John Stewart
John Coburn Stewart
September 5, 1939
San Diego, California, U.S.
January 19, 2008 (aged 68)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Guitar, banjo
- The Cumberland Three
- The Kingston Trio
Early life[edit]
Born in San Diego, Stewart was the son of horse trainer John S. Stewart and spent his childhood and adolescence in Southern California, living mostly in the cities of Pasadena and Claremont. He graduated in 1957 from Pomona Catholic High School, which at the time was a coeducational school.[3] Following graduation from high school, John went on to attend Mt. San Antonio Junior College in Walnut, California, during 1957–1958, when he was active in its music and theater programs.[4] He demonstrated an early talent for music, learning the guitar and banjo. He composed his first song, "Shrunken Head Boogie," when he was ten years old. In an interview in Michael Oberman's 'Music Makers' column (The Washington Star) on 30 October 1971, Stewart said, "I bought a ukulele when I was in Pasadena. I would listen to Sons of the Pioneers records. Tex Ritter really turned me on to music. 'I Love My Rooster' was Top Ten as far as I was concerned."
Personal life[edit]
Stewart had a passion for painting, doing art shows and covers for his recordings and books. He continued to be a prolific songwriter and toured the United States and Europe regularly. He married Julie Koehler in 1960, having three children with her[10] and resided in Marin County, California.[11] He met his second wife, Buffy Ford Stewart, through music and married her in 1975.[10] Stewart's brother Mike, who died in 2002, founded the folk-rock group We Five in the mid-1960s. He was the uncle of Jamie Stewart of the band Xiu Xiu.
Death[edit]
In 2007, Stewart was diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, but resolved to continue performing for as long as he was able.[12] On January 19, 2008, he died from a stroke at a San Diego hospital, ten days before a scheduled performance in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 68 years old.[13][14]
In addition to his wife, Buffy, he was survived by their son Luke, along with three children from his first marriage: Amy, Jeremy, and Mikael (a sound technician).[15]