| Johnny Laws | |
| Birth Date: | January 12, 1943 |
| Birth Place: | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Instrument: | Guitar, vocals |
| Genre: | Chicago blues, electric blues |
| Occupation: | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Years Active: | Mid-1960s–present |
| Label: | Wolf Records, Electro-Fi Records |
Johnny Laws (January 12, 1943 – March 28, 2021)[1] was an American Chicago blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.[2] A regular performer for over half a century in Chicago's South Side clubs, Laws released two albums, including Burnin' in My Soul, of which Blues & Rhythm magazine in November 1999 noted, "It's a real shame that Johnny Laws has been unjustly ignored in the past... This is an enjoyable CD... Full marks to those folks at Electro-Fi."
His version of McKinley Mitchell's "End of the Rainbow" demonstrated his versatility and vocal range.[3]
In an April 1999 editorial leader, the Toronto Star remarked that "South Side Chicago fave Johnny Laws... [is] winning plaudits for his seductive, soul-drenched blues."[4]
Laws was born in Chicago, Illinois, and remained there all his life. He played and performed on the South Side of Chicago from the mid-1960s, remaining largely a local cult favorite for decades.[2] He learned his Chicago blues craft mainly from listening to Jimmy Reed and Buster Benton. His aching falsetto voice and vast repertoire gained much local acclaim.[2] His style ranged from soul to postwar blues to, occasionally, country music. In addition to a regular weekend slot at the Cuddle Inn, Laws was a frequent performer at the annual Chicago Blues Festival,[3] including a set in 2000.[5] Laws was featured in a 1993 issue of Living Blues magazine.[6]
Laws released his debut album, My Little Girl, for Wolf Records in 1995.[7] The album contained a couple of blues standards, but most of the songs were written by Laws.
His second album, Blues Burnin' in My Soul, was released on Electro-Fi Records in 1999,[8] containing cover versions of Junior Wells's song "Little by Little"; "Steal Away", by Jimmy Hughes; "Honest I Do" and "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby", by Jimmy Reed; and "Sadie", written and originally recorded by Hound Dog Taylor.[9] The autumn 1999 issue of Juke Blues stated that "Johnny Laws has a smooth, silky voice, at times almost a whisper, then rising into a falsetto, and falling back again into gentle expressiveness... His appeal is in a delivery that seems so deceptively effortless".[10]
Laws died on March 28, 2021, at the age of 78.[1]
| Year | Title | Record label | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | My Little Girl | Wolf Records | |
| 1999 | Blues Burnin' in My Soul | Electro-Fi Records |