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Today's Featured Biography

John Chandler

I started playing drums in my hometown of Amarillo Texas when I was 14, so I've been playing a wee bit over 54 years now. I started out playing in 1965, so I was doing the music of the day, Beatles, soul, then on to Acid Rock. In the early 70’s my tastes changed to Western Swing and country music. (Quite a change). Around 1971 I met Alvin Crow, and with the help of bassist Gary Roller, we formed the Pleasant Valley Boys, named after a suburb of Amarillo. We all moved to Austin in 1972 and started playing the Split Rail, Bevos, Soap Creek, the Armadillo, and The Broken Spoke.
I'm fortunate, to have been able to play, over the last 50 years, with some very talented and respected people in the business. In the past I've worked with, Jessie Ashlock, The Texas Playboys, Jimmy Day, Doug Sahm, Johnny Bush, Bert Rivera, Freddie Fender, Red Steagall, Trace Adkins (back when he was Tracy), and Michael Martin Murphey.
I spent 35, or so, years playing w/Alvin Crow, off and on, from 1971, to 2013. I'm currently working with Al Dressen’s Super Swing Review, and my band, The Johnathans, a 50’s, 60’s, Doo Wop, Surf, Beatle band. I occasionally work with, Big John Mills, Texas Fever, Dave Insley, Emily Herring, and Mike Clifford & Texas Aces. I play Western Swing, Traditional Country, (the only real country music), Big Band Swing, Classic R & R, and Garage Band. I have worked with enough different people, to be able to play almost any style with a smile. (Except the “New Country”, I can play it, just not a fan) which isn’t really country music anyway. Plus, I stay sober til the end of the night, most of the time.

I was also recently inducted into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame in 2014, an honor of which I'm quite proud.

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