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Johnny j Rivera
Johnny j Rivera Guitarist/Vocalist something different than what you would expect. Music from the heart for the heart............
About Me
Born in French Camp, CA. and raised in San Pedro, CA., Johnny j Rivera has been singing
his whole life, then first picked up a guitar at the age of 13. First inspired by The Beatles,
Earth, Wind and Fire, Albert King, and B.B King, these artists set him on his stylistic
journey. After high school, he took a three hour a day bus journey to Hollywood ,CA to
pursue his musical career, attending the Musicians Institute in 1985, where he discovered
his passion for blues and jazz, studying with Joe Pass, Frank Gambale, Norman Brown, Don
Mock, and Scott Henderson, while playing, with many blues and r&b groups in L.A to
solidify his unique style. Before graduating Muscians Institute, he was tapped on the
shoulder by legendary guitarist, Norman Brown to play keyboards and sing in Norman
Brown’s group. Johnny says, “It was a thrill of a lifetime, but I was definitely out of my
element at that point in my career, and just in awe of him. But, Norman was very gracious
and took me under his wing, and I learned a lot from him. That experience defined who I
am today musically”.
He delivered his debut CD, Trying To Catch Rain, which he wrote all the songs for and
played most of the instruments. The first single “Lady Cab Driver” peaked at number six on
the smoothjazznow charts. The single also made it into the best songs of 2010 charts. His
current single “If Only You Knew” is in heavy rotation locally at 91.5 KUNV, in Las Vegas
where Johnny currently resides.
His fan base stretches from Japan to France as shown by his sales in different countries
around the world. Johnny has played at The Mandalay Bay Resort, The Tropicana, The
Wynn, The Belagio, The House Of Blues, and has performed for crowds at festivals of over
fifty thousand people in Los Angeles as a musical director for televised performances on
Telemundo/NBC, Azteca America, and Kwhy 22 Los Angeles. He also performed at the
2011 ALMA Awards “After Party”, in Los Angeles hosted by George Lopez.
It has been a long journey for Johnny j Rivera, but one thing is for sure, his audiences love
the music, and the vibe his band brings to the stage each and every night.