Artists
John Blackwell
Prince, The Mellowtones
Prince drummer and LP player, John Blackwell, was born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1973, and began playing drums at the age of three.
John’s main influence has been his father, John Blackwell, Sr., who had his own group, The Mellowtones, and who has played with many classic R&B bands during his career. John Sr. introduced his son to R&B and funk during his formative years through records and regular visits to concerts. During 1991-1992, John Jr. played in his high school jazz and marching bands, and with the local professional R&B Jazz Fusion group, Robert Newton and Lotusfete.
John became interested in jazz as a teenager, but it was not until he studied at the Berklee College of Music, from 1992-1995, that he began to fully comprehend it. After graduating from Berklee, John landed his first gig with R&B artist Larry Blackmon and Cameo. He remained with Cameo for three years, and then moved to Los Angeles, California, where he began touring with Patti LaBelle. It was during this tour, that he met Larry Graham and Prince, who expressed an interest in his playing abilities. After the Patti LaBelle tour had ended, and he had completed a short gig with Utada Hikaru, Japan’s number one pop star, John officially signed with Prince in September of 2000.
John sights his father, Prince, Morris Day, Jonathan Moffett, Larry Blackmon, Li’l John Roberts, Yogi Horton, Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, and Zoro, as well as many others, as the major influences on his drumming style. He is currently playing with Prince and the New Power Generation, and can be heard on Utada Hikaru’s newest album, Distance playing on the song Parody.
