Johnny Moore

Johnny Moore (October 20, 1906—January 6, 1969) was an American R&B guitarist and bandleader who led his vocal group Johnny Moore's Three Blazers in the 1940s and 1950s. He was the elder brother of jazz guitarist Oscar Moore, a member of Nat King Cole Trio.

Johnny was an inspiration to many blues guitarists of the late 40s and early 50s. Blues legend B. B. King lists him as one of the top ten guitarists of all time and it's believed that singer/guitarist Chuck Berry was influenced by Johnny's guitar style.

Johnny Moore was born John Dudley Moore in Austin, Texas, on October 20, 1906. He is the older brother of famed jazz guitarist Oscar Moore (December 25, 1916—October 8, 1981).

Johnny got an early start in music; his father was a violinist and Johnny and Oscar began playing guitar and trombone at a young age. In 1934, Johnny played guitar for his father's string band.

In the mid-1930s, the Moore family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where Johnny and Oscar played as a duo. Shortly after, the family relocated to Los Angeles, California, where Johnny joined a rhythm and blues group called The Blazes. At the same time, Oscar turned to jazz and began playing in a jazz trio led by pianist Nat King Cole, alongside bassist Wesley Prince. Johnny also played on a few recordings of Cole Trio in December 1940 ("Sweet Lorraine", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Gone with the Draft", and "This side up").

After leaving The Blazes in 1942, Johnny formed his own trio named "Three Blazers" with pianist Garland Finney (November 17, 1916—December 20, 1946) and bassist Eddie Williams (June 12, 1912—February 18, 1995). Finney left shortly after and Johnny recruited Charles Brown (September 13, 1922—January 21, 1999) as the trio's pianist.

Three Blazers began winning amateur talent contests and gaining fame in the rhythm and blues scene. When the Nat King Cole Trio moved from Atlas Records to Capitol Records in 1943, Oscar recommended Atlas founder Robert Scherman to record his brother's group, Three Blazers. Scherman agreed and Three Blazers began recording with Atlas in 1944 and had their first hit in 1945 with "Blues at Sunrise" (written by Ivory Joe Hunter). The same year, they recorded "Melancholy Madeline" performed by singer Frankie Laine with lyrics by Robert Scherman.

Three Blazers' biggest hit came in 1945 with "Drifting Blues", a slow blues song featuring Brown's smooth, soulful vocals and piano. Reaching #2 on the Billboard R&B charts in 1946, it was one of the biggest blues hits of the 1940s. The Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have also acknowledged its influence and lasting popularity.

In the 1940s, Three Blazers also made a few recordings on Leon René's Exclusive Records.

On September 7, 1947, Three Blazers performed at the third Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. Many celebrated musicians of the time performed that day, including T-Bone Walker, Johnny Otis, Slim Gaillard, The Honeydrippers, Woody Herman, and Sarah Vaughan.

In 1947, pianist and singer Joe Liggins recorded with the Blazers.

In October 1947, Oscar Moore left Nat King Cole Trio and began performing as a guest on his Johnny's Three Blazers.

In 1948, Three Blazers' pianist, Charles Brown, left the group for a solo career. Johnny and Eddie continued with the group with Oscar and made several recordings with a variety of singers, including Lee Barnes ("Blues For What I've Never Had, 1949), Billy Valentine ("Walkin' Blues", 1949), Frankie Ervin ("Dragnet Blues", 1953 and "Johnny Ace's Last Letter", 1955), Floyd Dixon ("Telephone Blues", 1951), Mari Jones ("Nightmare Blues", 1953), Nelson "Lex" Alexander ("I Don't Know Yes I Know", 1953), and Linda Hayes ("Why Johnny Why?", 1955).

Johnny's Three Blazers slowed down towards the end of the 1950s but did make a few recordings on lesser-known small labels (Lilly Records and Cenco Records) until the early 1960s. After Three Blazers broke up, Johnny recorded with a few groups for a bit but mostly stuck to teaching music to young musicians.

Johny died of kidney failure in Los Angeles, California, on January 6, 1969. He was 62.

Singles

1945

• "Melancholy Madeline" (vocal by Frankie Laine) / "Fugue in C Major"
• "Tell Me You'll Wait for Me" (vocal by Charles Brown) / "Escapade"
• "Maureen" (vocal by Frankie Laine) / "Knightfall: Dedicated to Guy Knight"
• "Baby Don't You Cry" / "Blazer's Boogie"
• "Drifting Blues" / "Groovy"

1946

• "You Are My First Love" / "Race Track Blues"
• "Till the Real Thing Comes Along" / "Rocks in My Bed"
• "Travelin' Blues" / "It's the Talk of the Town"
• "What Do You Know About Love" / "Society Boogie" (B-side by Hadda Brooks)
• "Warsaw Concerto (Part 1)" / "Warsaw Concerto (Part 2)"
• "I'll Get Along Somehow" / "Morocco Blues" (B-side by Hadda Brooks)
• "How Deep Is the Ocean" / "You Showed Me the Way"
• "You Won't Let Me Go" / "Shuffle Boogie" (B-side by Will Rowland & His Orchestra)
• "You Left Me Forsaken" / "So Long"
• "Axis Doom Blues" (vocal by Johnnie McNeil) / "You Taught Me to Love"
• "You Taught Me to Love" / "Johnny's Boogie"
• "End o' War Blues" (vocal by Johnnie McNeil) / "Johnny's Boogie"
• "Blues at Sunrise" (with Ivory Joe Hunter) / "You Taught Me to Love" (with Ivory Joe Hunter)
• "C.O.D." / "There Is No Greater Love"
• "It Ain't Gonna Be Like That" / "With My Heart in My Hand"
• "My Silent Love" / "Googie's Boogie"
• "I Want You, I Need You" / "Hard Tack"
• "Be Fair with Me" / "Sunny Road"
• "Bobby Sox Blues" / "(Was I to Blame For) Falling in Love with You"

