a couple of blues standards, but most of the songs were written by Laws.[2]
His second album, Blues Burnin' in My Soul, was released on Electro-Fi Records in 1999,[2] containing cover versions of Junior Wells's song "Little by Little"; "Steal Away", by Jimmy Hughes; "Honest I Do" and "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby", by Jimmy Reed; and "Sadie", written and originally recorded by Hound Dog Taylor.[8] The autumn 1999 issue of Juke Blues stated that "Johnny Laws has a smooth, silky voice, at times almost a whisper, then rising into a falsetto, and falling back again into gentle expressiveness... His appeal is in a delivery that seems so deceptively effortless."[3]