John Popper (born March 29, 1967) is an American musician and songwriter, known as the co-founder, lead vocalist, and frontman of the rock band
Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler (formerly known as "The Establishment" or "The Black Cat Jam" or "The Establishment Blues Band") is an American rock band that formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. They are known for extensive use of segues in live performan ...
.
Early life
John Popper was born in
Chardon, Ohio. His father was a Hungarian immigrant who left
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
in 1948. Through him, Popper is related to
David Popper, a 19th-century European cellist whose many solo works for the cello are staples of the instrument's repertoire. Popper's mother and brother are lawyers.
Popper was raised in
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford () is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, outside of Manhattan. It is Connecticut's second-most populous city, behind Bridgeport. With a population of 135,470, Stamford passed Hartford and New Haven in population as of the 202 ...
, New York, and
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
. He attended
Davenport Ridge School,
Stamford Catholic High School (now Trinity Catholic High School), and
Princeton High School Princeton High School may refer to:
*Princeton High School (Illinois), Princeton, Illinois
*Princeton Community High School, Princeton, Indiana
*Princeton High School (Minnesota), Princeton, Minnesota
*Princeton Junior-Senior High School, Princeton ...
, from which he graduated in 1986. He took lessons on the piano, the cello, and the guitar, but none of those instruments appealed to him, and he hated being forced to practice.
[ ]
He originally wanted to become a comedian, finding he could use humor to make friends and avoid bullies,
but when he and a friend performed a routine as
the Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respecti ...
, he found that he enjoyed musical performance. From there, he took up the harmonica. Popper played trumpet in the Princeton High School Studio Jazz Band and convinced the teacher to let him play harmonica instead, after an in-class solo on the song "
She Blinded Me with Science."
[Ragogna, Mike (March 1, 2011)]
"The Patagonia Music Collective Launches – Plus a Conversation With John Popper"
Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
. Accessed July 2013.
He formed several garage bands with friends in
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of w ...
, one of which evolved into Blues Traveler in 1987. After graduating from high school, the group's members all moved to New York City, where Popper enrolled in
the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, along with two of his bandmates as well as high school friend
Chris Barron. Popper attended for three years but devoted himself to the band full-time once they signed a record contract, in 1990.
Career
Blues Traveler
Popper is a founding member of Blues Traveler, serving as the band's frontman with lead vocals and harmonica. For some songs, he forgoes the harmonica in favor of guitar, most often a
12-string acoustic. In addition, Popper has played the
tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is a type of fipple flute, putting it in the same class as the recorder, Native American flute, and other woodwind instruments that meet such criteria ...
on some recordings.
A prolific songwriter, he has composed the majority of the lyrics and music of Blues Traveler's songs.
The band grew a following with its extensive touring, sometimes with over 300 dates a year, and gained a reputation in the
jam band
A jam band is a musical group whose concerts (and live albums) are characterized by lengthy improvisational " jams." These include extended musical improvisation over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns, and long sets of music which often ...
scene of the 1990s. Blues Traveler crossed over into mainstream pop/rock radio success with their 1994 album, ''
four
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest ...
'', which garnered the group extensive media exposure. The
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1980 and 2011.
The award was discontinued after the 2011 award season in a major overhaul of Grammy categories. Beginning in 2012, all solo or duo/group ...
in 1996 was awarded to "
Run-Around", a song that Popper composed. In 2021, Blues Traveler's album "Traveler's Blues" was nominated by
the Recording Academy
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy A ...
for "Best Traditional Blues Album" for the 2022
GRAMMY Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
.
Solo work
In 1990, Popper began to perform occasional solo concerts in addition to touring with Blues Traveler. Several songs that originated as Popper's solo pieces have become part of Blues Traveler's repertoire, and vice versa.
Bolstered by Blues Traveler's mainstream success, Popper released a solo album, ''
Zygote
A zygote (, ) is a eukaryotic cell formed by a fertilization event between two gametes. The zygote's genome is a combination of the DNA in each gamete, and contains all of the genetic information of a new individual organism.
In multicell ...
'', in 1999, and toured in support of it with his own John Popper Band. The album was produced by
Terry Manning
Terry Manning is an American photographer, composer, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, audio engineer, and visual artist. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he has worked with Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Bryan Adams, ...
