John Guerin
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| John Guerin | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Payne Guerin |
| Born | October 31, 1939 |
| Origin | Hawaii, United States |
| Died | January 5, 2004 (aged 64) |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Percussion |
| Associated acts | L.A. Express Joni Mitchell The Byrds Frank Sinatra Frank Zappa Thelonious Monk |
John Guerin (October 31, 1939 – January 5, 2004) worked as a drummer, percussionist, and recording artist worldwide.
Guerin was born in Hawaii and raised in San Diego. As a young drummer he began performing with Buddy Defranco in 1960. In the late 1960s he moved to Los Angeles where his talented drum work was utilised by artists including Frank Sinatra, Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell, The Byrds, Thelonious Monk, Lou Rawls, Ray Conniff, George Shearing, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt, Nelson Riddle and countless others. Guerin was a leading exponent of the jazz-rock style, and toured the world with the band LA Express, of which he was co-leader. The LA Express served as Joni Mitchell's touring band during the mid- to late-'70s.
In jazz and pop, he is one of the most recorded drummers of all time. Among his many contributions to motion picture and television scores John's most celebrated work was on the soundtrack for Clint Eastwood's film biography of Charlie Parker "Bird" He also played on the original title tune from the television series "Hawaii Five-O".
In more recent years Guerin worked with Tyrell, Oscar Peterson, John Faddis, Jimmy Heath, Ray Charles, Sonny Rollins, Justin Morell, Andreas Pettersson, David Basse, David Garfield, Gary Lemel, and Mike Melvoin.
Guerin died on January 5, 2004 in West Hills, California due to complications from the flu. He was known for his love of horses which he continued to own and ride until his death.
[edit] References
- Obituary – John Guerin. Daily Telegraph (January 14, 2004). Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
