Johnny Dowd (born March 29, 1948, in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...

) is an American alternative country musician from

Ithaca, New York Ithaca is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is the seat of Tompkins County and the largest community in the Ithaca metropolitan statistical area. It is named ...

. Typical of his style are experimental, noisy breaks in his songs and strong

gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

(in the sense of dark and gloomy) elements in the lyrics as well as in the music. There is also a strong undercurrent of

black humor Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

and the absurd in his work. Although his early albums were most celebrated in the alternative country community, he has never quite fit into any particular genre. As a singer-songwriter, his music is most often compared to that of

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

, Nick Cave and Captain Beefheart.

Early life

Born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1948, Dowd's family moved to

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

in 1950, and then to his father's hometown of

Pauls Valley, Oklahoma Pauls Valley is a city in and the county seat of Garvin County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,992 at the 2020 census, a decline of 3.2 percent from the figure of 6,187 in 2010. It was settled by and named for Smith Paul, a North ...

in 1953. He received a record player for Christmas in 1956 and began buying records at a local appliance store. Although the first LP he owned was by the

Ray Conniff Singers Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s. Biography Conniff was born November 6, 1916 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United St ...

, it was the music of Hank Williams,

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

and James Brown, that changed his life. He cites James Brown's '' Live at the Apollo'' as his lifelong favorite album. In 1965, along with his mother and sisters, Johnny returned to Memphis after his parents' divorce. After serving in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

and living in

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he drove across the United States in the early 1970s with longtime friend Dave Hinkle and settled permanently in

where his mother and sisters had also relocated. Dowd and Hinkle began moving furniture for a living, later naming their business the Zolar Moving Company.

Band history

Dowd formed a band in the 1970s named The Jokers, which included Johnny (guitar), his sister Jennifer Edmondson (drums) and Dave Hinkle (bass). By 1988, the band had become Neon Baptist, who in addition to Dowd included Cally Arthur, Dave Hinkle, Mike Edmondson and Jennifer Edmondson, with Max Ormond and Kim Sherwood-Caso joining the band in later lineups. Neon Baptist was one of the founding acts of the GrassRoots Festival, where Dowd has performed annually since 1991. By the time Neon Baptist disbanded in 1995, Dowd was recording songs alone in the office of his moving company. These songs first appeared in 1995 on a home-made demo cassette as ''Wrong Side of Memphis'', which credited Dowd as a solo artist and featured Kim Sherwood-Caso on background vocals on two songs. Most of these tracks were either re-mixed or completely re-recorded for the CD version of the same album, which was initially pressed as a self-released CD and then officially released on

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's Checkered Past Records label in 1997. The album was also released on

Koch Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had ...

in early 1998 and then in

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on Munich Records. Favorable reviews led to some of his first European appearances in 1998. In the wake of the critical acclaim for ''Wrong Side of Memphis'', Dowd released his second album, ''Pictures From Life's Other Side'', in 1999, also to positive reviews. That year also saw the first of Dowd's US and European tours. After the self-released, experimental ''Down In The Valley'' in 2000 came ''Temporary Shelter''. A

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

television documentary Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries. Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film. *Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...

on Dowd was filmed in 2000, and in early 2001, ''The New York Times'' highlighted him as one of four "Country Singers Who Still Display a Country Heart". Dowd's ''The Pawnbroker's Wife'' album was released in 2002, followed by ''Wire Flowers: More Songs from the Wrong Side of Memphis'' in 2003. That same year, he was handpicked by

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

' creator

Matt Groening Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...

, a self-described fan of Dowd's music, to perform in the

All Tomorrow's Parties "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...

festival. He also made his major film appearance in 2003 with '' Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus''. The album '' Cemetery Shoes'' was released in 2004. ''Cruel Words'', released in 2006, went on to win the Alt Country award in the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards the following year. In 2006, Dowd, drummer Brian Wilson (aka Willie B) and Jim White formed the band Hellwood. Their album, ''Chainsaw of Life'', was recorded in a cabin in New York, the walls of which were covered in musician obituaries. Hellwood toured the album in Europe. In April 2007, Dowd joined Beukorkest, a collaboration of various

musicians and artists, for a nine-show tour of the Netherlands. In 2008, after an album of tracks from the tour was released, Beukorkest re-formed with a new team of musicians. Dowd released ''A Drunkard's Masterpiece'' in early 2008 in the U.S., Canada and Europe, followed by a European tour in April and May. In October, he formed the trio Black Elastic with former bandmates Kim Sherwood-Caso on guitar and vocals and Mike Edmondson on guitar. After several shows in the