, and the backing band consisted of longtime friends
Dave Ares,
Crugie Riccio, and
Rob Clores
Rob Clores is an American, New York-based keyboard player and composer who has toured and recorded with Jesse Malin, The Black Crowes, Tom Jones,
Men at Work frontman Colin Hay, Marius Muller Westernhagen, Enrique Iglesias, Blues Traveler f ...
of Cycomotogoat, with drummer
Carter Beauford of
Dave Matthews Band. The album's release came less than three months after Popper's heart surgery, and only days after the death of
Bobby Sheehan, Popper's bandmate and best friend. The subsequent tour was canceled midway due to poor ticket sales, and Popper instead took the time to focus on his health.
Popper has co-written songs with
Trey Anastasio,
Warren Haynes,
Chris Barron, and
Jonny Lang. He also frequently appears as a guest performer with musicians both famous and obscure, from a diverse variety of genres. He has performed with, among others, jam bands
Spin Doctors
Spin Doctors are an American alternative rock band from New York City, best known for their early 1990s hits "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at No. 7 and N ...
,
Dave Matthews Band,
Phish
Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike G ...
, and most recently,
the Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (founder, slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Dickey Betts (lead guita ...
in 2009; bluesmen
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...
and
B.B. King; singer-songwriters
Jason Mraz and
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 wit ...
; saxophonist
Karl Denson; San Francisco's Culann's Hounds; heavy metal band
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
; rock trio ZO2, and even with the Hungarian Ambassador to the United States,
András Simonyi. He sat in with
the Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Ch ...
on the second day of their acoustic 1997
Bridge School Benefit
The Bridge School Benefit was an annual charity concert usually held in Mountain View, California, every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre from 1986 until 2016 with the exception of 1987. The concerts lasted the entire weekend and were orga ...
appearance, contributing harmonica for their song "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans"; Popper's solo garnered major applause from the audience. He also performed with
the Grateful Dead at a tribute to Bill Graham in 1991. Popper played the harmonica on
Hanson
Hanson or Hansson may refer to:
People
* Hanson (surname)
* Hansson (surname)
* Hanson (wrestler), ringname of an American professional wrestler
Musical groups
* Hanson (band), an American pop rock band
* Hanson (UK band), an English rock ...
's album ''
This Time Around'' in 2000, for which he performed on "
If Only" and "In the City." He also composed, wrote, and performed the theme song for the ninth season of the sitcom ''
Roseanne
''Roseanne'' is an American sitcom television series created by Matt Williams and Roseanne Barr which aired on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May 22, 2018. The show stars Barr as Rosea ...
''.
In 2017 and 2018, Popper began to play solo acoustic performances across the United States. He is often accompanied by
Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler (formerly known as "The Establishment" or "The Black Cat Jam" or "The Establishment Blues Band") is an American rock band that formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. They are known for extensive use of segues in live performan ...
keyboardist
Ben Wilson and performs songs that span both Blues Traveler and his solo catalog.
Side projects
In 1992, Popper conceived the
HORDE Festival as a venue to gain exposure for up-and-coming independent musicians. It ran until 1998.
Popper was a part of a one-time studio band brought together in 1997 by New York drummer/songwriter Solomon Deniro. Other players included
Trey Gunn,
Bernie Worrell,
Marc Ribot, and
Vernon Reid. The group's only recordings were released as the album ''Gimme Gimme'', under the name the Devotees. The same recording was re-released by Deniro in 2001, under the title ''Solomon''.
Popper took over in 1998 as frontman of jam-band
supergroup Frogwings
Frogwings was an American jam band supergroup founded by Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks. Despite the fact that they were popular on the jam band circuit and at festivals, the group released only one album.
Background
In mid-1997, durin ...
, which then released the live album ''
Croakin' at Toad's''.
Popper later formed a rock/
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
/
hip hop fusion group called
the John Popper Project with
DJ Logic, which released an album in 2006 and performs occasionally. He also performs on the 2008 album ''Jason Miles: Global Noize: A Prayer for the Planet.''
Popper's latest side project is John Popper & the Duskray Troubadours, which plays Americana
roots music.
The group's self-titled debut from 429 Records was released in March 2011 and was produced by band member Jono Manson, who co-wrote much of the material. The first single, "Something Sweet", written by Manson and Bruce Donnola, was released February 7, 2011, on iTunes. Mason and Popper conceived the project after Popper says he was "running out of ideas" for Blues Traveler before they took a short break.
Acting and media appearances
Popper is known for singing the song "But Anyway" in the Farrelly Brothers comedy ''
Kingpin'', starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, and Vanessa Angel.
