John Hatton

John Hatton has been playing instruments since he was 6 years old when he begged his dad to get him a violin. He excelled on that instrument culminating with a two year stint with the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra during his Junior and Senior years of High School.

His journey with jazz string bass began with the Affton High School Stage Band in the suburbs of St. Louis. Shortly after he picked up the bass guitar and joined “The Marauders”, a very successful garage band in the St. Louis sock-hop scene.

His love affair with the string bass continued through his college years where he played in the Graceland University Orchestra and later in the Kansas City Conservetory of Music Orchestra and Jazz Workshop. He was still rockin’ on the bass guitar with a new club band, “The Morticians”. The violin was gathering dust.

The Kansas City jazz scene was a great training ground. Mr. Hatton was soon earning a full time living playing steady in night clubs and learning to play quality Bee Bop. He became Kansas City’s ‘first call’ bassist and was fortunate to get calls to play with some of the traveling artists that came through town. Elvis, Liza Minelli, Clark Terry, Marilyn Maye, and the Righteous Brothers were among them.

The legendary pianist, Gene Harris of the “Three Sounds” offered him a gig, and Mr. Hatton spent two years on the road playing in jazz clubs all over the USA. This tour led him to Los Angeles in 1974 where he has lived since.

Los Angeles became the land of opportunity for this musician. He landed his first gig with Stan Worth, who used John for many live shows, TV and movie scores. After Stan’s passing, John joined “Just Four Grins”, a band composed of young studio musicians. This band became the back up band for Seals and Crofts for their summer tour of ’78. In 1981 he toured with the ebullient Dolly Parton and recorded sound track clips for “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”.

John’s bass experiences have encompassed a multitude of styles. Bluegrass, Jazz, Classical, Dixieland, Big Band, Disco, Rock, Rap and Rockabilly to name a few. He has played behind superstars including Ray Anthony, Maynard Ferguson, John Davidson, Tony Bennet, Little Milton, Al Jarreau, Bob Dylan, Bob Hope, Supertramp, Little Richard, Herb Jeffries, Danny Gans, Vonda Shepherd, Hank Ballard, Shirly Jones, Billy Lee Riley, Nannette Fabere’, and the list goes on.

John honed his 50’s slap bass style in Rhino Record’s “Big Daddy”, an 8-piece 50’s band, which turned modern hits into retro 50’s classics. This band conquered the world with a top 10 hit and a tour of England. Their eight week gig in Sydney, Australia, landed them another hit with their version of “The Land Down Under”. It was in this band that Hatton created the character known as “Spazz”, the slide-rule-wielding nerd. The moniker has followed him to this day.

Johnny “Spazz” Hatton has been playing rockabilly slap bass with the Brian Setzer Orchestra since February of 2002 and has recorded four CD’s, “Nitro Burnin’ Funny Daddy”, “Boogie Woogie Christmas”, “Dig That Crazy Christmas” and “Wolfgang’s Big Night Out”. Hatton has appeared with BSO on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan O’Brian, The Today Show, Christmas at Rockefeller Center, Christmas in Washington DC, The Tony Danza Show, VH1 Classics, and Sirius Radio.

John has been touring with Royal Crown Review since 2006, visiting most of the European turf. The band was featured in the Movie, “Mask”, with Jim Carey, and specializes in jumpin’ jazzy swing.

John Hatton endorses Eden Electronics, King Doublebass, Fender Instruments, SWR Amplifiers, Nady Systems, and Knucklehead strings.