John Popper
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John Popper (born March 29, 1967) is the frontman and a founding member of the jam band Blues Traveler. He performs harmonica and vocals. He is widely considered a harmonica virtuoso, and is listed by harmonica manufacturer Hohner as a "Featured Artist", an accolade reserved for only the best and most successful harmonica players.
He frequently works as a guest musician for other bands. He has known to have performed with Dave Matthews Band, Karl Denson, San Francisco's Culann's Hounds[link] and even with the Hungarian Ambassador to the United States.
He performed with The Smashing Pumpkins on the second day of their 1997 Bridge School Benefit acoustic gig, contibuting harmonica for their song Porcelina of the Vast Oceans. Popper's solo gained major applause from the audience.
Popper also appears on the Spin Doctors' most successful album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite, contributing to the upbeat pop track "More Than She Knows." His harmonica music can be heard in the feature film Blues Brothers 2000 (in which Blues Traveler appears). His harmonica was also featured on "What Would You Say", the second track on the Dave Matthews Band album, Under the Table and Dreaming.
Popper also composed and performed the theme song for the hit TV series Roseanne, which was an instrumental for most of the show's run, but actually featured his vocals during the final season. Additionally, Popper appeared on the show, playing Stingray Wilson on the episode "Of Mice and Dan." In this episode, John Goodman performs the Robert Johnson number, "Sweet Home Chicago" with Blues Traveler.
John Popper was obese for most of the band's history. After undergoing angioplasty surgery in July 1999, he continued to have health problems having weighed near 400 lb. In 2000, he underwent gastric bypass surgery, which led to a dramatic weight reduction.
He is an outspoken supporter of the Libertarian Party .
External link
| Blues Traveler |
| John Popper | Chan Kinchla | Brendan Hill | Tad Kinchla | Ben Wilson |
| Discography |
| Studio albums: Blues Traveler | Travelers and Thieves | Save His Soul | Four | Straight on Till Morning | Bridge | Truth Be Told | ¡Bastardos! |
| Live albums: Live from the Fall | | Live on the Rocks |
| Related articles |
| Zygote | John Popper Project | Bobby Sheehan | H.O.R.D.E. | Frogwings | Stolen Ogre | Jam bands |
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