John Thomas Griffith, Rock n Roll Guitarist

John Thomas Griffith (Cowboy Mouth) performs on the The Rock Boat, 2018

John Thomas Griffith and Cowboy Mouth

Born in Texas, John Thomas Griffith lived in a handful of places before he landed in New Orleans. The son of an engineer, Griff fell in love with music at an early age. He was part of the 1980s punk band Red Rockers who had a hit with the single “China,” before teaming up with Fred Leblanc, Paul Sanchez, and Paul Clement to form Cowboy Mouth.

Today, John, Fred, Matt Jones, and Brian Broussard are Cowboy Mouth. As Fred likes to proclaim, “the name of the band is Cowboy Mouth, and we are from New Orleans, Louisiana.”

In this episode, Mark sits down with John Thomas Griffith (or JTG or Griff) to talk about his life in music. The two wander through an incredible history of music influences, from a man his parents invited over to dinner when Griff was a child to playing alongside Chuck Barry and Bo Diddley.

Along the way, we learn about the various influences and how they affect Griff and the band today. If you are a fan of rock n roll music, you’ll love this trip through history. If you love Cowboy Mouth, you’ll appreciate the chance to learn about the guy who makes a living rocking out on the left side of the stage 150+ times a year.

And, if you simply love New Orleans, sit back and enjoy learning about how this city and her music got into the veins of one of the best guitar players around!

Note: we recorded this interview while aboard the Rock Boat, with Sister Hazel, Barenaked Ladies, Cowboy Mouth and a host of other bands and music lovers.

Resources

You can find John’s music and information about what he is working on at his website. You can also purchase his music on iTunes.

Follow Griff on Twitter (@JTGWorld), too.

For all things Cowboy Mouth, head on over to their webpage.

If you are a Cowboy Mouth fan, be sure to check out John’s solo version of Everybody Loves Jill on his 2004 release, Apples and Onions. A completely different sound than the version you are used to hearing! Same thing with Man on the Run.

Thank You

Thanks to John Thomas Griffith for taking time out of his vacation to sit down with me and talk music. It was an absolute pleasure. Special thanks to his girlfriend Kim for putting up with the two of us at the expense of enjoying a drink on the pool deck!

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