Johnny Rivers
Johnny Rivers
Johnny Riversis an Italian-American rock 'n' roll singer, songwriter, legendary guitarist, and record producer. His repertoire includes pop, folk, blues, and old-time rock 'n' roll. Rivers charted during the 1960s and 1970s but remains best known for a string of hit singles between 1964 and 1968, among them "Memphis", "Mountain of Love", "The Seventh Son", "Secret Agent Man", "Poor Side of Town", "Baby I Need Your Lovin'", and "Summer Rain"...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMusician
Date of Birth7 November 1942
CountryUnited States of America
A lot of young artists don't realize that it is a business. But the acts who survive over the years are the ones who take care of the business end of performing. Mick Jagger does it, so does Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan. They know how to sell and promote themselves and their music. They understand the financial end of this business.
And all I was doing was playing all those funky blues tunes and rock and roll songs I'd played with my band back in Baton Rouge in the '50s.
I was working at this club in downtown L.A. from four to eight at night, just Eddie Rubin, the drummer, and I.
It was a trio - Eddie Rubin was playing drums, Joe Osborn on bass. And that's when we got approached on the idea of the Whisky A Go-Go.
After that initial success, every chance we got we'd hire that remote recording truck and just record stuff at the Whisky because it was so inexpensive.
The first amp I had back in the '50s was a small Fender.
My first really good guitar was a Gibson J-45.