Fremont John's Contrary Highway

Sept. 10, 2015

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Fremont John is a Michigan guy, born in Lansing and raised in Ludington. Inspired by a musical family, including a mother who played keyboards and a sister and brother who played piano and trombone, he’d soon find that music would be the one through-line in his life.

EARLY MUSICAL VISION

“I started piano at 5, voice lessons at 6, trombone at 7 and drums at 13,” John said. “I traded in the drums for a guitar a year later.”

The guitar is what stuck. “Guitar is what really captured me and it also captured the music of that time, of the ’60s and ’70s,” John said. “I had my first live gig at 14; I was really into Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd and Santana.”

He played with bands in high school and college, including a road band called Inner Visions.

“We’d tour for six weeks, have two weeks off, and go out for another six weeks,” John explained. “We had Detroit management and opened for major bands like Styx.”

But the gig was more of a fun placeholder, not a long-term career. So when an accident smashed up all the band’s equipment, he wasn’t exactly heartbroken.

“I said, ‘well, that’s that,’” he related.

FLORIDA BOUND

With no new band on the immediate horizon, John got married and ended up putting music on the back burner for nearly 10 years. He worked in banking and got a job as a repo man.

“I did very well and I was successful,” he said, “but eventually, I couldn’t do it any more. I was depressed. I resumed playing music on weekends, but the band I was playing with wasn’t working out. So I said, ‘heck, I’ll just grab a guitar and go do it myself.’” In 1999, he packed up everything and moved to Key West, Fla., where he started performing full time.

“I met people from all over the world and all walks of life,” he said.

Key West is well known as a place where you can often hear the “island escape” music of Jimmy Buffett, whether you like it or not. It was a good place for John to showcase his music, provided no one expected him to play Buffett covers.

“I never was a fan of him,” he laughed. “And I’m a contrarian; if something’s popular, I probably won’t like it. One day I was playing a gig in Key West and some tourists asked if I knew any Buffett. Right into the mic, I said, ‘No, I don’t know any of his songs.’ I got a standing ovation and people started giving me tip money!”

BACK IN THE GAME

As Floridians discovered John’s polished Buffett-free musical skills, they’d often ask what famous band he’d been in.

“I’ve never been a sideman,” he said, “but I’ve played alongside a lot of people who were, musicians who’d worked with people like Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. Lots of musicians from New York and New Jersey go to Key West, lots of session players.”

So, when John was ready to make his own album, he had all the connections in place.

“Thanks to this, my albums may be a cut above the usual,” he said.

John has a distinctive guitar sound; he uses a loop pedal over which he plays lead melodies.

“The guitar solos intertwine in and out of my lyrics, so my sound is reminiscent of Carlos Santana,” John explained. “But, where he’s electric, I’m acoustic.”

His latest album, the aptly-named Contrarian, is a mix of acoustic Americana and rock – originals plus a few covers – and includes contributions from Bob Dylan/Dr. John drummer Richard Crooks and Lou Reed sideman Fernando Saunders. Tracks like “Back in the Game,” “The Message” and his take on “City of New Orleans” show off John’s rootsy, classic sound.

TWO-STATE CAREER

Fremont John is now playing approximately 200 shows a year, living part time in Sarasota, Fla., and the rest in northern Michigan.

“My wife and I bought a house in Ludington two years ago and now we’re here eight months out of the year,” he said. “I love the land, the lake, the hills, the geography. We’ve always been in love with this area.”

“Florida is more of an escape from the cold,” he continued. “We basically wait for the weather to get better up here so we can come back!” Between following the sun and returning to the career that makes him happy, John is doing pretty well these days. “I guess I gave up a financial future by walking away from the business, but it was killing my family life and me from the inside out,” he said. “Since I went back into music, I haven’t needed any antidepressants.”

Up next, he’s pursuing more gigs in the Traverse City area, planning a new CD and putting together not one, but two, bands.

“I do want a couple of bands,” he confirmed. “One here in Michigan and one in Florida. Then I can be performing all the time, at both ends of the road.”

Fremont John can be found performing at venues like The Mitten in Ludington, Flat Landers in Grand Rapids and Left Foot Charley in Traverse City. For his complete schedule and more information, visit fremontjohn.com.