He had a speaking guest role in an episode of the sitcom ''
Roseanne
''Roseanne'' is an American sitcom television series created by Matt Williams and Roseanne Barr which aired on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May 22, 2018. The show stars Barr as Rosea ...
'' as a musician similar to himself. He appeared on episode 30 of ''
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' is an American adult animated comedy talk show created by Mike Lazzo for Cartoon Network and hosted by a re-imagined version of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. In contrast to the original ...
'' as a musical guest as well as featuring as a guest on the IFC television comedy series ''
Z Rock''. On the show, he plays himself and befriends the band, ZO2, helping them get a record deal. He also performed the
Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bo ...
prior to game 4 of the
1996 World Series
The 1996 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1996 season. The 92nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion (and defending World Series champio ...
.
Popper has provided narration for art projects produced by his friends, including ''Das Clown'', an award-winning short film in
slideshow
A slide show (slideshow) is a presentation of a series of still images ( slides) on a projection screen or electronic display device, typically in a prearranged sequence. The changes may be automatic and at regular intervals or they may be manu ...
style that was screened at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...
.
He served as host of the third annual
Jammy awards
The Jammy Award (also known as the Jammys) is an awards show for bands typically referred to as jam bands and other artists associated with live, improvisational music, created by Dean Budnick and Peter Shapiro. The Jammys are sponsored by Rel ...
in 2002.
He has been a recurring guest on
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, '' The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terr ...
's and
Bill Maher
William Maher (; born January 20, 1956) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is known for the HBO political talk show '' Real Time with Bill Maher'' (2003–present) and the similar ...
's shows and sat in with
the CBS Orchestra
Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band is an American musical ensemble led by Paul Shaffer. It was David Letterman's house band for 33 years.
The band formed in 1982 to serve as house band for NBC's ''Late Night with David Letterman' ...
on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production ...
'' on occasion. In 2009, he sat in with
the Roots
The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...
on an episode of ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon.[ About pag ...](_blank)
''. Popper performed "Something Sweet" with the Duskray Troubadours on the TBS show ''Lopez Tonight'' on March 1, 2011. He also sat in with the house band for the closing number of the show.
In 2016, Popper, along with the rest of Blues Traveler, made a cameo appearance in ''
The Meddler
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
''.
In 2018, Popper appeared in the "Fully Vested" episode of ''
Pawn Stars''.
Personal life
Since the success of Blues Traveler, Popper has lived in various locations, including rural
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
and
. On November 23, 2015, Popper and his then-wife Jordan Auleb had their first child, a daughter; the couple divorced in 2018.
In October 1992, Popper was involved in a traffic collision on a motorcycle while traveling to a studio to record for Blues Traveler's
third album. The crash put him in a wheelchair for several months, but Popper continued touring with the band performing in a wheelchair.
In 1999, he suffered a near-fatal heart attack brought on by years of
compulsive overeating
A food or eating addiction is any behavioral addiction that is primarily characterized by the compulsive consumption of palatable (e.g., high fat and high sugar) food items which markedly activate the reward system in humans and other anim ...
(he had been diagnosed with
diabetes
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...
a few years earlier). Doctors at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over ...
performed an emergency
angioplasty
Angioplasty, is also known as balloon angioplasty and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), is a minimally invasive endovascular procedure used to widen narrowed or obstructed arteries or veins, typically to treat arterial atheroscle ...
, which saved Popper's life; he had 95%
arterial blockage. Popper later underwent
gastric bypass surgery and lost a significant amount of weight.
Popper has a tattoo across his chest that says "I WANT TO BE BRAVE", written backwards.
[''The Howard Stern Show''. September 19, 2005]
In August 2016, he announced a pending surgical procedure to repair collapsed vertebrae in his neck, necessitating the postponement and cancellation of some Blues Traveler shows.
Weapons collecting
Popper is an avid collector of weaponry, including
firearms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
,
sword
A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...
s, and a working $10,000
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
cannon
A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
. He cites a fascination with their
aesthetic
Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...
of being "life-savingly efficient" machines.
Popper is a supporter of
Second Amendment
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds each ...
rights and once appeared on an
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
-sponsored roundtable discussion on
gun control
Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians.
Most countries have a restrictive firearm guiding policy, with onl ...
, which included panelists from the
Law Enforcement Alliance of America and
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
's
John F. Kennedy School of Government. He carries weapons in any state where it is allowed, even when onstage. On his 2003 ''
Daily Show'' appearance, he stated that he decided to move away from New Jersey because of the state's tight
gun laws. He said that his
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...
property had on which he built a private
gun range.
