John Guerin

John Payne Guerin (October 31, 1939 – January 5, 2004) was an American percussionist. He was a proponent of the jazz-rock style.[1]

This article is about the American musician. For the Canadian politician, see James John Edmund Guerin.
John Guerin
Guerin in San Francisco, 1976
Background information
Birth nameJohn Payne Guerin
Born(1939-10-31)October 31, 1939
Hawaii, U.S.
DiedJanuary 5, 2004(2004-01-05) (aged 64)
West Hills, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Percussion

Biography

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 drum work was utilized by artists including Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, George Harrison, Frank Zappa, The Animals, Joni Mitchell, Them, Thelonious Monk, Lou Rawls, Ray Conniff, George Shearing, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt, Nelson Riddle, and many others.

From July 1972 to January 1973, he was the drummer for The Byrds and joined the L.A. Express later that year. The band served as Joni Mitchell's back-up band on tour during the mid- to late-1970s; Guerin had a brief relationship with Mitchell during that time. She later wrote the song Hejira about leaving him.

Guerin was an exponent of the jazz-rock style and played in many different genres, including for film and television.[1] Among his contributions to motion picture and television scores, Guerin worked on the soundtrack to the 1988 film homage to Charlie Parker, Bird by Clint Eastwood. Those are also his drums on the theme song during the opening credits for the 1968 television series Hawaii Five-O.

In later years, Guerin worked with Oscar Peterson, Jon Faddis, Jimmy Heath, Ray Charles, Sonny Rollins, Justin Morell, Andreas Pettersson, David Basse, David Garfield, Gary Lemel, and Mike Melvoin.

Guerin died of heart failure on January 5, 2004, in West Hills, California.[2]

Selected discography

As sideman

With Alessi Brothers

  • Alessi (A&M Records, 1976)

With Gene Ammons

With Eric Andersen

  • Be True To You (Arista, 1975)

With Hoyt Axton

With Joan Baez

With The Beach Boys

With Stephen Bishop

With David Blue

  • Com'n Back for More (Asylum, 1975)

With Blue Mitchell

With Elkie Brooks

With Toni Brown

  • Toni Brown (Fantasy, 1979)

With The Byrds

  • Banjoman - The Original Soundtrack (recorded 1972, released Sire, 1977) (Various Artists, 2 live tracks by The Byrds)

With Keith Carradine

With Natalie Cole

With Priscilla Coolidge and Booker T. Jones

  • Chronicles (A&M Records, 1973)

With Sheena Easton

With Cass Elliot

With Don Ellis

With José Feliciano

  • Como Tú Quieres (RCA Victor, 1984)

With Michael Franks

With Art Garfunkel

With Terry Garthwaite

  • Terry (Arista, 1975)
  • Hand in Glove (Fantasy, 1978)

With David Gates

With Cyndi Grecco

With George Harrison

With Monk Higgins

With Elton John

With Jack Jones

  • Harbour (RCA Victor, 1974)
  • What I Did For Love (RCA Victor, 1975)

With John Klemmer

  • Touch (ABC, 1975)

With Leah Kunkel

  • I Run With Trouble (Columbia, 1980)

With Patti LaBelle

With Peggy Lee

With Barry Mann

  • Barry Mann (Casablanca Records, 1980)

With Bobby McFerrin

With Roger McGuinn

With Melanie

  • Photograph (Atlantic, 1976)
  • Seventh Wave (Neighbourhood Records, 1983)

With Liza Minnelli

With Joni Mitchell

With Walter Murphy

  • Rhapsody in Blue (Private Stock, 1977)

With Anne Murray

With Oliver Nelson

With Aaron Neville

  • The Grand Tour (A&M Records, 1993)
  • Aaron Neville's Soulful Christmas (A&M Records, 1993)

With Tom Pacheco

  • The Outsider (RCA, 1976)
  • Swallowed Up in the Great American Heartland (RCA Victor, 1976)

With Gram Parsons

  • GP (Reprise Records, 1973)

With Bonnie Raitt

With Helen Reddy

With Howard Roberts

With Kenny Rogers

With Linda Ronstadt

With Diane Schuur

  • Love Walked In (GRP, 1996)
  • Music Is My Life (Atlantic, 1999)

With Tom Scott

With Seals and Crofts

With Bud Shank

With J. D. Souther

With Barbra Streisand

With Gábor Szabó

With Sarah Vaughan

With Patrick Williams

With Frank Zappa

References
  1. "John Guerin Obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 15 January 2004.
  2. "John Guerin, 64, Popular Drummer". The New York Times. Associated Press. 18 January 2004.
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