Texas Twister: The Johnny Copeland Story

 Johnny "Clyde" Copeland traveled a long way from the ghetto's of Houston's Third Ward to blues super stardom in the early 1990's. Before his death in 1997 Copeland was riding a wave of success with several recordings on a major label, a Grammy Award as well as multiple W.C. Handy Awards. His newer fans were likely unaware of his rich musical background and a lengthy recording career that stretched way back to 1958.

 Johnny Copeland was born March 27, 1937, in Haynesville, LA, about 15 miles south of Magnolia, AR (formerly Texarkana). The son of sharecroppers, his father died when he was very young, but Copeland was given his father's guitar. Copeland moved with his family to Houston in 1950. Copeland was one of a small fraternity of talented guitarists including Joe "Guitar" Hughes, Albert Collins and Johnny "Guitar" Watson who grew up within blocks of each other in Houston's Third Ward which was also the home of Lightnin' Hopkins. Influenced by T-Bone Walker and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown the group jammed and learned from one another at various Houston joints like The Eldorado, The Club Matinee and particularly a place called Shady's Playhouse. His first gig was with his friend Joe "Guitar" Hughes who together formed a band called the Dukes of Rhythm. Copeland first started as a drummer in the band but eventually gravitated to the guitar and it was Hughes who gave him his early lessons. It was a good natured rivalry as Copeland stated: "He was my teacher, and you always want to beat the teacher." Copeland departed from the Dukes of Rhythm and joined another band, taking the place of Albert Collins, and the band soon became the house band at Shady's Playhouse.

 Copeland's talents eventually caught the eye of Duke/Peacock Records boss Don Robey in 1957. Though he never recorded for the label, he claimed to have co-written the song, "Further On Up The Road" with his friend Joe Medwick. When Medwick took the song to Robey, he apparently sold its rights without Johnny's name included and the song was given to Bobby Bland who scored a hit with the number. In 1958, Copeland along with local Blues pianist Teddy Reynolds, recorded his first single. Appearing on the Mercury label, "Rock And Roll Lily" was a regional hit, but failed to catch much attention outside of Houston. During the 1960s he cut sides for a number of small labels like All Boy, Paradise, Suave, Bragg, Wand, Jet Stream, Brown Sugar, Wet Soul and Golden Eagle. It was with Golden Eagle that Johnny found regional success with the single "Down On Bended Knees" in 1962 which became a staple of his repertoire and "Please Let Me Know."

 The '60s music scene in Texas was drifting away from the blues and Copeland found himself working often on tours with R&B and Soul artists such as Otis Redding and Eddie Floyd. He continued to record, working with such labels as Atlantic and Kent into the '70s. The blues in Houston was waning in popularity by this time and Copeland decided to relocate to New York City in 1975.
 
  Copeland received a recording deal with Rounder Records in 1981. Copeland recorded seven albums for Rounder Records, beginning in 1981 and including "Copeland Special" (W.C. Handy Award winner), "Make My Home Where I Hang My Hat", "Texas Twister", "Bringing It All Back Home", "When the Rain Starts a Fallin'", "Ain't Nothing But a Party" (live, nominated for a Grammy) and "Boom Boom." He also won a Grammy award in 1986 for his efforts on an Alligator album, "Showdown!" with Robert Cray and Albert Collins. In 1992, Copeland signed a new record contract with the Verve label. He released three albums with them, including including "Flyin' High", "Catch Up with the Blues" and his final recording "Jungle Swing" in 1996.

 As the '80s moved on, Copeland began to suffer health problems. Unknown to him he had not only inherited a guitar from his father, but also heart disease. Over the next few years, he experienced several heart attacks and underwent open-heart surgery eight times. Following a performance in Colorado in March, 1995, Copeland suffered yet another heart attack which forced him to spend a week in a Denver hospital. While there, his actual condition was discovered to be worse than he ever knew.

 On May 5, 1995, a new medical device was installed which was connected to his left ventricle and ran off batteries from a strap on his shoulder. The device was called a Left Ventricular Assist Device (L-VAD). Only two hours following the placement of the L-VAD, Johnny's condition worsened with his blood pressure becoming almost nonexistent and his body began to shut down as he slipped into a short coma. An R-VAD (Right Ventricular Assist Device) also had to be inserted, but eventually he began to stabilize and it was removed. Copeland was placed onto a waiting list to receive a heart transplant. Despite his health problems, Copeland continued to perform and his always spirited concerts did not diminished all that much. After living 20 months on the L-VAD — the longest anyone had lived on the device — he received a heart transplant on January 1, 1997 and for a few months, the heart worked fine and he continued to tour. However, the heart developed a defective valve, necessitating heart surgery in the summer. Copeland died of complications during heart surgery on July 3, 1997.

Essential Listening

The Crazy Cajun Recordings (Edsel): 21 tracks recorded in the mid/late 60s. Most of this material was never originally issued but turned up on various Crazy Cajun LP's in the late 70s after Johnny had started recording his acclaimed albums for Rounder. Some fine soulful moments including "Gonna Make My Home Where I Hang My Hat", "Working Man's Blues" and the heartfelt "Tribute To Sam Cooke."

Working Man's Blues (Fuel 2000): Indispensable collection of Copeland's early sides including the impassioned "Down On Bending Knees", "Your Game Is Working", "It's My Own Tears That's Being Wasted" among others.

Copeland Special (Rounder): His Rounder debut is a killer and includes gems like "Claim Jumper", a fine remake of "Down On Bended Knee" and "Copeland Special" among others.

Honky Tonkin' (Rounder): A budget sampling from Copeland's five Rounder albums from the 1980s. A strong cross-section and a good introduction to this artist's Rounder period.

Showdown (Alligator): A scorching summit meeting between Texas guitar veterans Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland and newcomer Robert Cray.

Flyin' High (Verve): Excellent latter day recording. This 1992 date boasts guests like Dr. John, Hank Crawford and David "Fathead" Newman. The Uptown Horns and The Calvin Owens Rhythm Section also contribute mightily. Highlights include
"Flyin' High", "Hooked, Hog-Tied & Collared" and "San Antone."