**IF YOU DON'T SEE A SHOW DATE ON OUR PAGE THEN IT'S BOGUS**There have been reports of our name appearing on posters that we never agreed or were contacted to play. If you dont see it here, it's false.
NEW CD NOW AVAILABLE!!! "Real Gone Rockin'; an all-original 12-song album full of Rockabilly and Rock & Roll!!!
Order our new CD for $12 via PayPal by clicking the BUY NOW button below!
Johnny Mercury's influences run as deep as the country roads he was raised on back in West Virginia. On the surface one may say "Rockabilly" or "Rock & Roll" but when you listen to his music, a lot of what you hear doesn't figure into the paint by numbers scheme so often heard on today's records.
Cutting is hit teeth in tent revival bands in Pentacostal churches at the age of 15 may have had something to do with...or maybe it's listening to country and 50's vocalist records at home...one might also say it's come from collecting records of just about everything good prior to the mid-1960's. Anyway you slice it, it's something original and "Johnny Mercury". The music runs the gamut of Country, Blues, Jazz and Gospel, the four building blocks of Rock and Roll.
Since the bands inception, there have been big jumps from the coal miner and bikers bars he started out in. Johnny has played venues and evnts susch as the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend (NV), once under his own name and three time backing artists on guitar such as Rockabilly Legend Ray Campi, Rockabilly traditionilist, Marshall Scott Warner, as well the debut appearance of The Casey Sisters.
Other events include, the world-famous CBGB's 1998, Ink & Iron Festival 2008 in Long Beach, Ca, KEXP's Shake The Shack featuring himself as well as playing guitar for Rockabilly Legend Sid King and the Five Strings, Pep Torres and others at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle, Washington, KSER Rockabilly Revival 2008,2009, South Carolina's LoDown HoDown, San Francisco's Rockabilly Circus, Hot Rod-A-Rama Car Show (Wa), The Bash! annual Hot Rod Show Longview, Wa, Rainin' Blood Psychofest (Or)
A live Johnny Mercury show leaves you entertained with his stage presence, in awe with his guitar playing and swooning with his voice. It's really a good package that you never get tired of becasue it's never the same twice. Just listen to what some folks have to say about him:
"i would have loved to had a guitarist like you back in the 50's"
- Wanda Jackson (Queen of Rockabilly and Rock and Roll legend)
"Throughout my travels, Johnny Mercury is closest to the raw rockabilly sound I've ever heard!"
- Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell (original Sun/Starday/Capitol Records rockabilly artist)
"Johnny Mercury himself plays that sizzling lead guitar and sings his heart out."
- Blue Suede News
"these guys are rockin' true to their roots"
- Lux Interior (The Cramps)
"An ace...one of the best guitar players I've seen in years."
- Billy Poore (original rockabilly artist and author of 'Rockabilly: A Forty Year Journey)
"most energetic show we've seen (webcast) this year..."
- collegemusic.com
The band has released 3 full length CD's; Introducing... (1996), Atomic Guitar Boogie (2001) and the newly-released Real Gone Rockin' (2007), one EP; Shank Hands, Shack Up! (2005) and has been featured on 8 CD compilations ranging from Rockabilly, Psychobilly, Rock & Roll and Punk bands. Johnny has also written and contributed for film and television as well starting the independant film Just a Sweater (1997), Stray Dogs (tv pilot 2005), Flyin Saucer Rock and Roll (2006) and he just recorded several television commercials for The Kroger Company and their subsideraries (April 2007) as well as other films and and multimedia projects.
With the release of Real Gone Rockin' in March of 2007, it marks a maturity in his songwriting with songs like Since You're Gone, Blue Boy, Wrapped Up In You're Love and You Better Be My Baby but maintins the witty and playfulness of songs such as I Wanna Rock and Roll With Every Girl, Get Gone and No Money Honey, a song about prostitution. This album was both recorded and produced by Johnny in his recording studio, Hypnolab Studios, to allow him the freedom to get both the lo-fi sound and artistic vision he wanted for this album. He's really hit the mark with this record and we think you'll agree.
Johnny has shared the staged with many bands both contemporary and legendary both as a featured srtist as well as a sideman playing guitar. He's shared the stage with bands and artist as:
Bands that we have shared the bill/stage with:
Wanda Jackson
Barbara Pittman
Sid King and the Five Strings
The Rocketz
Three Bad Jacks
Big Sandy & his Fly-Rite Boys
Hasil Adkins
Sleepy LaBeef
The Blasters
Cave Catt Sammy
Deke Dickerson
Rockin' Lloyd Tripp
Lil Bit' and the Customatics
Paul Galaxy & the Galactix
The Bop Kings
Dusty 45's
Nick Curran
Mojo Nixon
Twistin' Tarantlas
The Blue Moon Boys
Jackie & the Cedrics
The Go-Devils
Dropkick Murphys
Cult of the Psychic Fetus
The Bottle Rockets
Lords of the Highway
Jack Black
Belmont Playboys
The Cowslingers
The Flyin' Saucers and many more...
Johnny Mercury forges on to make more music and new records to express what he has felt in life but keep it fun and entertaining in the process. Listen to his music and you'll see what we mean.
HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY FROM SWEDEN! IN SWEDEN WE HAVE NAMES ON OUR DAYS IN THE CALENDAR, AND TODAY IS MY NAMESDAY!:-)(ULLA) SO...WHERE'S MY CAKE? LOL SWEDELIPS:-)XX00XX
JOHNNY, THINKING OF YOU MY SWEET FRIEND AND SENDING MANY WISHES YOUR WAY FOR A VERY HAPPY JULY 4TH !!! I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE HOLIDAY AND THE BIG LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND. MY HOPES ARE THAT YOU WILL NOT ONLY REMEMBER OUR TROOPS (PAST AND PRESENT) DURING THIS VERY SPECIAL HOLIDAY BUT ALSO SAY A SPECIAL PRAYER FOR THEM. I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND I HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO REST, RELAX, HAVE LOTS OF FUN, ENJOY YOURSELF AND BE ABLE TO SPEND GOOD QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR LOVED ONES, YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS MY WONDERFUL FRIEND. PLEASE ENJOY YOURSELF BUT MOST OF ALL TAKE CARE AND BE SAFE !!!! LOVE & HUGGSSS & BLESSINGS ........ BONNIE
Came by to hear some of your Awesome Tunes!"You Better Be My Baby" is just One of Your Greats!! Hope you have a Wonderful rest of the Week..Enjoy your "Independence" Day* ROCK -N- ROLLLLLLLLLLLLLL ;)
Would love 2 have you perform at an Egg Room event. Pick a Sat nite through July and let me know. Galactic Egg Room 107 Eastlake Ave E (above El Corazon).
Just wanted to say thanks for being a friend on here...I have been working on my new song and trying to get myself ready to perform it live. This summer has been a blast so far! Hope you are having a fun one too =)
Same old same old. Soaking up the sunshine myself back in good ol So Cal for a few weeks. When are you coming out of your little corner of the country for a tour? The dirty south needs some Johnny. What's the good word on my song? What were you gonna call it? I can't remember now.
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