J.P. Soars

Born in Anaheim, California, in 1969, American blues guitarist and singer John Paul Soars grew up in Cedarville, Arkansas, learning to play guitar with his father from the age of eleven. Attracted to heavy metal, he took up the style when the family moved to Boca Raton, Florida, and hooked up with Malevolent Creation, who invited him to play on their album In Cold Blood (1997). He then formed his own band, Divine Empire, which produced four albums between 1998 and 2005, before turning to jazz and blues. After accompanying Terry Hanck and David Shelley, he formed the trio J.P. Soars & the Red Hots, then performed under his own name with bassist Don Gottlieb and drummer Chris Peet. His debut album, Back of My Mind, released in 2008, featured covers of blues classics and four original compositions. Subsequently, J.P. Soars forged a more personal style on the albums More Bees with Honey (2011), Full Moon Night in Memphis (2014) and Southbound I-95 (2018). In 2013, he formed the guitar trio Southern Hospitality with Damon Fowler and Victor Wainwright. A regular guest at blues festivals, J.P. Soars favors the stage over the studio, which he returns to in 2019 for Let Go of the Reins. Twice nominated for a Blues Music Award, he returns in 2024 with the album Brick by Brick.

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.