Known as the Tan Canary for his extraordinary vocal range and tonal purity, Johnny Adams was one of New Orleans' most gifted singers — a man capable of moving effortlessly between R&B, blues, jazz, and gospel, bringing deep feeling to everything he touched.
Biography
Adams was born in New Orleans in 1932 and came up singing gospel before Allen Toussaint produced his early R&B records for Ric Records in the late 1950s and early 1960s. After years of regional success and near-misses with national stardom, he found his true artistic home at Rounder Records in the 1980s, where a series of albums produced by Scott Billington paired his remarkable voice with sophisticated jazz and blues settings. Walking on a Tightrope, his collection of Percy Mayfield songs, is considered one of the great vocal albums in New Orleans history. He continued recording until shortly before his death in 1998, leaving behind a catalog that rewards exploration at every turn.
Remembered
Pianist Jon Cleary backed Adams in the 1980s and played on his Walking on a Tightrope sessions for Rounder Records. Writing on his Substack, Cleary remembers him as one of the city's great vocalists:
“He will forever be acknowledged as one of the city’s great vocalists. In another life, Johnny could have been one of the three Tenors. He would have given Pavarotti a run for his money. His pitch was perfect, his range was wide and he had the strongest falsetto I’ve ever heard, a device that he would occasionally unleash, a sound that would reach up to the sky.”
— Jon Cleary, excerpted from his SubstackCleary’s start with Adams came by accident: after sitting in with Walter ‘Wolfman’ Washington at an uptown bar, Washington asked him to back Johnny at Dorothy’s Medallion Lounge — with no rehearsal. “Johnny was unforgiving and though he was a great singer he was unable to give clear direction; my only clue was to watch Walter’s fingers and guess what chord was coming over the horizon. I must have passed the audition, as I was asked back the following night, and the Friday/Saturday 2am to 6am gig became part of my regular weekly calendar.”
His enduring memory of Adams: “driving one afternoon past the intersection of Claiborne and Orleans with Mighty Sam McClain and spotting Johnny. He was dressed immaculately, suave in a suit and tie, and was practicing his golf strokes in the shade under the Claiborne bridge.”
Discography
Sources
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