John Lyon (born December 4, 1948), better known by his stage name Southside Johnny, is an American singer-songwriter who usually fronts his band

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes are an American musical group from the Jersey Shore led by Southside Johnny. They have been recording albums since 1976 and are closely associated with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. They have recor ...

. Southside Johnny has long been considered the Grandfather of "the

New Jersey Sound The New Jersey sound or Jersey sound is a genre of house music originating in Newark, New Jersey during the early 1980s. It is a type of deep and garage house with an emphasis on soulful vocals influenced by Newark's gospel legacy. History ...

." Jon Bon Jovi has acknowledged Southside Johnny as his "reason for singing."

Biography

Early days

John Lyon was born in Neptune,

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 Delaware ...

, and grew up in

Ocean Grove, New Jersey Ocean Grove is a unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Neptune Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.Neptune High School with

Garry Tallent Garry Wayne Tallent (born October 27, 1949), sometimes billed as Garry W. Tallent, is an American musician and record producer, best known for being bass player and founding member of the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band si ...

and Vini Lopez, who both would go on to play with him in the future.

1975–1980

Southside Johnny first achieved prominence in the mid-1970s as the second act to emerge from the Jersey Shore music scene and be considered part of the

Jersey Shore sound The Jersey Shore sound is a genre of rock and roll popularized at the Jersey Shore on the Atlantic Ocean coast of New Jersey, United States. The Jersey Shore sound evolved from the mixing of pre-Beatles rock and roll, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, ...

, following Bruce Springsteen. Southside Johnny's first three albums, '' I Don't Want to Go Home'' (1976), '' This Time It's for Real'' (1977), and '' Hearts of Stone'' (1978), were

Stax Streaming API for XML (StAX) is an application programming interface ( API) to read and write XML documents, originating from the Java programming language community. Traditionally, XML APIs are either: * DOM based - the entire document is read i ...

-influenced R&B, arranged and produced by the co-founder of the band and Springsteen confederate

Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandoli ...

, and largely featured songs written by Van Zandt and/or Springsteen. The Van Zandt-written "I Don't Want To Go Home" became Southside Johnny's signature song, an evocative mixture of horn-based melodic riffs and sentimental lyrics. Other notable songs included " The Fever", " Talk to Me", "This Time It's For Real", "Love on the Wrong Side of Town", and a cover of Springsteen's "Hearts of Stone". In 1977, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were featured as a bar band in the movie ''Grease''. On August 8, 1979, Southside Johnny and Asbury Jukes performed a homecoming concert in Asbury Park which was the subject of a documentary film directed and produced by

Neal Marshad Neal Marshad (born April 25, 1952) is an American film and television producer, director, cinematographer, advertising executive, internet strategist, and designer. Personal life Marshad was born on April 25, 1952, in Peekskill, New York, the son ...

called ''Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes at the Asbury Park Convention Center''. The film was first shown in January 1980 on Warner Cable's

QUBE QUBE was an experimental two-way, multi-programmed cable television system that played a significant role in the history of American interactive television. It was launched in Columbus, Ohio, on December 1, 1977. Highly publicized as a revolutio ...

in Columbus, Ohio.

1980–1990

In 1979, the band was dropped by its record company. Now working without Van Zandt, they released ''The Jukes'' in 1979 and ''Love is a Sacrifice'' in 1980. Neither of these achieved much success. The band's first official live release also came out in 1980, the double live album ''

Reach Up and Touch the Sky ''Reach Up and Touch the Sky'', sometimes called ''Reach Out and Touch the Sky'', is a 1981 double live album by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. Released on Mercury Records in 1981 to satisfy the contract of the band, which had recently broke ...

''. In 1981, Southside Johnny and Asbury Jukes appeared on the Canadian sketch comedy television show SCTV, featured as a "wedding band". Johnny and the band played three full songs, including "The Fever", and performed many truncated versions of their other tunes. Johnny acted in one sketch, and the entire band was featured as a plot point in another. In 1982 ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' voted the album '' Hearts of Stone'' among the top 100 albums of the 1970s and 1980s. In 1983, Southside Johnny served as a technical advisor on the film ''

Eddie and the Cruisers ''Eddie and the Cruisers'' is a 1983 American musical drama film directed by Martin Davidson with the screenplay written by the director and Arlene Davidson, based on the novel by P. F. Kluge. The sequel '' Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! ...

''. During the 1980s Southside Johnny's recording contracts continued to change almost by album, but he continued to release records: ''Trash It Up'' (1983), a

Latin freestyle Freestyle music, also called Latin freestyle or Latin hip-hop ''( sic)'' is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the New York metropolitan area and Philadelphia, primarily among Hispanic Americans and Italian Americans in the 1980s. ...