area, an expanded Johnny Dowd band was formed, composed of Sherwood-Caso, Mike Stark (keyboards), Matt Saccuccimorano (drums) and Willie B ( baritone guitar). The group released its debut album ''Wake Up the Snakes'' in 2010. Willie B plays drums and bass pedals on Dowd's ''Do the Gargon'' released in 2013. Dowd's solo album ''That's Your Wife On The Back Of My Horse'' was released in 2015 and featured on several tracks the singer/songwriter Anna Coogan from Ithaca. She is also a guest vocalist on Dowd's next album, 2016's ''Execute American Folklore''. The album contains fourteen self-written tracks. All instruments on this album are played by Dowd and it showcases his ability to create an electronic sound. On June 5, 2018, Dowd announced on his website that he is working on yet another new album, after the release of ''Twinkle Twinkle'' in January of the same year. According to Dowd, the record sounds like "a grungy garage rock thing, circa 1965." Kim Sherwood-Caso will, again, provide vocals on the album. On August 14, 2018, he wrote on his website that the new album will be released on March 1, 2019, titled ''Family Picnic''. ''Twinkle Twinkle'' contained jazz and blues covers as well as new versions of traditionals. There is also one new self-penned song on the album. All (electronic) instruments on the album are played by Dowd with guest vocals by Anna Coogan and Michael Edmondson. All fourteen tracks on ''Family Picnic'' were written by Dowd; he also played guitar and keyboards on the album. Kim Sherwood-Caso provides backup vocals with Michael Edmondson. Edmondson also played guitar and xylorimba. The album was well received by critics. In November 2019, he released ''Live at GrassRoots 2006'', recorded in

Trumansburg, New York Trumansburg is a village in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 1,797 at the 2010 census. The name incorporates a misspelling of the surname of the founder, Abner Treman. The Tremans spelled their surname several different ...

in July 2006. The set featured songs that would later turn up on his ''Wake Up the Snakes'' album and the Hellwood album ''Chainsaw of Life''. On March 18, 2021, Dowd announced on his website that he is working on material for a new album, titled ''Homemade Pie''. The album was released in January 2022. On ''Homemade Pie'', Dowd again collaborated with vocalist Kim Sherwood Caso, Willie B. on drums and Mike Edmondson on guitar and keyboard. Dowd himself was the main vocalist on the album and also played guitar and keyboard. He also wrote the lyrics and the music. The album received generally positive reviews. In September 2021, Dowd contributed the track "Farm Boy" on the album, ''The Wanderer - A Tribute to Jackie Leven''. He also recorded a track with Sarah Corina, "Kiss The Sky", in December 2021. In 2009, Dowd was a judge for the eighth annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

Discography

Studio albums

*''Wrong Side of Memphis'' (Checkered Past - USA, Koch Records - USA, Munich Records - Europe) 1997, 1998 and 1998 respectively *''Pictures from Life's Other Side'' (Koch Records - USA, Munich Records - Europe) 1999 *''Down in the Valley'' (self-released) 2000 *''Temporary Shelter'' (Munich Records - Europe, Koch Records - USA) 2000, 2001 respectively *''The Pawnbroker's Wife'' (Munich Records - Europe, Catamount - USA) 2002 *''Wire Flowers: More Songs from the Wrong Side of Memphis'' (Munich Records - Europe) 2003 *'' Cemetery Shoes'' (Munich Records - Europe, Bongo Beat Records - USA) 2004 *''Cruel Words'' (Bongo Beat Records - USA, Munich Records - Europe) 2006 *''A Drunkard's Masterpiece'' (Munich Records - Europe, Bongo Beat Records - USA) Spring 2008 *''Wake Up the Snakes'' (Munich Records) Spring 2010 *''More or Less'' -Poetry/Music- (Zylaxi Records) Spring 2010 *''No Regrets'' (Mother Jinx Records) Spring 2012 *''Do the Gargon'' (Mother Jinx Records) Summer 2013 *''That's Your Wife on the Back of My Horse'' (Mother Jinx Records) March 2015 *''Execute American Folklore'' (Mother Jinx Records) September 2016 *''Twinkle, Twinkle'' (Mother Jinx Records) January 2018 *''Family Picnic'' (Mother Jinx Records) March 2019 *''Homemade Pie'' (Mother Jinx Records) January 2022

