Johnny Clyde Copeland, March 27, 1937 - July 3, 1997, born in Haynesville, Louisiana, made his recording debut in 1956. Embracing blues, soul, and rock and roll in his early recordings, Copeland was featured more as a vocalist than a guitarist
Driven by disco to rethink the future, Copeland moved to New York in 1979 and played extensively in the eastern cities. In 1981 he was signed by Rounder Records and began touring widely. Copeland won a Grammy in 1987 for best traditional blues album for the album "Showdown!", recorded with Albert Collins and Robert Cray.
His later years were dogged by ill health due to a congenital heart defect. He died, aged 60, in Harlem, New York from complications of heart surgery for a heart transplant six months earlier. He was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey at that time.
(Johnny Copeland at 5th Annual Poconos Blues Fest, 1996, his final concert)
