Johnny 'Guitar'Watson – (1976) Ain't That A Bitch
“Reinvention” might as well have been Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s middle name. The multi-talented artist parlayed his stunning guitar playing into an illustrious reputation as one of the most popular blues saxophonists on the West Coast in the 1950s. But that admirable trait didn’t pay the bills as the 1970s rolled around. So he completely changed his image to that of a pimp-like funkster, enjoying greater popularity than ever before for his down-and-dirty R&B hits “A Real Mother for Ya” and “Superman Lover.”
Watson's roots lay in Houston's fertile blues scene. As a teenager, he played with future Texas greats Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland. But he left Houston for Los Angeles when he was just 15. At the time, Watson's primary instrument was piano; he played it with Chuck Higgins' band when the saxophonist cut Combo's "Motorhead Baby" in 1952 (Watson also handled vocal duties).
He was listed as Young John Watson when he signed with Federal in 1953. His first records for the King affiliate still featured him strumming ivories, but by 1954, when he conceived the utterly astonishing instrumental “Space Guitar,” the youngster had switched to guitar. “Space Guitar” ranks among the greatest achievements of its time — Watson’s lightning-fast attack, executed without the aid of a pick, foreshadows futuristic effects that rock guitarists had yet to master 15 years later.