Collaborations

*''Hellwood - Chainsaw of Life'' With Jim White and Willie B (Brian Wilson) (Munich, 2006) *''Kiss The Sky'' With Sarah Corina (One track on SoundCloud, 2021)

Live albums

*''Johnny Dowd Live'' (self-released) 2001 *''Live at the Night & Day Cafe, Manchester, UK'' (self-released) 2005 *''Johnny Dowd Live at Schuba's 2000'' (digital released) 2008 *''Ratten Spiegel'' (self-released) 2009 *''Live in Morgantown'' (Mother Jinx Records) December 2014 *''Live at Grassroots 2006'' (self-released) 2019

45s/EPs

*''Hell or High Water/Divorce, American Style'' (Nicole, 1999) *''Mother Love/Daddy's Girl'' (Sub Pop, 2001) *''Lower Manhattan/Bozo'' (Angry Mom Records, 2012) *''Xmas'' (Mother Jinx Records, 2021)

Exclusive tracks and guest appearances

*''Various - The UNSOUND(tm) Series Volume 2: Guitars!'' (To M'Lou Music, 1999) *''Various - Awesome No. 1 (a Munich compilation)'' (Munich, 2001) *''Various - Gimme Shelter 17 Amazing covers of classic songs by

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

'' (

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

2002) *''The Pine Valley Cosmonauts - The executioners last songs Vol. 1'' (Bloodshot records, 2002) *''Various - Hope isn't a Word (Comes with a Smile Vol. 11)'' (Comes with a smile, 2004) *'' Jim White Presents music from Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus'' (

Luaka Bop Luaka Bop is a New York–based record label founded by musician David Byrne, former lead singer and guitarist for the art rock– new wave band Talking Heads. What began with Byrne making cassettes of his favorite Tropicália tracks for his fri ...

, 2005) *''Chicken Legs Weaver - Nowhere'' (as producer) (Riverside records, 2006) *''Mark Lotterman - Pain & Entertainment'' (The house of music, 2007) *''Various - There's A Hole In Heaven Where Some Sin Slips Through:

Townes van Zandt John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter.

tribute'' (Glitterhouse records, 2007) *''

Jackie Leven Jackie Leven (18 June 1950 – 14 November 2011) was a Scottish songwriter and folk musician. After starting his career as a folk musician in the late 1960s, he first found success with new wave band Doll by Doll. He later recorded as a solo ...

- Oh What A Blow That Phantom Dealt Me!'' (Cooking Vinyl, 2007) *''

- Lovers at the Gun Club'' (Cooking Vinyl, 2008) *''Beukorkest - Der Kleine Hausmeister'' (Munich, 2008) *''Soundtrack The Devil's Muse'' collaboration with David J Soundtrack included on Deluxe 2-Disc DVD Set (Halo 8, 2008) *'' Love and Rockets tribute album, "New Tales to Tell"'' track 2-05 (digital release only) Bound for Hell (with Billy Coté) (Justice Records, October 2009) *''The

Jeffrey Lee Pierce Jeffrey Lee Pierce (June 27, 1958 – March 31, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and author. He was one of the founding members of the band The Gun Club, and released material as a solo artist. Biography Early life Pierce ...

Sessions Project - We Are Only Riders '' (Glitterhouse Records, 2009) *'' Anna Coogan &

JD Foster JD Foster is an American record producer, bassist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and songwriter. He is known for working with country and Americana performers including Dwight Yoakam and Patty Griffin. Producer, performer and recording art ...

- Birth of the Stars'' (Elevate, 2015) *''The Wanderer - A Tribute to Jackie Leven'' - track ''Farm Boy'' (Cooking Vinyl, 2021)

Also appears on

*''Uncut February 2001'' Track 7; Big Wave (UNCUT UG-26 32)(

, 2001) *''Balling The Jack (The Birth Of The Nu-Blues)'' Track 19; Picture From Life's Other Side (Ocho, 2002) *''Total Lee! (

Lee Hazlewood Barton Lee Hazlewood (July 9, 1929 – August 4, 2007) was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960 ...

tribute)'' Track 5; Sleep in the Grass (City Slang Recordings, 2002)

DVDs

*''Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus'' (2003),

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...