Most folks know that Powell St. John is a singer and songwriter. Well-known in the mid-'60s Austin folk scene, he worked and played at Kenneth Threadgill's, doing vocals and harmonica with Janis Joplin and Lanny Wiggins as "The Waller Creek Boys." By the late '60s, he was performing with folks like Charlie Prichard in the Vulcan Gas Company's house band, The Conqueroo, and Tracy Nelson in Mother Earth as well as writing songs for the 13th Floor Elevators.
Powell's great songs have been covered by a number of artists including Janis Joplin (Bye, Bye Baby), Boz Scaggs (I’ll Forever Sing), Tracy Nelson (Livin’ with the Animals), Doug Sahm (You Don’t Know), and Roky Erickson (Right Track Now).
The Texas Music Hall of Fame inducted Powell in 2005 as part of the SXSW Music Conference. While here, he was mobbed at every event he attended by adoring fans, a group of whom took advantage of his visit by arranging for him to record a new CD, Right Track Now.
Like many multi-talented musicians, Powell St. John is also a visual artist. Surrealistic in slant and fully grounded in the world of fantasy, his artwork reflects a certain obsession with the female figure, flowing plant life, and mystical imagery. The South Austin Museum of Popular Culture will host an exhibit of almost 100 pieces of Powell's pencil drawings and watercolors from March 7 to April 11, 2009.
Selected images from Powell's exhibit...
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Artist Reception
Saturday, March 14, 2009 @ 7:09 P.M.
Music at 8:00 P.M. on the outdoor stage
Parking on Collier Street
$5 suggested donation
Powell will greet visitors until he takes the stage at 8:00 to perform with the Aliens and special guest Alex Maas of the Black Angels.
Please remember that there is no parking on our premises and leave your car on Collier Street, which is just south of the Museum.
The requested $5 donation at the door goes to offset expenses for the exhibit and support the Museum's ongoing programs.
For more information, please contact the Museum at info@samopc.org.
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For more information about Powell St. John, check out his Web site and MySpace.
