John Koerner

John Koerner
Born	Rochester
Nationality	United States of America
Genres	blues
Instruments	guitar · voice

For the Canadian artist, see John Koerner (artist).

John Koerner
Koerner in 1993
Background information
Birth name	John Koerner
Also known as	"Spider" John Koerner
Born	(1938-08-31) August 31, 1938 Rochester, New York, United States
Origin	St. Paul, Minnesota
Genres	Blues
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, guitarist
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar, harmonica
Years active	1963–present
Labels	Elektra Red House Tim/Kerr Records
Website	Official web site

"Spider" John Koerner (born August 31, 1938, in Rochester, New York, United States) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as a guitarist and vocalist in the blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover, with Dave Ray and Tony Glover. He has also made albums as a solo performer and with Willie Murphy.

Biography

Koerner grew up in Rochester, New York, and after a brief military service attended the University of Minnesota.

Koerner was an early influence on Bob Dylan, who mentioned Koerner in his autobiography, Chronicles. Speaking of the early 1960s, Koerner later said, "We were all goofy, you know. We were thinkers and drinkers and artists and players, and Dylan was one of us. He was another guy."

In 1965, Koerner recorded his first solo album, Spider Blues, for Elektra and appeared at the Newport Folk Festival accompanied by Glover. He continued playing on the folk circuit and joined with Willie Murphy to record Running, Jumping, Standing Still in 1969. The duo eventually split up, and Koerner pursued an unsuccessful career in filmmaking, retiring from music and moving to Copenhagen, Denmark. He later returned to music in the traditional folk genre and continued to perform and release new albums from time to time.

In 2008, Koerner, Ray & Glover were inducted into the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame under the category Blues Recordings for Blues, Rags and Hollers.

Koerner, Ray & Glover has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue, recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue. Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.

Discography

• with Koerner, Ray & Glover
  • Blues, Rags and Hollers (1963)
  • Lots More Blues, Rags and Hollers (1964)
  • The Return of Koerner, Ray & Glover (1965)
  • Good Old Koerner, Ray & Glover (1972)
  • One Foot in the Groove (1996)
• with Willie Murphy
  • Running, Jumping, Standing Still (1969)
  • Music Is Just a Bunch of Notes (1972)
• with Tony Glover
  • Live @ The 400 Bar (2009)
• Solo
  • Spider Blues (1965)
  • Some American Folk Songs Like They Used To (1974)
  • Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Been (1986)
  • Raised by Humans (1992)
  • StarGeezer (1996)
  • March 1963 (2010)
  • What's Left of Spider John (2013)

In popular culture

Science fiction writer Spider Robinson adopted his nickname out of admiration for Koerner and his music.