Politics
Popper endorsed
George W. Bush in the
2004 U.S. presidential election
The 2004 United States presidential election was the 55th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. The Republican ticket of incumbent President George W. Bush and his running mate incumbent Vice President Dick Che ...
. In November 2008, Popper said, regarding
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, "this is the first time I've voted for a Democrat, ever." Popper was a supporter of
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as we ...
during the
2012 U.S. presidential election
The 2012 United States presidential election was the 57th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, incumbent Vice President Joe Biden, were re-el ...
, even participating in phone-banking at Ron Paul's New Hampshire campaign headquarters. He also played a short set during Ron Paul's "We are the Future Rally", an alternative convention for Paul supporters that was held in Tampa the day before the 2012 Republican National Convention.
Popper (with and without Blues Traveler) has played at conventions, fundraisers, and ceremonies for both Republican and Democratic politicians.
Popper has said, "I was a bleeding-heart
liberal, until I got a job,"
and describes himself as "a libertarian who is a Republican when pushed".
The singer summed up his political position by saying, "I believe in freedom for markets and freedom for individuals, so I guess that makes me a
libertarian."
Popper has toured with the
USO, both with Blues Traveler and solo.
In the mid-2000s, he toured the Middle East, performing with the Band of the Air Force Reserve and
Jamie O'Neal
Jamie O'Neal (born 3 June 1968) is an Australian country singer and songwriter.
In 2000, O'Neal released her first studio album, ''Shiver''. The album included the back-to-back number one singles " There Is No Arizona" and " When I Think Abou ...
at various military camps.
He has appeared with
Rock the Vote and recorded "The Preamble" for the ''Schoolhouse Rocks the Vote!'' album.
Most recently, Popper performed the Blues Traveler hits "Run-Around" and "Hook", as well as a rendition of "
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the ...
", alongside Greensky Bluegrass for
Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 20 ...
' "A Future to Believe In" rally at Safeco Field in Seattle on March 25, 2016.
Religion
Popper was raised
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, and for a time attended Stamford Catholic High School in Connecticut. However, he does not actively practice in his adult life. He has described himself as a "
recovering Catholic". He wrote the song "Trina Magna" as an exploration of his religious views. He also has Jewish ancestry through David Popper.
Legal trouble
In 2003, Popper was arrested for possession of
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various t ...
. He was arrested again on March 6, 2007, near
Ritzville, Washington, by the Washington State Patrol. He was the passenger in his own vehicle, which was stopped for speeding, and was found to be in the possession of a small amount of marijuana and weapons. Popper was released the same night. The vehicle had a stash of hidden compartments, which contained four rifles, nine handguns, a
switchblade
A switchblade (aka switch knife, automatic knife, pushbutton knife, ejector knife, flick knife, Stiletto, flick blade, or spring knife (Sprenger,Benson, Ragnar (1989). ''Switchblade: The Ace of Blades''. Paladin Press. pp. 1–14. . The sw ...
knife, a
Taser
A taser is an electroshock weapon used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus safe manner. It is sold by Axon, formerly TASER International. It fires two small barbed darts intended t ...
, a set of brass knuckles, and
night vision goggles
A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The dev ...
. The vehicle was temporarily seized.
No charges were filed for the weapons, as they were all registered and securely locked away, and Popper was licensed to carry them, with the exception of the
brass knuckles and switchblade knife, which he agreed to surrender. A deal was reached that allowed the marijuana charge to be dropped if Popper remained free of further drug infractions for one year and attended eight hours of drug counseling. Popper and the driver had been driving back to Washington from
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, and Popper likes to visit gun ranges during long trips.
Online controversy
Popper is also known as an avid Twitter user and has caused some controversy on the platform.
He also has
publicly posted the home address and information of a particular Twitter user
who often made jokes at his expense.
Popper also drew attention for arguing with a
bot named "assbott", which had become well-known during the 2016 presidential campaign of
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
;
it was the co-creator of this bot that Popper
doxed in July 2017.
Autobiography
On March 29, 2016,
Da Capo Press
Da Capo Press is an American publishing company with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. It is now an imprint of Hachette Books.
