User:Martin John Butler/sandbox

MARTIN JOHN BUTLER, recording artist, singer/songwriter/guitarist/music teacher was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., lived in London until four years old, attended Lincoln High School and Brooklyn College. At the age of six, was a soloist in the NY All City chorus, and was featured and recorded at Brooklyn Technical High School with the entire chorus as backup at nine years of age for an after school educational PBS program. Growing up in Brooklyn, near the NBC television studios, Martin John attended tapings of many of NBC's classic variety shows. Seeing so many of America's greatest musical artists live, including Ray Charles, and at fifteen years old, met Johnny Cash, who encouraged him to continue in music. Martin's first band Triton became popular in Brooklyn, won Lincoln High School's Battle of the Bands and at sixteen years old, played a sold out Cafe Wha' in New York's Greenwich Village, and had a weekend residency at Dodgers Bar, a well known Blues/Jazz club at the time in downtown Brooklyn.

Martin's next band Pandora, was a Glam/Slam band that played in the NY area, most notably at Max's Kansas City. Pandora featured future stars, drummer Frankie LaRocca, (Tom Petty, Bryan Adams, John Waite, David Johansen Band, music producer of the movie Philadelphia), bassist Buzzy Verno, ( David Johansen Band, Cherry Vanilla) and vocalist Ric Prince (Plum Nelly, Mick Jones). Arf Arf records "posthumously" released an album of a demo Pandora recorded in a Cleveland, Ohio loft when Martin John was nineteen, to acclaim in Rolling Stone and a cult following online.

After Pandora, Martin John formed The Demons with singer Eliot Kidd, originally featuring Heartbreakers guitarist Walter Lure. The Demons were part of the first wave of Punk bands playing at CBGB. Originally managed by Hilly Crystal, they recorded a Live at CBGB vol. II that was never released, but that led to The Demons signing with Mercury Records, their debut album was produced by Craig Leon (Ramones, Blondie). Their album, "The Demons" sold 250,000 copies and reached Billboard's number one in 11 states, but the untimely death of drummer Mike Rappoport, and incarceration of singer Eliot Kidd on drug charges led to Mercury dropping them from the label. The Demons shared a loft and friendships with The New York Dolls and bills with legendary groups such as Blondie, Mink Deville, The Ramones, The Dictators, Patti Smith, Television and many other great NYC bands. After The Demons' demise, Martin John begin a solo career, writing and producing music for radio and television. His songs were used in many TV shows, including Wiseguy, the A-Team and Walker, Texas Ranger, eventually winning a CLIO award, and RIAA Best Radio Commercial as a writer/producer.

Martin John then formed The Very Few with ex-Demon, Bob Jones and Escalators/Robert Fripp drummer Paul Duskin, playing such legendary New York venues as Max's Kansas City, Privates, The Mudd Club and CBGB's. The Very Few did a five song EP for Epic Records when once again, personal tragedy forced the band to break up. Martin John began teaching music privately throughout a ten year battle with a life threatening illness, emerging as a singer/songwriter/producer with a solo CD, "Watching The Days Fall" in 2007. His song "Wait For Nothing" was featured in the compilation CD "Day One", the proceeds going to survivors of the 9/11 tragedy. Martin John continues teaching guitar as company director of The Rock & Roll Schoolhouse. Married in 2012 to yoga teacher,reflexologist, Janet Dailey, a former Elite model and Atlantic Records recording artist with The Pleasure Bombs, they are currently forming a new Americana/Folk Rock band called The Butlers, with his long time ally, drummer Paul Duskin and NY guitarist/producer Freddie Katz. Martin John did a solo set in October, 2014 at the Antique Archaeology site in Nashville, where the hit TV show American Pickers is filmed, and is currently working on The Butlers first release.

More information and music can be found at www.martinjohnbutler.com