-influenced album written by Billy Rush and produced by Nile Rodgers; ''In the Heat'' (1984) an album trying to reach out to "Adult Contemporary" radio; and ''At Least We Got Shoes'' (1986) where guitarist and Jersey shore fixture Bobby Bandiera took over songwriting and guitar work from Billy Rush and led the Asbury Jukes back to their original sound. Songwriting credits on ''At Least We Got Shoes'' also contain a song co-written by Bandiera and singer Patti Scialfa, who was known as a Jukes collaborator since the 1980 album ''Love is a Sacrifice'' and who became a member of Bruce Springsteen's

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...

in 1984. In 1985, Southside Johnny contributed the title track to the film ''

Tuff Turf ''Tuff Turf'' is a 1985 American drama film directed by Fritz Kiersch and starring James Spader and Kim Richards. The film was released in the United States on January 11, 1985. Plot Morgan Hiller (Spader) is an intelligent but bullied teenage ...

''. In 1986, Southside contributed the track "Let Me at 'Em" to the soundtrack for the film '' Karate Kid II''. In 1987, Southside Johnny and the Jukes were featured in the film ''

Adventures in Babysitting ''Adventures in Babysitting'' (also known as ''A Night on the Town'' in certain countries) is a 1987 American teen comedy film written by David Simkins and directed by Chris Columbus in his directorial debut. It stars Elisabeth Shue, Keith Coo ...

'' performing at a college frat party. They performed the songs "Future in Your Eyes" and "Expressway to Your Heart". In 1988, Southside Johnny released his first solo record ''

Slow Dance A slow dance is a type of partner dance in which a couple dance slowly. Slow Dance or Slow Dancing may also refer to: Albums * ''Slow Dance'' (Anthony Phillips album), 1990 * ''Slow Dance'' (Jeremy Jay album), 2009 * Slow Dance (Southside John ...

'' containing ballads and love songs like "On the Air", but also "Little Calcutta", a rare political song, describing the life of the homeless in New York City.

1990s

In the early 1990s, Johnny lived in Southern California in the beachside city of

San Clemente San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement") is a city in Orange County, California. Located in the Orange Coast region of the South Coast of California, San Clemente's population was 64,293 in at the 2020 census. Situated roughly midway between ...

In 1990, Southside Johnny contributed the songs "Memories of You" and "Written in the Wind" to the film '' Captain America''. Additionally, he performed the song "Please Come Home for Christmas" for the 1990 film ''

Home Alone ''Home Alone'' is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes. The first film in the ''Home Alone'' franchise, the film stars Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Hea ...

''. His recording career was re-launched with the album '' Better Days'' (1991), which featured production by Van Zandt, songs by Springsteen, and vocal performances from Van Zandt, Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. With Bobby Bandiera driving the band, the Jukes were gaining new energy for a worldwide tour supporting the album. But once again, Southside Johnny's bad luck with the industry was shown when the record label went bankrupt while the tour was still rolling. Southside Johnny performed the theme song for the 1990s television sitcom ''

Dave's World ''Dave's World'' is an American sitcom television series, created by Fred Barron, that aired on CBS from September 20, 1993, to June 20, 1997. The series is based on the writing of ''Miami Herald'' columnist Dave Barry. Plot The show focuses on ...

'', a cover of Billy Joel's " You May Be Right." In 1992, Johnny contributed the song "Shake 'Em Down" to the film '' The Mighty Ducks''. Southside Johnny eventually relocated to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, taking a break from the music business. A few members of the Asbury Jukes would end up being part of The Max Weinberg 7 on the ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

'' television show, while some others went on tour and into the recording studio with artists such as Jon Bon Jovi,

Mink DeVille Mink DeVille was a rock band founded in 1974, known for its association with early punk rock bands at New York's CBGB nightclub and for being a showcase for the music of Willy DeVille. The band recorded six albums in the years 1977 to 1985, afte ...

Graham Parker Graham Thomas Parker (born 18 November 1950) is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the British band Graham Parker & the Rumour. Life and career Early career (1960s–1976) Parker was born in Hackney, East L ...

, and

Robert Cray Robert William Cray (born August 1, 1953) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He has led his own band and won five Grammy Awards. Early life Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, while his father was statione ...

. In 1998, Johnny came back into the spotlight with an independent release titled ''Spittin' Fire'', a live record with a semi-acoustic Jukes lineup released in France containing a 20-song set recorded during a series of 10 shows at the Chesterfield Café in Paris, France.

2000s

Since 2001 Southside Johnny and the Jukes have toured the UK and Europe as an annual event, their first since the 1992 Better Days tour, although Southside and Bobby Bandiera did some acoustic shows in 1995. After a decade without a record contract Johnny finally founded his own record label in 2001 under the name of Leroy Records, and started releasing and distributing his new records fully under his own control: ''Messin' with the Blues'' (2000), ''Going to Jukesville'' (2002), ''Missing Pieces'' (2004), ''Into the Harbour'' (2005). Southside Johnny continued to perform, and maintains substantial audience followings as 2002's ''Live At The Opera House'' DVD, filmed at a sold-out performance in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

, demonstrated. In 2007, Southside Johnny appeared in an episode of ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...

'' TV show entitled " Chasing It", where he performed the song "Bossman" with

Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatr ...

