Jon d'Gris grew up in Shreveport, LA in the days when KWKH Radio was broadcasting the poplar Louisiana Hayride program which is where many people first heard of Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Hank Snow, Conway Twitty, Floyd Cramer, and many more. Jonny, as he was known to his family and friends, listened while lying in bed on Saturday nights as a youngster taking it all in. When Jonny was 6, his grandmother passed away and left money in her will to buy him a piano. She and her sisters were Jonny's first audience when they would have him sing for them. Piano lessons from a lady at church were not very successful but he did learn his way around the keyboard. The lessons lasted until the "British Invasion" took place. Jonny was blown away by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and especially the Animals and learned to play piano and sing by trying to copy what he heard. At the age of 14, Jonny bought a Farfisa Combo Compact organ with noney from his paper route and formed his first rock band, the Squires, sometimes jokingly called the Squirrels. For about a year, the Squires were the rage of the local teeny boppers. Then, at the age of 15, Johnny decided to "relocate" to New Orleans where he acquired a fake ID and got a gig on Bourbon Street at a place called the Gunga Den. This was his first exposure to the drugs, alcohol, and seediness of the night life. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Jon got busted and was returned to Shreveport where he received a sentence to the Louisiana state reform school known as LTI. This put a damper on his musical aspirations for a while, but not on his musical development. This was the period where he really began to define himself as a singing piano player. After a couple of years, no longer on probation or living with his parents, the young man found his way to the once infamous and popular, but now defunct, Bossier City Strip. The strip was a long string of bars and nightclubs scattered along US Highway 80 in Bossier City, Louisiana
just across the river from Shreveport. It was a lively place where bikers, hookers, B girls, and the like thrived. IDs were not checked, so underage drunken teenagers were plentiful, as were airmen from nearby Barksdale Air Force Base. Overall, it was a great place for young Jonny to learn to party and still continue to develop musically.
Over the next few years he continued to perform and record with a variety of other musicians before relocating to Fort Worth, Texas. Once in Texas, Jonny continued to perform, record, and tour with a new and very different variety of musicians. During this time, he was in high demand as both a session player and as a performer. Oddly enough, he never released an album under his own name until now.
In the years that followed, Jonny continued his reckless lifestyle learning about life, love, and back roads motorcycle journeys. For many years, the Harley became his lifestyle and is still a big part of it. Getting off the bike to make music became a challenge, but eventually he began to find a balance.
On one such trip, he stopped in South Louisiana to visit a dying friend. The friend, with nearly his last breath, told Jonny that everyone had expected him to be a big success and make a name for himself. Then, the friend asked about what had happened that kept him from having that sort of success. This prompted Johnny to seriously question himself and how he had spent his life. He concluded that what had gone wrong was too many distractions, namely motorcycles, women, and partying.
Then, along comes the beautiful and magnificent Lavender Lady. This woman picked up the pieces of a broken man and put him back together better than he had ever been before. She gave him love and hope and taught him to feel alive again. It took him years to come out of his shell and begin to give her the love she deserved and to return the love she had shown him.
The album, which is credited to Jon d'Gris, is the story of Jon d'Gris and the Lavender Lady. He began to write with intensity and purpose fueled by a passion he had never known. She has been inspiration, muse, and co-writer, as well as friend, lover, and teacher. She very patiently helped him to tear down the walls with which he had surrounded himself even though it left him vulnerable. Most importantly, she taught him about intimacy. He owes his life to her.
This album is titled “You and I” by Jon d'Gris, and the upcoming performances will be the album in its entirety as well as the stories behind the songs. Although the album is credited to Jon d'Gris, it is absolutely the work of two people, very much in love, and sharing that love through the music. “You and I” is an album that is truly an expression of love, devotion, and inspiration. It speaks for itself.