Studebaker John & the Hawks  Blues Band from Chicago, IL

Studebaker John and the Hawks: Legendary Contmporary Chicago Blues that also touches on Rock and other Americana influences. John is a singer, slide guitar, harmonica player, and songwriter influenced by a variety of classic slide guitar players such as Elmore James, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Hound Dog Taylor, JB Hutto and smoking Chicago style harmonica influences such as Little Walter, James Cotton, and Big Walter Horton, all with a contemporary edge. His songwriting is more contemporary and has been featured in a number of movies, TV and radio commercials. Studebaker John Grimaldi was born in an Italian-American section of Chicago and started playing harmonica at age 7. Under the spell of music he heard on Maxwell Street, Chicago's famed blues melting pot, Grimaldi began performing as Studebaker John and the Hawks in the '70s. The band name referenced the Studebaker Hawk, a car Grimaldi still owns today, and was also intended as a tribute to his friend, J.B. Hutto and the Hawks. John began playing guitar after a life-changing experience of seeing Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers perform. "…Hound Dog started playing, hitting notes that sent chills up and down my spine. He was versatile and powerful and would play rhythm as well as leads. I left there knowing what I wanted to do. I had to play slide guitar."

• I am the Houserocker | Studebaker John