S.O.D. "Ain't That A Bitch" by Johnny "Guitar" Watson

12/12/2015     S.O.D. "Ain't That A Bitch" by Johnny "Guitar" Watson.  Who else knew about this guy. He shines on guitar.  He was active from 1952–1996 and could play guitar, bass guitar, piano, keyboards and drums. You have to listen to his tune "Space Guitar".  He was a bit ahead of his time.  

     When he was 15 his mother moved him to Los Angeles where he quickly became popular in the African-American clubs, starting his music career at 17. His first stage name was Young John Watson but after seeing the movie "Johnny Guitar" starring Joan Crawford, he changed his name.  His father taught him to play piano and his Reverend gave him his first guitar with the promise that he would not play any "devil music". That was the first thing he did.  

     Some of his tours were with well-known artists such as Little Richard and Frank Zappa, with Zappa being inspired by Watson to even start playing the guitar.  He was harder than most on a guitar, and during concerts had to change strings 3 to 4 times on occasion.  

     Watson died in concert, 1996 from a myocardial infarction while performing in Japan.  He did not like being compared to Jimi Hendrix, saying that he was playing his guitar while standing on his hands before people knew who Hendrix was.  In the Steve Miller tune "The Joker," the lyrics, "gangster" of "love and "space cowboy" are referring to Watson.