Southside Johnny

Biography

Southside Johnny (real name John Lyon, born December 4, 1948 in Neptune, New Jersey) is an American singer-songwriter who usually fronts his band Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes. Lyon grew up in Ocean Grove, New Jersey and graduated from Neptune High School. Southside Johnny first achieved prominence in the mid-1970s as the second act to emerge from the Jersey Shore music scene and be considered part of the Jersey Shore sound, following Bruce Springsteen. Southsides first three albums, I Dont Want to Go Home (1976), This Time Its For Real (1977), and Hearts of Stone (1978), were Stax-influenced R and B arranged and produced by the co-founder of the band and Springsteen confederate Steven Van Zandt and largely featured songs written by Van Zandt and/or Springsteen. The Van Zandt-written "I Dont Want To Go Home" became Southsides signature song, an evocative mixture of horn-based melodic riffs and sentimental lyrics. Other notable songs included "The Fever","Talk to Me," "This Time Its For Real," "Love on the Wrong Side of Town," and the definitive version of Springsteens " Hearts of Stone."

Southside has long been considered the Grandfather of "the New Jersey Sound." Jon bon Jovi has acknowledged Southside as "his reason for singing." In 1982 the Rolling Stone Magazine voted the album Hearts of Stone among the top 100 albums of the 70s and 80s. In 1987, Southside and the Jukes were featured in the film Adventures in Babysitting performing at a college frat party.

Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.