Johnny Guitar Edwards

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Johnny recieved the nickname Johnny Guitar Edwards while playing with George Thorgoods rhythym section in West Chester Pa working at the year celebration with Johnny Clyde Copeland for The LaTritoria open Jam in 1992. Chet Woodward was the man that gave him that name.
Born John Arndts in the city of Philadelphia Pennsylvania Johnny loved music as a young child. Johnny received his first guitar at the local church. From there he was hooked . He began taking guitar lessons and playing in the guitar mass at St Cecilia's in Fox Chase through the early 1970's.
When he got to high school (1975)he found local music teacher Harry Giamo who taught Stanley Clark . Johnny took theory , harmony 1 & 2 . Johnny & Bob Tommassello(guitar) along with LLoyd Fuss(drums) formed the band Hot Ice played local gigs. Later with Perry Wolfe(keyboards)(The Spirit Band) wrote and recorded origional songs. Through high school and college Johnny learned the art of recording arts and sciences as well as electronics engineering.

Johnny joined one of the U.S.A's first Elvis bands (1977) Rich Gold and The Nuggets. He then found teacher Joe Federico and studied the Dennis Sandole jazz guitar for a year and a half . This proved to be a period in his life where he found the roots of music to be a focus .

When the late 70's early 80's came Johnny had formed a regional band and began opening shows for ; The Ko Ko Taylor Band , Pinetop Perkins , Hubert Sumlin , Albert Collins & The Icebreakers and local legend Flamin' Harry Band . During this time he also jammed with members of The Big Jack Johnson Band and Luther Guitar Junior and the Magic Rockers . Members Chet Woodward (drummer) , Randy Lippincott (bass) , Maury Hooter Saslaff (bass) were some of the musicians who had been giging with area players from Delaware,New Jersey and Pennasylvania . Johnny would be a guest on local college and public radio stations.

Johnny helped re-establish the blues in the area as a music scene that was growing by running the city's first 24 hour non-profit phone line for blues promotions "The Blues Hotline". He helped promote Philadelphia's major waterfront music festivals for The Philadelphia Conventions and Visitors Bureau. Then Johnny's joined a top recording / touring national / international act The Sonny Rhodes Band . He was in the band Lenny & The Soulsenders with drummer from Sonny Rhodes , Lenny Gordon . They recorded & Johnny wrote for artists like the Betty Jean & Free Radicals .

Throughout the years Johnny has jammed and played with many people and at a number of wonderful events and festivals. . Some of the places were: Philadelphia Folk Festival "Saturday Night After Fest Parties" (through the 1980's),The Turning Point Piermont NY , Riverblues Festival (Philadelphia Pa)1989 & 1990, With The Sonny Rhodes Band Johnny played all of the Philadelphia Riverblues after Festival parties 1989-1995 hosted by PCVB & Quint Davis (Festival Productions New Orleans La - Jazz & Heritage Festival), WC Handy International Blues Awards Show (Memphis Tennessee)1989 ,House Of Blues (Downtown Disney , Lake Buena Vista , Fl),Mariposa Folk Festival (Ontario,Canada)1990, Jersey Shore jazz & Blues Festival 1990 , Clearwater Festival 1989 & 1990 , One "More From The Road" (Carnagie Hall) After Concert Party for Alligator Records at SIR studios in NYC (bass w Albert Collins & Johnny Copeland - November 1985), Dagsboro Church Of God July 4th Festival (Delaware)July 2002 and many more.
Over the years Johnny has jammed with artists ;Sonny Rhodes, The Hooligans(Luke Jardel) , Albert Collins , Johnny Copeland , Clarance Gatemouth Brown , Alicia Levy , JB Reed ,Deb Davies , Joe Zook and Blues Deluxe , Willie Dixon , Bob Brozman , Little Milton , Katie Webster , Buster Benton ,Sue Foley , Paul Schaffer , Saffire ,Eddie Marentz , Duke Robillard ,Taj Mahal ,The Ko Ko Taylor Band , Little Mike & The Tornados , Mike Dugan & The Blues Mission , Scott Anslie ,The Holmesburg Country Jam , Mark Hummel , Howard Levy (Bela Fleck,Kenny Loggins) , Fran Smith (The Hooters), David Bromberg , Frankie Lee , Cephas & Wiggins ,The Destroyers (George Thorogood's band) , Denise LaSalle , The Pat Travers Band (Rick Navarro , Eric Frates) , Bob Pawson and the Christian Friends and many , many more.

Over the years Johnny has opened for ; Johnny Winter , The Fabulous Thunderbirds , B B King , Utah Phillips , EmmyLou Harris , 5 Blind Boys of Alabama , Rev. Al Greene , Buddy Guy , The Violent Femmes ,Hubert Sumlin,Pinetop Perkins, Daniel Lanois (U2, Willie Nelson) , John Hammond Jr., John lee Hooker , Bob Margolin , Little Charlie and The Nightcats ,Elvin Bishop and more.

Johnny has recently been engaged in doing contemporary christian and gospel music. He has played guitar with Gale Murphy in Apopka Florida at Forest Lake Seventh Day Adventist Church and has been writing a number of inspitring songs waiting to be recorded. Johnny has been playing guitar in a number of christian venues from the Treehouse Christian Cafe in Collingswood New Jersey to various churches in Nashville , Florida ,New Jersey ,and Pennasylvania.Johnny is in the process of developing a music catalog and has been to Nashville Tennessee several times in the last 5 years. Enjoy some of the random rhythym samples and within a short time he will have a wonderful discography for you to enjoy !!! Currently looking for a recording deal.