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matiac

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Dude, you have turned me on to new tuneage from an artist I never knew existed! That cat Gordie Johnson can lay it down! I found him on Limewire with a couple outfits actually, but I thought his better stuff was with "Big Sugar". And for this hookup, you have my eternal thankys!!!! He ROCKS! I have a new hero. And you weren't kidding about wringin' out a 12 string either, I'll never doubt you!

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Wasn't a link dude, I got Limewire software in my machine, and after Googling his name got a couple bandnames, went over to Limewire, and they had a whole buncha stuff from "Big Sugar", I put "Ride Like Hell" in my media player, it was raw, it was uncut, it was unadulterated, it was RAUNCHY!!!! And MAN! Can that guy shred up some serious 12 string slide stuff, and if not for Sir Prospero, I woulda never known.

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Glad to be of help, my friend! It's awesome to discover new music this way.

 

Gordie Johnson formed and fronted Big Sugar from the late 80's to about 2003, I believe. They were originally a jazz outfit, playing small clubs in Toronto, but even from early on you can hear Gordie's Zepplin and Sabbath influences come through. they released their first CD in 92, which was pretty jazzy, and then an album called "500 Pounds" in 93 which is more blues-rock. They had a jamaican rhythm section, so slowly over the years the reggae influence started to seep in.

 

By 2003 he called it quits. From what I gather the record labels, radio stations, their management, etc dicked him around, so he broke up Big Sugar, moved to Texas where nobody knew him and formed his current band Grady with Chris Layton (drummer for Arc Angels and Double Trouble.)

 

I have loads of respect for this guy because at the peak of his financial and popular success in Canada he realized he was being f---ked by the industry and rather than totally sell out and play along, he decided to move to Texas and, as he says, lug his own amp around again for $15 a night. Not a lot of guys in their 40s are willing to start all over again like that. Money or integrity, and he chose integrity.

 

He's also a hell of a producer. He's done tons of stuff for a variety of different bands. He did Gov't Mule's "High and Mighty" and a Black Çrowes album among others.

 

Here are some links:

 

Big Sugar

Grady

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