JJ Appleton, born Jon Jason Appleton, is an American musician and singer-songwriter based in New York City who has toured throughout the United States extensively in support of his own records and also with other bands including Jamie Cullum,[citation needed] Newton Faulkner,[citation needed] Pete Yorn,[citation needed] Edwin McCain,[citation needed] Sister Hazel,[citation needed] Joan Osborne,[citation needed] Keb Mo,[citation needed] Hootie and the Blowfish.[citation needed] Previously a member of the popular New York band The Grasshoppers Based on the recognition he was receiving in England,[dubiousdiscuss] Appleton decided to move to London in 2006 where he became a regularly featured performer at popular venues such as Ronnie Scott's, The Borderline, and The Regal Room. In the meantime, the single "Walk Into The Room" and its accompanying video became a favorite on English radio and MTV Two.[citation needed]

JJ Appleton
JJ Appleton in 2008
JJ Appleton in 2008
Background information
Birth nameJon Jason Appleton
Born (1967-04-19) April 19, 1967 (age 57)
OriginNorwich, Vermont, U.S.
GenresRock
OccupationsSinger-songwriter, musician
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals, piano, bass guitar, synclavier
Formerly ofThe Grasshoppers
Websitewww.jjappleton.com

Early life

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Appleton was born in Norwich, Vermont, on April 4, 1967, the son of Georganna Towne and Jon H. Appleton, a composer and professor of electro-acoustic music at Dartmouth College.[citation needed] JJ has attributed his mother's support, quoted as saying "She definitely encouraged my musical pursuits. She would tape record me singing twenty minute songs about Viking battles and spaghetti when I was 6".[1][failed verification][better source needed]

Work as songwriter, composer, music consultant and producer

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As a music consultant, Appleton has been featured at music industry meetups, teaching advertising, television, and film composition.[2]

Collaboration with Jason Ricci

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In 2014/2015, Appleton teamed up with Jason Ricci to record an acoustic blues album entitled Dirty Memory, which Appleton also produced. Hailed[by whom?] as "keeping the tradition of Piedmont blues alive"[3][better source needed] and "a killer, wild man of a set that almost sounds like early Holy Modal Rounders played straight,"[4][better source needed] the album spent 10 weeks on the Roots Music Report's Top 50 Acoustic Blues Albums chart. Six of the tracks from Dirty Memory dominated the Top 10 Acoustic Blues Singles chart in the autumn of 2015,[5] and in November 2015 Dirty Memory was given the 2015 Jimi Award for "best new artist debut" by Blues 411.[6]

Tours and notable appearances

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In November 2015, Appleton was chosen to be one of two guitarists (along with Chris McQueen of Snarky Puppy) in the New York Theatre Workshop’s production of Lazarus, starring Michael C. Hall and Cristin Milioti and co-written by David Bowie and Enda Walsh. The play features new and revamped songs by Bowie, and is based on Walter Tevis’ novel The Man Who Fell to Earth.[7]

Notable live and television appearances include:

Previous bands

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Appleton is one of the founding members of the New York based band The Grasshoppers, along with Mario Joachim and David Hamburger. The Grasshoppers, who counted among their fans Paul McCartney, Jeff Buckley and the conductor Seiji Ozawa, have been described in reviews as "One of the most influential and melodic rock / pop bands on the New York City Scene in the mid 1990s".[11][better source needed]

References

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  1. ^ [1] [dead link]
  2. ^ "JJ Appleton on Composing for Film, TV and Advertising – Hit Songs Deconstructed". Hit Songs Deconstructed. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  3. ^ "JJ Appleton and Jason Ricci Dirty Memory – Making A Scene!". Making A Scene!. August 6, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  4. ^ "09/21/15 – Midwest Record – Entertainment Reviews, News, and Views". Midwestrecord.com. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  5. ^ "Roots Music Report: Top 50 Acoustic Blues Album Chart". Roots Music Report. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  6. ^ "2015 Blues411 jimi awards/". Blues411.com. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  7. ^ Soloski, Alexis (November 1, 2015). "A Visit to the Strange, Secretive World of David Bowie's 'Lazarus'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  8. ^ "Donny Osmond, Moon River". Retrieved November 22, 2015 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ "Apollo Theater Celebrates Its Rich Legacy With 10th Annual Spring Gala". The Huffington Post. June 9, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  10. ^ "Late Show With Stephen Colbert". TVGuide.com. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  11. ^ [2] [dead link]
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