Harlem: Week of 7/2/07 - Johnny "Guitar" Watson

Johnny "Guitar" Watson

Johnny "Guitar" Watson is one of the most underrated R&B guitar players of the 1950s. He began his career as a piano player for Chuck Higgins' band before jumping ship as a solo performer for Federal Records in 1953. He scored his biggest hit of the '50s with the Bihari Brothers RPM Label in 1955 with his cover of Earl King's "Those Lonely Lonely Nights". This week, you'll hear the best of Watson's 1950s recordings, including a demo version of the infamous "Gangster Of Love", which at that time was called "Bandit Of Love". Don't miss it as Matt The Cat reveals the story behind the story on one of the original bad boys of R&B.

Harlem Airs On XM 5:
Monday 7/2 @ 1pm EST
Tuesday 7/3 @ 9pm over LA and Midnight over NYC
Friday 7/6 @ 6pm EST
Sunday 7/8 @ 11am EST

Happy 4th Of July!