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John Batdorf/BiographyJohn Batdorfs’ uniquely passionate vocals and guitar playing landed him his first major record deal back in the 70s with Atlantic Records, and he’s continued to develop and grow as an artist to this day. As the song writing and lead vocal half of Batdorf and Rodney, John began honing his craft and developing his own style back in the early 70s. After the breakup with Rodney, John did an album with a group called Silver and toured the country promoting their album at venues with the likes of America, Doobie Brothers, Poco and Hall and Oats. Fans devoted to his sound recognized Johns voice on several radio and television projects in the 80s when he worked as a top LA studio session singer. When he wasn’t touring with bands, or producing music for a variety of clients, he never stopped writing songs. In the early 90s he partnered with fellow songwriter Michael McLean and released a handful of albums that captured a personal resonance John found with his universal songs of hope and inspiration. It’s as if with each stage in his artistic journey, he developed a greater understanding of the power of music to impact our daily lives. Never one to stagnate creatively, John expanded his artistic palette from acoustic driven pop/rock to story driven melodies. From 1996 to 2002 he worked as a TV composer for the hit series Touched by an Angel and Promised Land. Now into the second half of the new millennium, John has recorded a new CD with James Lee Stanley "All Wood And Stones" (a highly original take on early Rolling Stones songs, done acoustically with tight harmonies) along with his first solo EP, "Side One." Johns’ first full-length solo CD, "Home Again", is comprised of seven new originals and three songs from the Batdorf and Rodney days. "Home Again" is an acoustic guitar and vocal enthusiasts dream come true! John’s latest CD, "Still Burnin’", teams him up again with Mark Rodney. The duo recorded a live show at XM Studios in Washington D.C. revisiting many of their great songs from the 70s. Also, John and Mark have recorded two brand new songs in LA that are also included in the package. This marks the first new Batdorf and Rodney recording since 1975!
When you listen to John sing songs about things that really matter to him, you’ll understand why they mean so much to his fans that have spanned three decades.
See my profile at All Music Guide.
Discography
Batdorf and Rodney "Off The Shelf" 1971
Batdorf and Rodney "Batdorf and Rodney" 1972
Batdorf and Rodney "Life Is You" 1975
Silver "Silver" 1976
Batdorf and McLean "Look Inside" 1992
Batdorf and McLean "Don’t You Know" 1997
Batdorf and Stanley "All Wood and Stones" 2005
John Batdorf "Side One" EP 2005
John Batdorf "Home Again" 2007
Batdorf and Rodney "Still Burnin’" 2008
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