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Born in the Ottawa Valley, John was performing by the age of six, with his uncle Hector as his back-up band. Talent shows, contests and house parties in the early years gave John the experience and confidence to form his first duo with his friend, Doug Olson, while attending Rideau High School. They later added more musicians and became known as The Telstars, backing up local TV personality, John Pozer, host of CJOH’s Saturday Date. John’s next band, Eastern Passage, played at high schools and teen dances throughout the Ottawa area and released two singles, before disbanding in the late 1960's.
John’s father’s influence and love of traditional country music guided John to join the Good Tyme Band, followed by Fern and the Country Canadians, and he found country music to be a perfect fit for his voice and style. The John Henry Band, formed in the early 1970's and subsequently re-named John Henry and Raw Country, backed Lucille Starr in her appearance at the famous Golden Rail. The group later became known as the "Steel Drivin’ Band" with the addition of Claude (Quincy) Damphousse.
One of the first artists to record at Snocan studios, John had five releases on that label, all of which were produced by Barry Brown and Peter James. Another release, on the Stardust label, took John to the West, where he toured for nine years, performing at the Boggy Creek Festival in Manitoba with Ronnie Prophet, The Rhythm Pals and Al Cherney. John returned home in 1990 and continues to perform in the Ottawa Valley.
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