. In 2008, Southside Johnny collaborated with long-time Asbury Jukes trombone player Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg, for a break from the classic Asbury Jukes sound to classic Big-Band Jazz. Together with a 20-piece big band they recorded a cover album of songs written by Tom Waits, arranged and conducted by Rosenberg. As of 2009, Southside Johnny lives again in his original hometown Ocean Grove. In June 2010 The Jukes' album ''Pills and Ammo'' was released and received the most critical acclaim since ''Better Days''. The songs were primarily written by Southside Johnny and Jukes keyboard player Jeff Kazee. On September 24, 2010, Southside Johnny and the Jukes kicked off an international tour with a free performance at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes continue to be a fixture on the U.S. Northeast music scene including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Maryland, as well as throughout the UK and Europe. On July 2, 2011, Southside Johnny and the Jukes recorded a live performance of Stevie Van Zandt's '' Men Without Women'' album at the Stone Pony in New Jersey for release on CD. The material on ''Men Without Women'' was composed almost entirely of unused material originally recorded by Southside Johnny during the ''Hearts of Stone'' sessions, later re-recorded by Van Zandt as his first solo album. In October 2011, with his band The Poor Fools, he recorded a version of "

I'm Down "I'm Down" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on a non-album single as the B-side to "Help!" in July 1965. The song originated in McCartney's attempt ...

" for '' The Beatles Complete on Ukulele''. In January 2013, he released a CD called ''Songs from the Barn'' with his side project, The Poor Fools. On May 4, 2014, Southside Johnny headlined at the

Hoboken Arts and Music Festival Started in the fall of 1994, the Hoboken Spring & Fall Arts and Music Festival has presented annual artist and musical performances in Hoboken, New Jersey. The event takes place on Washington St. from Observer Highway to 7th St. In the first years, ...

with 300 artists and 30 musicians in Hoboken, New Jersey. Southside Johnny and the Jukes most recent album, called ''Soultime!'', was released in September 2015. In 2017, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes appeared as themselves in the "Sic Transit Imperium" episode of the Showtime TV series '' Billions'', performing "I Don't Want to Go Home" and "Looking for a Good Time." On July 11, 2020, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes played the first major concert in New Jersey during the pandemic, playing a Drive-In Concert at Monmouth Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. More than 1,000 vehicles attended, with patrons staying in their cars for the performance. In lieu of clapping, horns were honked in a show of appreciation of the music.

Discography

Source * Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes ** '' I Don't Want to Go Home'' (1976) ** ''Live at the Bottom Line'' (1976) ** '' This Time It's for Real'' (1977) ** '' Hearts of Stone'' (1978) ** ''The Jukes'' (1979) ** ''Havin’ a Party With Southside Johnny (1979) ** ''Love Is a Sacrifice'' (1980) ** '' Live: Reach Up and Touch the Sky'' (1981) ** ''Trash It Up'' (1983) ** '' Better Days'' (1991) ** ''Ruff Stuff (EP)'' (1995) ** ''Live at the Paradise Theater'' (2000) ** ''Messin' With the Blues'' (2000) ** ''More Ruff Stuff (EP)'' (2000) ** ''Going to Jukesville'' (2002) ** ''Found in a Closet (EP)'' (2003) ** ''Missing Pieces'' (2004) ** ''Into the Harbour'' (2005) ** ''Jukebox'' (2007) ** ''Ruff Stuff 3 (EP)'' (2008) ** ''From Southside to Tyneside'' (2008) ** ''1978: Live in Boston'' (2008) ** ''Hearts of Stone LIVE'' (2009) ** ''Pills and Ammo'' (2010) ** ''Acoustic Ammo (EP)'' (2011) ** ''Men Without Women LIVE'' (2012) ** ''Soultime!'' (2015) * Southside Johnny & the Jukes ** ''Trash It Up!'' (1983) ** ''In the Heat'' (1984) ** ''At Least We Got Shoes'' (1986) * Southside Johnny ** ''

'' (1988) ** ''Spittin' Fire'' (1997) (live) * Southside Johnny with La Bamba's Big Band ** ''Grapefruit Moon: The Songs of Tom Waits'' (2008) * Southside Johnny & the Poor Fools ** ''Songs from the Barn'' (2013) *Selected others **Jersey Artists for Mankind: "We Got the Love" / "Save Love, Save Life" (1986) **Soundtrack: ''

'' (1990) **Killer Joe: ''Scene of the Crime'' (1991) **Rusty Cloud: ''Walkin' the Night'' (1994) **Rattlesnake Guitar, The Music of Peter Green: ''Baby When the Sun Goes Down'' (1997) ** Gary U.S. Bonds: ''Back in 20'' (2004) ** '' Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes - Live In England

References

External links

SouthsideJohnny.com – Official website

AsburyJukes.net – Fan website

Southside Johnny Imeem Fan Group website

''Concert at Asbury Park Convention Hall''
on

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southside Johnny 1948 births Living people American male singers American rock singers Jersey Shore musicians Singer-songwriters from New Jersey People from Neptune Township, New Jersey Neptune High School alumni Atco Records artists Columbia Records artists Mercury Records artists Mirage Records artists American blues singers American soul singers American blues harmonica players American harmonica players