Johnny Blowers
John G. Blowers Jr. (April 21, 1911 – July 17, 2006) was an American drummer of the swing era. Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States, Blowers ("Blau-ers") learned to play percussion during his schooldays and began performing with the Bob Pope Band in 1936. Blowers attended college at Oglethorpe College, now Oglethorpe University. In 1937, he travelled to New York City, where he found employment as a drummer in Greenwich Village. In 1938, he joined Bunny Berigan's band, and in 1942 he began performing with the up-and-coming Frank Sinatra, who asked Blowers to record with him. They performed and recorded together regularly until the 1950s. In 1947, he opened Club Blowers in the Queens district. In addition to Sinatra, Blowers performed with Louis Armstrong, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Sidney Bechet, Eddie Fisher, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, and Mel Tormé. Blowers also performed in the They Might Be Giants video, "They'll Need a Crane" from the album, Lincoln. |
Birth and Death Data: Born April 21, 1911, Died July 17, 2006
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935 - 1954
Roles Represented in DAHR: drums
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 93 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | MS-023738 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early June 1938 | Now it can be told | Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Ruth Gaylor | Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-023739 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early June 1938 | Flat foot floogie | Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Ruth Gaylor ; Bernie Mackey | Jazz/dance band and vocal soloists | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-023740 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early June 1938 | Cowboy from Brooklyn | Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Dick Wharton | Jazz/dance band and male vocal solos | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-023741 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early June 1936 | Pied piper | Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Ruth Gaylor | Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-023742 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early June 1938 | Wearin' of the green | Bunny Berigan Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-024474 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early July 1938 | Small fry | Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Ruth Gaylor | Jazz/dance band and female vocal solos | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-024475 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early July 1938 | Hi yo, Silver | Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Ruth Gaylor ; Dick Wharton | Jazz/dance band and vocal soloists | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-024476 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early July 1938 | I used to be color blind | Bunny Berigan Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-024477 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early July 1938 | Sing, you sinners | Bunny Berigan Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | D5VB-0821 | 10-in. | 11/5/1945 | Amor | Dick Leibert | Instrumental ensemble, with oboe solo | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | D5VB-0822 | 10-in. | 11/5/1945 | The sweetheart of Sigma Chi | Dick Leibert | Instrumental ensemble, with clarinet solo | instrumentalist, drums | |
Decca | 68132 | 10-in. | 9/20/1940 | When you got to go you got to go | Bob Pope Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | 68133 | 10-in. | 9/20/1940 | That's all I ask of you | Bob Pope Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | 68134 | 10-in. | 9/20/1940 | I want my Lagniappe | Bob Pope Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | 68135 | 10-in. | 9/20/1940 | Stop teasing me | Bob Pope Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | 71482 | 10-in. | 11/3/1943 | Cow cow boogie (Cuma-ti-yi-yi-ay) | Ella Fitzgerald ; Ink Spots | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | 72404 | 10-in. | 10/4/1944 | Lover man (oh, where can you be?) | Billie Holiday | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | 72405 | 10-in. | 10/4/1944 | No more | Billie Holiday | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | 72692 | 10-in. | 1/14/1945 | Jodie man | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | 72693 | 10-in. | 1/14/1945 | I wonder-1 | Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | 72933 | 10-in. | 6/14/1945 | Lady be good-1 | Eddie Condon Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | 72934 | 10-in. | 6/14/1945 | Swanee-2 | Eddie Condon Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
Decca | 74030 | 8/6/1947 | Aunt Hagar's blues | Eddie Condon Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 74031 | 8/6/1947 | Down among the sheltering palms | Eddie Condon Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 74032 | 8/6/1947 | Rose of the Rio Grande | Eddie Condon Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Blowers, Johnny," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/304724.
Blowers, Johnny. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/304724.
"Blowers, Johnny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Johnny Blowers
Discogs: Johnny Blowers
Allmusic: Johnny Blowers
Grove: Johnny Blowers
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Blowers, John - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93017856
Wikidata: Johnny Blowers - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6234454
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/268924934
MusicBrainz: Johnny Blowers - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/5a45b0cb-9082-4d27-83fa-5f5afa08624a
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