Johnny Mars
b. 7 December 1942, Laurens, South Carolina, USA. During his youth, his family moved around the southeast, and Mars began playing harmonica before he was in his teens, influenced by older, local players and his sister's collection of blues records. He moved to New Paltz, New York, in 1958 and joined a high school band. In 1961, he was in the Train Riders and a few years later in Burning Bush (as bass guitarist and occasional harmonica player). In 1967, Mars settled in San Francisco, where he led his own band, then moved to England in 1972, working as a singer/harmonica player. He has subsequently recorded for the Big Bear, JSP, Ace, Sundance, President, and Lamborghine labels, sometimes with guitarist Ray Fenwick. Mars is a fine vocalist and a modern, adventurous, blues harmonica player.