Johnny J's 60 Second Interview with Chris Rose

The 60-Second Interview: Johnny J
Posted by Chris Rose, Columnist, The Times-Picayune July 18, 2008 5:00AM
Categories: 60-Second Interview


Johnny J and the Hitmen

Johnny J's MySpace page says his music sounds like: "Flame shootin' maniacs lit up on twice-boiled barley soda, with a shot of Brylcreem on the side." Most folks would recognize it as rockabilly.

Johnny J. has been grinding out American music for several decades now, a stalwart on the local club scene and, in fact, very big in Europe.

He and his longtime sidekicks, the Hitmen, are having a CD release party tonight at Mid-City Lanes Rock 'n 'Bowl, to celebrate the debut of "Louisiana Rockabilly, " a collection of cover songs written by rockers from around the state. (Catch them July 26 at 2 p.m. at Borders bookstore in Metairie and 10 p.m. at Parlay's Dream Lounge, and on Aug. 1 at 10 p.m. at the Banks Street Bar.)

I talked with Johnny this week about the thrill of it all.

Rockabilly seems to be one of Louisiana's underappreciated musical genres. Do you think?

One of the reasons I made this record was because somebody was recently asking me about rockabilly music and I mentioned Jerry Lee Lewis and he said: Oh, is Jerry Lee from Louisiana? So then and there I decided I had to make a record like this.

I take it then that Jerry Lee is one of the artists you cover on the disc?

Actually, no. These are mostly artists who are lesser known but still made some great records and who a lot of people maybe haven't heard before.

Like who?

Al Ferrier, Joe Clay, Dale Hawkins -- and then some folks who weren't rockabilly at all -- Faron Young, Roy Brown, Sugarboy Crawford. The whole idea of rockabilly music is a realignment of another song. You take a bluesy kind of tune and you swing it a little more or you take a country song and you breeze it up. It's a treatment, you know what I mean?

Maybe. Then tell me, what is rockabilly?

Rockabilly is the font from which all great American rhythm music came from. It was the point where everything reached critical mass. You had all this stuff -- country music, rhythm and blues -- crash into each other and create a supernova and out of it came Buddy Holly and Carl Perkins and Elvis and all these other people. And it later became rock 'n' roll.


To what do you attribute the longevity of the genre?

It's just like country music and the blues; it's a pure form of American music. Even though people act like it comes in and out like a trend, it will always be there.

You didn't write any of the songs on your new record, but you have in the past. There was one I always liked called "Elevator Love, " about your fear of heights and only dating women who live on the first floor. How's that working out for you?


I've made it up to the second story.


Is that some kind of sexual innuendo?

No. Let's face it: Almost everybody around here is on the second story now.


Your MySpace biography lists your primary influences as Sinatra, Little Walter and Davy Crockett. The first two I get; explain the third.

That was the first record I ever owned -- Davy Crockett and the Wild Frontier. The other two guys are my favorite singers.


Let's talk about tonight: Describe the thrill of a CD release party.

Well, there is none, actually. It's not one of my favorite things to do, but it's necessary. You can have a good time if you put your mind to it.


You make it sound like a grind rather than a pivotal moment in your career.

To me, it seems like a motion that everybody goes through. It's the same motion every time and there's no E-motion involved sometimes. In fact, I was thinking about having a CD "relief" party instead and promising never to release any more CDs.


You're not making a real good case for people to come out and see the show.

Yeah, I know. I gotta fix that. But it's like this: I play music because I have to. It's just something I have to do. If I go over to someone's house and there's not a guitar around, I get nervous. It's something I must do and then I can only hope that people like it. And so far, they haven't run me out of town.


No, not yet. The party's at Rock 'n 'Bowl. That seems like the perfect place for your craft. Tell me about the allure of that venue.

I call it Johnny Blancher's Big Fat Po-Boy Lounge. We were the first band ever to play there, actually. And it has a certain familiarity to me. Which means, I guess: I feel real familiar in there.

Columnist Chris Rose can be reached at chris.rose@timespicayune.com; or at 504.352.2535 or 504.826.3309.
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COMMENTS (1)Post a comment
Posted by RivrRoad on 07/18/08 at 7:17AM

I'll be at Johnny Blancher's Big Fat Po-Boy Lounge tonight listening to Johnny J and the Hitmen sing Red Car!

In New Orleans we tend to take our local music talent for granted. Johnny J, to me, is another one of our under-appreciated artists. His wit and sarcasm give you a glimpse of his intelligence. He is such a bright man with deep soul and so much talent.

If you've never heard Johnny J before then I hope you'll pop in to the rock n bowl tonight. His music is for all generations to enjoy.