Johnny Burgin performs up to 200 shows a year in Europe, Japan, and coast to coast in the US. Johnny grew up in Mississippi and went to the University of Chicago at 18, but ended up attending "blues university". [Note: Johnny has been in the USA since November 10, with no foreign travel before Coffeyville week]
Johnny met a DJ on the college radio station who took him to see the Howlin' Wolf style singer Tail Dragger on the West Side of Chicago. Tail Dragger took Johnny under his wing and gave him his first professional gigs, and from there Johnny learned quickly and went on to tour and perform with blues legends such as Pinetop Perkins and Sam Lay.
He's been praised by the Cascade Blues Association for his "stunning guitar playing-- the pure Chicago-styled sound", and his fans love Johnny's take on the intense, stripped-down "West Side sound" of Otis Rush, Magic Sam, and Buddy Guy. He's a Delmark and Vizztone recording artist with 10 CDs of his own to his credit, most recently "Johnny Burgin Live", featuring Charlie Musselwhite, which debuted at #3 on the Living Blues Blues radio chart. He was nominated for a BMA for Best Traditional Blues CD of 2017 for "Howlin' at Greaseland", a Howlin' Wolf tribute.