Acoustic / Folk / Experimental
Claremont, California, USA

John Williamson was a musician and editor of The Grape Vine underground Christian 'zine.

“John grew up listening to Gilbert and Sullivan because that was the LP that had a cartoon on it. His Mom, a concert pianist, filled the house with Schubert and Chopin. She taught piano lessons but was never very enthusiastic about teaching the kids, so John never learned how to play the piano.

John's father bore the distinction of being the only non-music major in the University of Alabama marching band. He played tuba and once distinguished himself on national television by marching the wrong way during the halftime show (or was the rest of the band marching the wrong way?).

Being a lifelong Episcopalian, John has been influenced by the hymns. His main regret is that he has never attended a church which sung them the way Al Green must do in Memphis.

John's first musical experience was singing with a group of children who wore green t-shirts and yellow painter pants. Hey, it was the 1970's!

In school, John took up the trumpet and played in marching band and jazz band for about ten years. He retired his trumpet after an altercation with a big mallet from a drummer he had “accidentally” mocked.

Forays into keyboard monotony and playing bass in several bands ensued. He even got cocky and purchased a fretless bass.

But when his college roommate, David Finley, decided to teach a free guitar class for his ministry credit, John was intrigued. John loved the idea of learning new chords and would reinforce or remember them by writing songs. He loved the melodic opportunities that guitar afforded. Soon he was singing his songs in local coffee houses and writing new songs everyday. That was around 1988.

Ten years later, John continues to perform and enjoys playing with different ensembles or unaccompanied. He appreciates melody and writes with poetic charm. His singing and songs have been hailed from around the globe and he is constantly touring, writing and recording. He is currently touring to support his first CD, Songs From the Crescent Vale, which features Robert Deeble and was produced by Daniel McCoy.”

1990 Independent

John R. Williamson – Vocals, instruments

This collection of songs, readings, and spoken word works was on the back of the Gunshots at 9:50 demo that Williamson traveled to California to record with Scottie Joel Cooper. This recording was probably added when Williamson made a copy of their session to send to Cooper, and he decided to add something to side B.

1. [hello Scottie]
2. Let Go
3. Stew Dents
4. Passing Property
5. [reading a letter]
6. Stalemates [spoken word]
7. This Dirt Hurts
8. [did you ever get my letter?]
9. [bass jam]
10. [randomness]
11. Victoria Williams - Holy Spirit

1992 Sonic Hope Records

John R. Williamson – Vocals, guitars, other instruments

Robert Deeble - Vocals and snare on “The Writer's Convention,” vocals and handclaps “Day Drawn Sky,” vocals on “I'm Aging Again” and “The Glimpse”
Chad Bryant Edmundson - Vocals on “Floodgate,” “Bradbury Bay,” “The Glimpse,” and “Rosehips”
David Finley - Vocals on “Floodgate” and “Patience 'til You Come”
Mandy Horak - Vocals and mandolin on “The Green Stick” and “The Glimpse;” vocals on “Accidental Underdose,” “Peor and Solveig,” “Somethingness,” “Rosehips,” “Wrinkles,” and “Where the Song Begins”

1. Lights
2. Ballad of the Man in Past Present
3. The Writer's Convention
4. Accidental Underdose
5. Roar
6. I'm Aging Again
7. Mistah Clark
8. Floodgate
9. Peor and Solveig
10. (Smile Sweet Sunday)
11. Mr. Toad
12. The Green Stick
13. Zany Like a Curse
14. Bradbury Bay
15. Somethingness
16. Gethsemane
17. Bright - Not Gaudy
18. Deluge
19. The Glimpse
20. Small Wonder
21. Somehow I'm Aware
22. Cambodia's Mines
23. Rosehips
24. Charity and Light
25. Patience 'til You Come
26. Wrinkles
27. Day Drawn Sky
28. Where the Song Begins
29. Love
30. Ah Sunflower

1993 Sonic Hope Records

John R. Williamson – Vocals, guitars, other instruments?

Chad Edmunson – Vocals on “Where Did the Doctor Go?”
David Finley – Vocals on “Where Did the Doctor Go?”
Eric Paulsen – Strumming and croaking on “A Humdrum Conundrum,” boost guitar on “Chess With Death”
Michael Knepher – Strumming and croaking on “A Humdrum Conundrum”
Korby Paulsen – Drums on “Temecula”

1. Danish Straightjacket
2. Bigger Than Blue
3. Our Guilt-Ridden Alchemist
4. Chess With Death
5. Where Did the Doctor Go?
6. Temecula
7. A Humdrum Conundrum
8. Juggler Treading Water
9. Captivity
10. Move It Along
11. Arise
12. Sarah and Abraham
13. Landing in a Family
14. Testimony in the Mother Tongue

199? Sonic Hope Records

John R. Williamson – Vocals, guitars

Mike Harkins – Trombone
Korby Paulsen – Guitar
Eric Patton – Drums
Mandy Horak – Singing

1. Reckoning
2. The K-Mart Song
3. Morning Storm
4. Spiney Snake
5. Alone With a Will
6. Ode to Keaton's Young Sherlock
7. I’m Breathing
8. Ray Horne
9. Eyes
10. Clinging to Jesus’ Cloak
11. Poetic Prophetic Musical Sketches
12. Such is Love

1997 Liberation Music / Sonic Hope Records

John R. Williamson - Vocals, guitars

1. Holiday
2. The Pace of You
3. The Afternoon
4. Stand and Speak
5. A Piece of the Mob is Me
6. My Massive Affection
7. Forest Lawn
8. Kindly Honor Everyone
9. Trapper Dick
10. Charcoal Drawings Through the Night
11. Hold on to Your Hat
12. I'm a Pyre for You

1999 Independent

1. Lines of Demarcation
2. Special Thing
3. Mine
4. Offerings
5. Daynobe
6. A Miracle
7. Big Ol' Car
8. Mississippi
9. Close to It
10. All Saints' Day
11. Steady, Gone and True
12. When His Book Get Better
13. Naked
14. Bizzare Bedroom Bells
15. Shalom
16. Execution Blues
17. Hidden Track

2000 Independent

1. Houston (3:33)
2. It's Enough (2:53)
3. Pan Pacific (2:41)
4. Just Another Truckstop (2:00)
5. More Than the Day Before (3:01)
6. The Ayes Have It (3:20)
7. Potato (1:29)
8. Smile (3:41)
9. A Song for the Body (2:53)
10. Hold on to Your Hat (3:36)
11. Too Much Nothing on Our Minds (3:50)
12. The Sun Without the Shade (3:23)
13. Raise Me Like a Purple Tuesday (1:37)
14. Trapper Dick (2:41)
15. Planning (3:01)
16. Spitfire (3:02)
17. Snapdragon Surprise (2:56)

(…to be continued…)

Puddlegum - Kids Like Us Volume 1 (1999 Puddlegum Communications)
10) I Forgot

“One day John was listening to a story that Chad Bryant Edmundson was telling about how Chad's junior high school students were borrowing his stapler before class to tighten up their jeans so that they could meet the 'no baggy pants' dress code. It turns out that staples are what holds the world together. This is John's ode to staples. Who would know?”

John R. Williamson - Singing, parlor guitar
The Milkman - Percussion, electric guitar
Trevor King - Left-handed electric bass
Daniel McCoy - Machinery, production