John Butler (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Butler
John Butler performing in Perth (2012)
Background information
Birth name	John Charles Wiltshire-Butler
Born	(1975-04-01) 1 April 1975 (age 50) Torrance, California, U.S.
Origin	Pinjarra, Western Australia
Genres	Blues rock, alternative rock, jam rock, Celtic rock, roots rock, funk rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, record label owner, producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, drums, harmonica, didgeridoo, banjo, stomp box, ukulele
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Waterfront, Jarrah

John Charles Wiltshire-Butler (born 1 April 1975), known as John Butler, is an American-Australian singer, songwriter, and music producer. He is famous for being the leader of the John Butler Trio. This band plays a mix of roots rock and jam rock music. They started in Perth, Western Australia in 1998.

The John Butler Trio has released five studio albums. Three of these albums reached number one in Australia. These top albums were Sunrise Over Sea, Grand National, and April Uprising. John Butler's music and live shows have won many awards. These awards come from groups like the Australian Performing Right Association and the Australian Recording Industry Association.

Butler was born in the United States. He moved to Australia when he was young. He started playing the guitar when he was sixteen years old. In 2002, Butler and some friends started their own record label called Jarrah. He also helped create The JB Seed. This program gives money to help different kinds of artists in Australia.

John Butler's Early Life and Musical Start

John Charles Wiltshire-Butler was born on 1 April 1975. His father was Australian, and his mother was American. He was named after his grandfather, John Wiltshire. His grandfather was a forestry worker who died fighting a bushfire. John Butler has family roots from Britain, Bulgaria, and Greece. His family history was explored on an Australian TV show in 2009.

In January 1986, John's family moved to Western Australia. They settled in Pinjarra, a small country town. John went to school there. He began playing guitar at age sixteen. His grandmother gave him a special 1930s dobro guitar. This guitar belonged to his grandfather. In 1996, he started studying art at Curtin University in Perth. However, he soon left to focus on music. He started his music career by playing on the streets, known as busking, at the Fremantle Markets.

John Butler's Music Career

After high school, John Butler went to Encinitas, California. He spent two years there with his brother Jim. He started his music career in a band called Vitamin. Their first show was on 9 September 1994. Vitamin played in the San Diego area and once in Houston, Texas. They recorded two songs in 1994.

John Butler also played music on the streets of Fremantle. He played his own songs. In 1996, he released a cassette tape of his instrumental music. It was called Searching for Heritage. He sold 3,000 copies of it. He played different music styles like Indian, Celtic, bluegrass, and folk. His first paid show was in 1997 in Fremantle. In 1998, Phil Stevens, who owned a club, hired Butler. Stevens became his manager and later his business partner.

The Vitamin Band Years

John Butler started his music journey with the band Vitamin. They played many shows in the San Diego area. They even played a show in Houston, Texas. Vitamin recorded two songs, "Deadhorse" and "Mary Jane," in 1994. One of his bandmates, Ozzie Rea, later moved to Australia. He led a band called Proton. John Butler Trio's drummer also played with Proton.

The members of Vitamin included John Butler on 12-string guitar and vocals. Ozzie Rea was also on vocals. Other members played electric guitar, bass, congas, djembe, and harmonica.

Forming the John Butler Trio

Butler on electric guitar, 2009

John Butler formed the John Butler Trio with drummer Jason McGann and bass player Gavin Shoesmith. They released their first album, John Butler, in December 1998. Over the years, different musicians joined the band. These included drummers Michael Barker and Nicky Bomba. Bass players like Rory Quirk, Andrew Fry, Shannon Birchall, and Byron Luiters also played with the band. The band's music was influenced by groups like Black Sabbath and Fleetwood Mac. They toured around Western Australia in 1999.

Three Album Success

The band's second album was Three. John Butler helped produce it. It was released in April 2001. The album had popular songs like "Take" and "Betterman." These songs were played on the radio station Triple J. They also made it onto the station's annual "Hottest 100" list. The band performed at big music events like the Big Day Out and the Woodford Folk Festival.

Sunrise Over Sea Reaches Number One

The song "Zebra" came out as a single in December 2003. It was played on many radio stations and reached the top 30 on the Australian music charts. It was named 'Song of the Year' at the APRA Music Awards of 2004. The album, Sunrise Over Sea, was released in March 2004. It went straight to number one on the Australian Albums Chart. This was special because it was the first album released by an independent label to debut at number one. John Butler also won the 'Best Male Artist' award that year.

Grand National and Live Shows

In September 2006, the John Butler Trio shared updates about their next album. This album, Grand National, was released in March 2007 and also reached number one. In December 2006, they released an EP called Funky Tonight. It had songs from their live shows. The band played a special concert in Melbourne in 2007. Other musicians who worked on Grand National joined them. This concert was shown on TV and later released on DVD.

April Uprising and Family History

In October 2009, John Butler was on an Australian TV show. He performed for refugee children at a school. John Butler learned that his Bulgarian ancestors were part of the April Uprising. This historical event gave the name to the trio's next number one album, April Uprising, released in March 2010. Butler also performed at tribute concerts for Australian musicians.

