Studebaker John Grimaldi was born in the Italian-American section of Chicago and started playing harmonica at age 7. Under the spell of music he heard on Maxwell Street, Chicago’s famed blues melting pot, Grimaldi began performing as Studebaker John and the Hawks in the ‘70s. The band name referenced the Studebaker Hawk, a car Grimaldi still owns today, and was also intended as a tribute to his friend, J.B. Hutto and his band, the Hawks. John began playing guitar after a life-changing experience of seeing Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers perform. “…Hound Dog started playing, hitting notes that sent chills up and down my spine. He was versatile and powerful and would play rhythm as well as leads. I left there knowing what I wanted to do. I had to play slide guitar.”

1978: After playing at various Chicago clubs, John records his first record, Straight No Chaser, released on Retread Records. His second recording, Rocking the Blues, was released in 1985 on Avanti Records. John continues to work clubs and concerts in Chicago and the mid-west region.

1988: Nothin’ But Fun is released in Europe on Belgium’s Double Trouble label. A European tour follows in support of this recording. Due to the success of this release, Born to Win, also on Double Trouble, is released in 1990 resulting in more European tours. At home, John continues to play throughout the Midwest. The Chicago Tribune hails John as “a blues classic”.

1991: John joins the Yardbirds & Pretty Things to record a St. George and Demon Records’ release of classic Chicago Blues. This recording leads to another Demon Records’ release Wine, Women & Whiskey.

1992: Rockin’ The Blues is re-released on the Double Trouble label.

1993: Canadian filmmaker, Atom Egoyan, selects three songs from Nothin’ But Fun and Born To Win to include in his film, Calendar.

“John captures the raw energy and grit of the classic blues musicians but pumped up to a rocking energy level. He has a deep understanding of the blues tradition that comes from hanging with the classic Chicago bluesmen, but he’s created his own sound and style from these roots.” ~Bruce Iglauer, Alligator Records “It’s rare to hear a blues artist perform three sets of irresistible originals, and it’s even rarer for that artist to stay “in the zone” from first song to last.”  ~BluesRevue Thomas J. Cullen, III

1994: John records Too Tough, his 1st release on Blind Pig Records. Also in 1994, Atom Egoyan produces another film, Exotica, featuring two songs from Too Tough.

1995: Nothin’ But Fun is renamed Outside Lookin’ In and becomes John’s 2nd Blind Pig Records release.

1996: John collaborates with record producer Jim Gaines on his 3rd Blind Pig release, Tremoloxe. Studebaker John & the Hawks tour throughout the USA, Canada & Europe in support of this new release.

1997: Time Will Tell, John’s 4th Blind Pig recording, is released. Songs from the CD are featured in the 2001 film Cowboy Up, starring Kiefer Sutherland and Darrel Hannah. John’s music is also used for a CNN/NASCAR Raceway break-theme and in a Ford Thunderbird commercial shown during the 2002 season premiere episode of Fox TV’s “24”.

2001: Howl With The Wolf, released on Evidence Music, revisits John’s roots, one last look at the past before looking exclusively to the future.

2004: The Avanti Records’ release, Between Life & Death, showcases John’s unique songwriting talents, and his blazing guitar and harmonica technique, creating a new sound that transports the blues genre into the 21st century.

2006: Avanti Records’ Self-Made Man contains nearly 80 minutes of all original steamy blues and smokin’ blues-rock, incorporating Chicago, boogie, swamp, swing, and harmonica blues, all recorded with a live-in-the-studio sound that is true to Studebaker John’s stage performances.

As a songwriter and musician, Studebaker John has emerged as a major creative force in the world of the blues today. Ahead of the pack, with vision and foresight, creating a new standard and landscape for this music’s future… with John at the wheel, the future is now!

His latest release, Waiting on the Sun, plays in the background on this page and is available above.  It is another great effort from this blues artist.  Simply not content to make the same album over and over again, Waiting on the Sun is a breathtaking sunrise of different musical elements. Combining, for the first time, slide guitar with Latin rhythms, raw blues grooves, rock and roll, and improvised jams with a touch of jazz that mix together perfectly to give the listener a CD of artistic integrity....in other words, “fun.”

Here's what Blues radio jock "Skyy Dobro" Walker has to say about this late '08 release by Studebaker John:  "Track one kicks off sounding like Santana sending out piercing notes from guitar. The up tempo “Down At the Bottom” is typical of the entire set with nary a slow song in the mix. Paul Ashford is the drummer, and Bob Halaj is on board for bass and background vocals while Bartek Szopinski adds organ and piano to the set. Manny Hernandez and Eric Michaels appear only on this first track adding, respectively, Latin percussion and keyboards.

The fun romp continues on track two “She Just Won’t Roll” with a driving shuffle. “She knows you want to rock, but she just won’t roll,” laments Grimaldi’s seasoned vocals. John then shares how to, thankfully, leave spaces between notes on a tasty guitar solo.

“Every Night is a Saturday Night” highlights fuzz-tone guitar and funk plus great harmony vocals on the chorus.

We get our first taste of Grimaldi’s killer slide guitar on “Hell To Pay” along with some fun “Whoo-s” shouted in the chorus. John’s harmonica gets a great workout on “Natural Born Boogie.”

As a songwriter and musician, Studebaker John has emerged as a major creative force in the world of modern blues. This album proves what a standout Studebaker John has become."

It all happens in Delaware May 9th at DSBS' STIMULUS SHOW.  Be there!!

Photos copyright 2005 by David True, TRS Imagery. All rights reserved.