ABOUT STUDEBAKER JOHN

Studebaker John Grimaldi was born in an 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 referenced the Studebaker Hawk, a car Grimaldi still owns today, and was  also intended as a tribute to his friend, J.B. Hutto and 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, is 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. 

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.  

2008: ‘Waiting on the Sun’ released on Avanti Records

2009: Live DVD released on Avanti Records

2010: Studebaker John’s Maxwell Street Kings released ‘That’s The Way You Do’ on Delmark Records.

2012: ;Old School Rockin’ released on Delmark Records

2013: ‘Kingsville Jukin’ by The Maxwell Street Kings on Delmark Records

2015: ‘Eternity’s Descent’ released on Avanti and ZYX Records

2017: ‘Songs for None’ released on Avanti Records

2021: ‘The Resonator’ released on Avanti and ZYX Records

2023: Coming soon from the Maxwell Street Kings, ‘Jumping from Limb to Limb’

Studebaker John is thankful to his fans and friends around the world for supporting his music!

VIDEOS OF STUDEBAKER JOHN