John Koerner

"Spider" John Koerner (born August 31, 1938, in Rochester, New York, United States)[1] is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as a guitarist and vocalist in the blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover, with Dave Ray and Tony Glover. He has also made albums as a solo performer and with Willie Murphy.

For the Canadian artist, see John Koerner (artist).

John Koerner
Koerner in 1993
Koerner in 1993
Background information
Birth nameJohn Koerner
Also known as"Spider" John Koerner
Born (1938-08-31) August 31, 1938
Rochester, New York, United States
OriginSt. Paul, Minnesota
GenresBlues
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, guitarist
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, harmonica
Years active1963–present
LabelsElektra
Red House
Tim/Kerr Records
WebsiteOfficial web site

Biography

Koerner grew up in Rochester, New York, and after a brief military service attended the University of Minnesota.[1] He intended to major in engineering but soon became involved in the Minneapolis music scene, where he met Dave Ray and Tony Glover. They formed a loose-knit trio, releasing albums under the name Koerner, Ray & Glover.[1] The group gained notice with their first album, Blues, Rags and Hollers, originally released by Audiophile in 1963 and re-released by Elektra Records later that year.[2][3]

Koerner was an early influence on Bob Dylan, who mentioned Koerner in his autobiography, Chronicles. Speaking of the early 1960s, Koerner later said, "We were all goofy, you know. We were thinkers and drinkers and artists and players, and Dylan was one of us. He was another guy."[4]

In 1965, Koerner recorded his first solo album, Spider Blues, for Elektra and appeared at the Newport Folk Festival accompanied by Glover. He continued playing on the folk circuit and joined with Willie Murphy to record Running, Jumping, Standing Still in 1969.[5] The duo eventually split up, and Koerner pursued an unsuccessful career in filmmaking, retiring from music and moving to Copenhagen, Denmark.[6] He later returned to music in the traditional folk genre and continued to perform and release new albums from time to time.[2] He now lives in Minneapolis and has two sons and a daughter.

Awards
Koerner, Ray & Glover's star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue

In 1983 the Minnesota Music Academy named Koerner, Ray and Glover "Best Folk Group" and in 1985 inducted them into the MMA Hall of Fame.[7]

In 2008, Koerner, Ray & Glover were inducted into the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame under the category Blues Recordings for Blues, Rags and Hollers.[8]

Koerner, Ray & Glover has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,[9] recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.[10] Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.[11]

Discography

Science fiction writer Spider Robinson adopted his nickname out of admiration for Koerner and his music.[12]

References
  1. Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1397. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  2. Ruhlmann, William. "'Spider' John Koerner: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  3. Harrison, Mark (September 2009). "Spider John Koerner at The Green Note Cafe". Blues in London. Archived from the original on October 12, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  4. Sokol, Brett (January 28, 2000). "Ensnared in Spider's Blues". Miami NewTimes. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  5. AllMusic, Release particulars of Running, Jumping, Standing Still Archived June 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  6. Blues, Rags and Hollers: The Koerner, Ray & Glover Story (video documentary). 1995. Latch Lake.
  7. "Tony Glover official web site". Mwt.net. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  8. "Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame 2008". Gtcbms.org. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  9. "The Stars". First Avenue & 7th Street Entry. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  10. Bream, Jon (May 3, 2019). "10 things you'll learn about First Avenue in new Minnesota History Center show". Star Tribune. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  11. Marsh, Steve (May 1, 2019). "First Avenue's Star Wall". Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  12. Robinson, Spider (July 13, 2006). "Spider's Diary: The Best Music Festival I Know". Spider Robinson: Online Diary.
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