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John G. Blowers Jr. (April 21, 1911 – July 17, 2006) was an American drummer of the swing era. Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Blowers ("Blau-ers") learned to play percussion during his schooldays and began performing with the Bob Pope Band in 1936. Blowers attended college at Oglethorpe College, now Oglethorpe University.[1]
In 1937 he travelled to New York City, where he found employment as a drummer in Greenwich Village. In 1938 he joined Bunny Berigan's band, and in 1942 he began performing with the up-and-coming Frank Sinatra, who asked Blowers to record with him. They performed and recorded together regularly until the 1950s. In 1947, he opened Club Blowers in the Queens district.
In addition to Sinatra, Blowers performed with Louis Armstrong, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Sidney Bechet, Eddie Fisher, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, and Mel Tormé.[2]
References
- ^ Carr, I.; Fairweather, D.; Priestley, B.; Alexander, C. (2004). The Rough Guide to Jazz. Rough Guide Travel Guides Series. Rough Guides. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-84353-256-9. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ Deffaa, Chip. "Johnny Blowers". Modern Drummer. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- Warren W. Vaché (1997). Back Beats and Rim Shots: The Johnny Blowers Story. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-3162-9.
- Hentoff, Nat (May 1, 2002). "Johnny Blowers: Riding the Rhythm Wave at 91". JazzTimes. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- Franklin, Benjamin V (2016). An Encyclopedia of South Carolina Jazz and Blues Musicians. University of South Carolina Press.