History
Founded in 1964 as a publisher of music books, as a division of Plenum Publishers, it had additional of ...
released Popper's autobiography, ''Suck and Blow: And Other Stories I'm Not Supposed to Tell'', written by Popper with the help of ''
Relix'' co-editor-in-chief
Dean Budnick. In the book, among band exploits and a variety of topics, Popper discusses the group's rebound from the death of bassist
Bobby Sheehan, the creation of the
H.O.R.D.E.
Horizons of Rock Developing Everywhere or H.O.R.D.E. Festival was a touring summer rock music festival originated by the musical group Blues Traveler in 1992. In addition to travelling headliners, the festival gave exposure to bands, charities, a ...
tour, his relationship with
Bill Graham, and his personal battle with being overweight.
Equipment
John Popper has expressed a preference for the
Hohner Special 20 brand blues harp, calling them "the
Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company ...
of harmonicas." Since 2015, he uses mainly his own signature harmonicas, manufactured by Fender.
Popper uses
Shure
Shure Incorporated is an American audio products corporation. It was founded by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, Illinois, in 1925 as a supplier of radio parts kits. The company became a consumer and professional audio-electronics manufacturer of mi ...
microphones and
Mesa Boogie
Mesa/Boogie (also known as Mesa Engineering) is an American company in Petaluma, California, that manufactures amplifiers and other accessories for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969.
Mesa was started by Randall Smith as a ...
amplifiers. He also uses
D'Addario strings.
Trademark equipment
Popper has developed some equipment innovations to accommodate his use of harmonicas during performances. Because each individual
diatonic harmonica is tuned to one particular
key, he fashioned belts with enough pockets to hold harmonicas in all twelve keys (plus extras) and wore them as a
bandolier
A bandolier or a bandoleer is a pocketed belt for holding either individual bullets, or belts of ammunition. It is usually slung sash-style over the shoulder and chest, with the ammunition pockets across the midriff and chest. Though functiona ...
, or slung over his neck. He switches keys multiple times within one song, and this arrangement has allowed him to quickly trade one harmonica for another without looking. In 2002, he stopped using the belts, as they no longer fit him properly due to his weight loss. One such belt later sold for $2,700 on the
History Channel
History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
series ''
Pawn Stars''. He now carries his harmonicas in a small black
attaché case. He uses a special microphone with switches that
change the audio effect of the harmonica as it is played through an
amplifier
An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost t ...
, similar to a guitar
effects pedal. Popper was inspired by Jimi Hendrix's guitar playing to make his instrument sound however he wanted.
He has fashioned a number of floppy-brimmed hats with flattened harmonica cover plates on the band, which he almost always wears during appearances with Blues Traveler.
Discography
Solo
* ''
Zygote
A zygote (, ) is a eukaryotic cell formed by a fertilization event between two gametes. The zygote's genome is a combination of the DNA in each gamete, and contains all of the genetic information of a new individual organism.
In multicell ...
'' (1999)
* ''Go Outside and Drive (The Vestal Version)'' single (1999)
with Blues Traveler
with The Devotees
* ''Gimme Gimme'' (1997)
with
Frogwings
Frogwings was an American jam band supergroup founded by Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks. Despite the fact that they were popular on the jam band circuit and at festivals, the group released only one album.
Background
In mid-1997, durin ...
* ''
Croakin' at Toad's'' (2000)
with The John Popper Project
* ''The John Popper Project with DJ Logic'' (2006)
with The Duskray Troubadours
* ''John Popper & the Duskray Troubadours'' (2011)
* ''Something Sweet'' single (2011)
Featured music appearances
* Solo instrumental track "Harmonica Musings" from the soundtrack of ''
Blues Brothers 2000
''Blues Brothers 2000'' is a 1998 American musical comedy film directed by John Landis from a screenplay written by Landis and Dan Aykroyd, both of whom were also producers. The film, starring Aykroyd and John Goodman, is a sequel to the 1980 fi ...
'' (1998)
* "The Preamble" from ''Schoolhouse Rocks the Vote!'' (1998)
* "Northbound Train" from the
Broadway musical soundtrack of ''
The Civil War: The Complete Work'' (1999)
* Duet with
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...
on "Christmas Blues" from ''
A Very Special Christmas Live'' (1999)
* "Regarding Steven" from the 2000 compilation ''VH1 Storytellers Live'' (2000)
* Duet with
B.B. King on "Back Door Santa" from ''
A Very Special Christmas Vol. 5'' (2001)
* Several tracks from ''Warren Haynes Presents: The Benefit Concert, Volume 2'' (2007)
* Several tracks from ''Warren Haynes Presents: The Benefit Concert, Volume 3'' (2010)
Guest music appearances
Television appearances
* Performed a duet with
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...
on her ''
Treasures'' television special in 1997
* Appeared on a 1996 episode of the ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production ...
