Mohead
Bio
John Mohead was born in Memphis Tennessee blocks from the Mississippi River. Mohead, as he is known to friends, spent his childhood in the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta, learning to play the blues from first generation masters like harmonica virtuoso Frank Frost and shuffle king Sam Carr. Mohead learned his country licks living on Moon Lake from family members of Conway Twitty. Mohead penned his first Billboard charted song at the age of 18 and followed that up as a staff writer with Patrick Joseph Music in Nashville. Not one to follow the crowd, Mohead left music city and headed south to Clarksdale Mississippi and teamed up with blues guru Jim O’Neal, founding editor of Living Blues Magazine. There he played on sessions O’Neal produced for his Rooster Blues label. Willie Cobbs, who wrote the Allman Brothers classic, “You Don’t Love Me,” got Mohead to play slide guitar on his record. O’Neal would later record an album on Mohead titled Lula City Limits, which was released on the Okra Tone Rounder label and received much critical acclaim for Mohead’s songwriting and his Lowell George, Van Morrison vocal style. Mohead went on to release five more cd’s. One of which was a live album recorded at the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival in Telluride, Co. This got the attention of festival promoter Steve Gumble who managed Mohead and guided him into the jam band scene. Former Allman Brothers band member Johnny Neel recorded and toured with Mohead during those years which fueled some legendary shows. Mohead has opened or played with everyone from Bob Dylan, Little Feat and Robert Randolph, to Ray Wylie Hubbard, Billy Joe Shaver and Sam Bush. After years of touring, Mohead quietly turned his attention to family life raising two boys and began pursuing his other passion for food, opening his own “funky fine dining” restaurant called Kathryn’s which he still operates. Thankfully his first passion for music has drawn him back in. Mohead is doing what he started out doing, playing his southern Americana style of original music. Mohead is a singer songwriter who can sing his ass off and jam; if you like Van Morrison, Lowell George or Greg Allman, you will love Mohead.