John Walker (musician)
John Joseph Maus (November 12, 1943 – May 7, 2011), known professionally as John Walker, was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the founder of the Walker Brothers, who had their greatest success in the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom.
Not to be confused with John Maus or John Walker (organist).Early life and career[edit]
John Maus was born in New York City, the son of John Joseph Maus Sr., who was of German extraction, and his wife Regina. With his parents and his older sister, Judith, he moved to California in 1947, at first settling in Redondo Beach, California and later in Hermosa Beach. He began learning saxophone, clarinet and guitar as a child, and by the age of 11 also began acting and appearing in TV talent shows. He had a role in the sitcom Hello Mom, and small uncredited parts in the movies The Eddy Duchin Story (1956) and The Missouri Traveler (1958). He became a friend of Ritchie Valens, and was an honorary pallbearer at Valens' funeral. In 1959, the family moved again, to Inglewood, California, where he made the acquaintance of future Beach Boys members David Marks and Dennis and Carl Wilson, helping to teach them guitar.[2] He began using the name John Walker at the age of 17, because he was unhappy at how people pronounced his real name.[3][4]
From 1957 onwards, he worked as singer and guitarist with his sister, as the duo John and Judy. They recorded several singles for the Aladdin, Dore, Arvee and Eldo labels between 1958 and 1962. In 1961, they formed a backing band and performed as John, Judy and the Newports, until the band split up after an engagement in Hawaii. They then met Scott Engel, who had been playing bass in The Routers, and, with drummer "Spider" Webb, formed a new band, Judy and the Gents. Maus obtained an ID card in the name of John Walker, to perform in clubs around Los Angeles while under the legal age to do so. In 1963, Walker and Engel, with two other musicians, toured the Midwest as "The Surfaris", although the group included none of the musicians who played on the Surfaris' records. Walker also released his first solo record, "What a Thrill", on the Almo label, with The Blossoms as backing singers.[3]
Personal life[edit]
Walker was married four times. He married American pop singer Kathy Young in 1965; they divorced in 1968. In 1971 he married Julie Parker-Cann; they divorced a few years later. He married Brandy Nielsen in 1980; they divorced in 2003. In December 2003, he married Cynthia, who sang with him on tour. At the time of his 2009 book, Walker lived in California and had two children and three grandchildren.[3]
In 2010, Walker was diagnosed with liver cancer. He died of the disease, at his Los Angeles home on May 7, 2011.[2]