In February 2011, Butler performed with his wife, Danielle Caruana, for the first time. She is also known as Mama Kin. They performed together at a charity event for homeless people.

Flesh and Blood and New Ways of Writing

The John Butler Trio started working on their sixth album in mid-2013. For the first time, the band members wrote songs together. Before, John Butler usually brought all the song ideas. They worked at The Compound in Fremantle, which is their band headquarters. One of the band members, Nicky Bomba, left to work on another project. Grant Gerathy replaced him as the drummer.

John Butler explained that he gathered ideas from many places for the album. He would take parts from his own life and stories he heard. He would then mix them to create new characters and explore different feelings.

One song on the album, "Wings Are Wide," was written for his grandmother. She gave him his grandfather's Dobro guitar. This guitar became very important for his songwriting. He said he wasn't into roots music when he first got it. The album Flesh and Blood was released in Australia on 8 February 2014. It was produced by Jan Skubiszewski. It also features a duet with singer Ainslie Wills.

John Butler's Solo Work

On 29 June 2007, John Butler performed a solo show in Denver, Colorado. This performance was released in January 2008 as an eight-song EP. It was called One Small Step. One dollar from each record sold went to a charity campaign. This was Butler's first official solo release. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2007, Butler performed with musician Keith Urban. Radio listeners voted Grand National their favorite album of 2007.

His song "Ocean" became very popular. Live recordings of the song spread widely on the internet. Butler also appeared briefly in a 2009 Australian film. He played a busker. Three of the John Butler Trio's songs were in the film's soundtrack.

In July 2009, Butler went on a solo tour overseas. He played at big music festivals in North America. He also sold out shows in Toronto and Los Angeles. In Europe, he performed in Paris and London. He also played in Cannes, Amsterdam, and Antwerp.

When he returned in August, he joined a concert called Cannot Buy My Soul. Butler performed songs by an Indigenous Australian musician, Kev Carmody. Butler's version of "Thou Shalt Not Steal" was on the album. He also took part in a festival celebrating traditional cultures.

Jarrah Records: A Record Label for Artists

In July 2002, John Butler helped create Jarrah Records. He started it with members of the band The Waifs and their manager, Phil Stevens. Being a partner in a record label allowed Butler to have more control over his music. This meant he could make his recordings exactly how he wanted them.

John Butler's Instruments and Style

John Butler plays many instruments. These include harmonica, didgeridoo, drums, lap-steel, and banjo. He also plays amplified acoustic guitars. He often uses his special 11-string Maton guitar. He uses a specific pick-up and Marshall amplifiers to get his unique sound. Butler also uses electronic effects like distortion and wah-wah pedals. He uses long, pointed fiberglass fingernails for his finger picking style.

John Butler's Work for Good Causes

Butler speaking with Oxfam Australia about Close the Gap in 2013

John Butler cares a lot about peace, protecting the environment, and global harmony. He has supported groups like The Wilderness Society. He also supported the campaign to save Ningaloo Reef.

In 2005, Butler and his wife started The JB Seed grant program. It was renamed The Seed in 2010. This program helps artists express themselves. It also supports different kinds of art in Australia. They gave $80,000 to start the project. Other musicians and managers also supported it.

Butler is a big supporter of the "Save The Kimberley" campaign in Australia. He performed at a concert for this cause in Melbourne in October 2012. In October 2012, Butler joined 150 people in a protest. They protested outside a company's office in Melbourne. The protest was about a planned gas complex in Western Australia.

Butler performed at another concert for the Kimberley cause in February 2013. This event was held in Fremantle, Western Australia. His record label, Jarrah Records, worked with The Wilderness Society to put on this free event. A march also took place to protest the gas refinery.

In response to a plan to dump dredged seabed near the Great Barrier Reef, a legal team was formed. This team received support in April 2014. This was after a music project called "Sounds for the Reef" was released. John Butler and other artists contributed to this digital album. The album's songs were sold online to raise money.

Butler is against Coal Seam Gas (CSG). He gave a free concert in Bentley, Australia, in April 2014. This concert was to protest CSG. Butler also supports freedom for Western New Guinea.

John Butler's Family Life

John Butler is married to Danielle Caruana. She is an Australian musician known as Mama Kin. They have two children, a daughter and a son. They also have an adopted son, Alex, who is also a musician.

John Butler had dreadlocks for 13 years. He cut them off in early 2008. He has been called the "million dollar hippie" because he was on a list of rich entertainers in 2004.

Before his band's sixth album, Flesh and Blood, came out, Butler talked about his songwriting. He said he still cares about important issues. But he wanted to write about different kinds of stories. He wanted to explore feelings that were not just about problems.

John Butler's Music Releases

Solo Albums

Solo Singles

With John Butler Trio

Awards and Nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (AIR Awards) celebrate Australia's independent music.

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are given out every year by the Australasian Performing Right Association.

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are presented every year by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The John Butler Trio has won five awards. John Butler has also won an ARIA award for 'Best Male Artist' in 2004.

See also

In Spanish: John Butler para niños

• Danielle Caruana