1947

• "Drifting Blues" / "Till the Real Thing Comes Along"
• "Baby Don't You Cry" / "You Are My First Love"
• "Sail On Blues" / "Blue Because of You"
• "Make Believe Land" / "Nursery Rhyme Boogie" (B-side by Happy Johnson & His Jive Five)
• "New Orleans Blues" /" I Surrender Dear"
• "Better Watch What You Do" / "I Love to Make Love to You"
• "I Cried for You" / "Pasadena"
• "Moonrise" / "Juke Box Lil "
• "Changeable Woman Blues" / "Why Is Love Like That"
• "Merry Christmas Baby" / "Lost in the Night"

1948

• "If You Ever Should Leave" / "It Had to Be You"
• "Money's Getting Cheaper" / "It's Over"
• "Soothe Me" / "Scratch Sheet"
• "Teresa" / "Cold in Here"
• "Groovy Movie Blues" /" Free Lancin' Again"
• "I'm So Happy I Could Cry" / "Don't Get Salty, Sugar"
• "You Better Change Your Way of Lovin'" / "Friendless Blues"
• "More Than You Know" / "Variety Bounce" (B-side by Hadda Brooks)
• "Jilted Blues" / "Any Old Place with Me"
• "I'm Looking for Love" / "Huggin' Bug"
• "Walkin' in Circles" / "Lonesome Blues"
• "Blues at Sunrise" (with Ivory Joe Hunter) / "You Taught Me to Love" (with Ivory Joe Hunter)
• "Merry Christmas Baby" / "Lost in the Night"

1949

• "Drifting Blues, Part 2" / "Going Home Blues" (B-side by Hootie McShann Trio)
• "When Your Lover Has Gone" / "I'll Never Know Why" (B-side by Hadda Brooks)
• "Where Can I Find My Baby" / "Snuff Dippin' Mama"
• "Love Me Tonight" / "Peek-a-Boo"
• "Tomorrow" / "Tonight I'm Alone"
• "Groovy Movie Blues" / "New Orleans Blues"
• "B.&O. Blues" / "I Hate Myself"
• "I'll Miss You" / "So There"
• "If You Don't, Why Don't Ya" / "If I Had You"
• "Twenty-Four Hours a Day" / "I Certainly Would"
• "How Blue Can You Get"
• "Blues for What I've Never Had" / "How Could I Know"
• "A New Shade of Blues" / "This Is One Time, Baby (You Ain't Gonna Two-Time Me)
• "Bop-a-Bye Baby" / "What Does It Matter"
• "Walkin' Blues" / "You Can Go Feed Yourself"
• "Cut Off the Fat (Take Out the Bone)" / "Shuffle Shuck"
• "So Long" / "Driftin' Blues"

1950

• "I'll Get Along Somehow" / "What Do You Know About Love"
• "Nutmeg" / "What Do You Know About Love"
• "Misery Blues" / "Rock with It"
• "Rain-Chick" / "Melody"
• "Someday You'll Need Me" / "The Jumping Jack"
• "Merry Christmas Baby" / "Lost in the Night"

1951

• "I'll Miss You" / "New Orleans Blues"
• "Sunny Road" / "Be Fair with Me"

1952

• "Changeable Woman Blues" / "Moonrise"

Albums

1947

• "Drifting Blues" / "Till the Real Thing Comes Along"
• "You Are My First Love" / "Baby Don't You Cry"
• "St. Louis Blues" / "Gloria"
• "I Wouldn't Mind" / "Way Over There By The Cherry Tree"
• "Be Sharp, You'll See" / "Now That You're Gone Away"

1978

• Sunny Road, recorded 1945–1960

1980

• Race Track Blues, recorded 1945–1956

1986

• Why Johnny Why, recorded 1949–1956
• Let's Have a Ball, recorded 1945–1961

1989

• This Is One Time, Baby, recorded 1945–1949
• Sail On Blues, recorded 1945–1947

1995

• Snuff Dippin' Mama
• Walkin' in Circles

1996

• The Chronological Charles Brown: 1944–1945
• Drifting & Dreaming

1998

• Los Angeles Blues: Complete RCA Recordings 1949–1950
• The Chronological Charles Brown: 1946

2000

• The Chronological Charles Brown: 1946–1947

2001

• The Chronological Charles Brown: 1947–1948

2003

• Charles Brown: The Classic Earliest Recordings

2005

• The Best of Charles Brown: West Coast Blues

2007

• Johnny Moore's Three Blazers: Be Cool: The Modern & Dolphin Sessions 1952–1954
• Groovy

2012

• The Cool Cool Blues of Charles Brown 1945–1961

2019

• The Singles Collection 1945-1952