'' to surprise
Manny the Hippie with a harmonica duel
* Appeared as a guest on an episode of the
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...
comedy talk show ''
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' is an American adult animated comedy talk show created by Mike Lazzo for Cartoon Network and hosted by a re-imagined version of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. In contrast to the original ...
''
* Had speaking lines on episode #9509 ("Of Mice and Dan") of the sitcom ''
Roseanne
''Roseanne'' is an American sitcom television series created by Matt Williams and Roseanne Barr which aired on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May 22, 2018. The show stars Barr as Rosea ...
'' as Stingray Wilson, a musician similar to Popper himself (Popper later wrote lyrics for the show's bluesy theme song, which was performed by Blues Traveler in the final season of the show).
* An animated clay caricature of Popper fought a match in the
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
series ''
Celebrity Deathmatch'', defeating singer
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Apple has received numerous awards an ...
.
* Appeared on
Penn and Teller Penn may refer to:
Places
England
* Penn, Buckinghamshire
* Penn, West Midlands
United States
* Penn, North Dakota
* Penn, Oregon
* Pennsylvania
** Penn, Pennsylvania
* Penn Lake Park, Pennsylvania
* Penn Township (disambiguation), several mu ...
's ''
Sin City Spectacular
''Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular'' was a weekly American television variety show hosted by Penn and Teller that appeared on the FX Networks from August 10, 1998 - June 30, 1999. The show's aim was to revive the genuine variety shows from t ...
'', playing harmonica during a
card trick performance
* Was a guest on
Comedy Central's ''
The Daily Show
''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form fr ...
'' in 2003, promoting Blues Traveler's album ''
Truth Be Told''
* Was a celebrity coach in the final round of ''
America's Got Talent
''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribu ...
''
* Blues Traveler was a featured band on episode 8 ("Traumatic Party Stress Disorder") of season 1 of the
Hulu TV romantic comedy TV series ''
Selfie
A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a digital camera or smartphone, which may be held in the hand or supported by a selfie stick. Selfies are often shared on social media, via social networking services such ...
''
* Appeared on season 9 of NBC's ''
The Voice'' in 2015, with contestant Braiden Sunshine. Popper was "so honored" Sunshine used the song "Mountains Win Again" to audition with that he let him sing it for the crowd gathered at Las Vegas's Brooklyn Bowl on October 22, 2015.
* In January 2018, Popper appeared on
A&E's ''
Storage Wars
''Storage Wars'' (stylized as ''STORAGE WAR$'') is an American reality television competition series that airs on A&E. It initially aired for 12 seasons, from December 1, 2010, to January 30, 2019. A 13th season premiered in April 2021.
Whe ...
'' (season 11, episode 17).
* In February 2018, he appeared on the
History Channel
History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
's ''
Pawn Stars'' (season 15, episode 20), where he authenticated a vest made for him and gave
Chumlee a harmonica lesson.
Other appearances
* Popper performed with the
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...
at the Laughter, Love and Music
celebration of the life of
Bill Graham in
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...
on November 3, 1991, playing harmonica on the
Willie Dixon
William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...
blues number "
Wang Dang Doodle
"Wang Dang Doodle" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon. Music critic Mike Rowe calls it a party song in an urban style with its massive, rolling, exciting beat. It was first recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1960 and released by Chess Records in 1 ...
".
* Popper has played his
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
-inspired harmonica rendition of "
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the ...
" at
NBA,
NFL, and
MLB games, including the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
(game 4 of the
1996 World Series
The 1996 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1996 season. The 92nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion (and defending World Series champio ...
at
Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, often referred to as Fulton County Stadium and originally named Atlanta Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in the southeastern United States, located in Atlanta. The stadium was home of the Atlanta Braves of th ...
in Atlanta, Georgia).
References
External links
*
John Popper's biographyat BluesTraveler.com (archived)
John Popper collectionat the
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
's live music archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Popper, John
1967 births
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
American harmonica players
American libertarians
American people of Czech descent
American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent
American rock singers
Blues Traveler members
Living people
Grammy Award winners
Musicians from Cleveland
Singers from New Jersey
Rock harmonica players
Interscope Records artists
People from Chardon, Ohio
People from Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton High School (New Jersey) alumni
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American male singers
Rainforest Band members