The Pappy Johns Band facts for kids

The Pappy Johns Band is a Canadian blues music group. The main members have played music together for over 30 years!

Don Powless (who plays bass), Murray Porter (who sings and plays keyboards), and Oren Doxtator (who plays drums) first met in 1978. They played together in a band called the Bar Road Band. Later, Faron Johns joined the group. In 2003, singer–songwriter and guitarist Josh Miller joined them for their album tour called Full Circle. Joseph Michael Mahfoud recorded the music for the Full Circle CD. He started the tour but had to leave early due to family reasons.

The Pappy Johns Band is also well-known to Canadian television viewers. They were the house band for the variety show Buffalo Tracks on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.

Band Achievements and Awards

The Pappy Johns Band has won several awards for their music.

Winning Best Group/Duo

In 2002, The Pappy Johns Band won the award for Best Group/Duo at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. Other band members also won three more awards that year:

• Best Male Artist (Faron Johns)
• Best Song & Songwriter for "Blame It On Monday" (Faron Johns)
• Best Producer/Engineer (Alec Fraser & Band)

More Awards for Full Circle

In November 2004, the band won Best Blues Album at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards for their album Full Circle. This album was also nominated for a Juno Award in 2005. The Juno Awards are very important music awards in Canada. They were nominated for Aboriginal Recording of the Year.

Another Win in 2009

In November 2009, The Pappy Johns Band won again! They received the award for Best Blues Album at The Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards for their album "Havin' A Good Time Now".

Meet the Band Members

Here are the current members of The Pappy Johns Band:

Don Powless: Bass Guitar

Don Powless plays the bass guitar. He is a Mohawk person and originally from the Six Nations Reserve. He now lives in Fort Erie, Ontario. Besides The Pappy Johns Band, Don has played in other blues bands. These include the Bar Road Band, The Roadhouse Band, and Painted Pony.

Oren Doxtator: Drums

Oren Doxtator plays the drums. He is from the Oneida Settlement, which is near London, Ontario. However, he grew up in Buffalo, New York. Oren now lives in Fort Erie, Ontario. He and Don Powless, who is his brother-in-law, have been a strong rhythm section together for over 30 years.

John Lee: Piano and Vocals

John Lee plays the Piano and sings. He is originally from St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada. He currently lives in Kitchener, Ontario. John has toured with and written songs for other musicians. These include Matt Minglewood, Mel Brown & The Homewreckers, and Beverly Mahood.

Josh Arden Miller: Guitar and Vocals

Josh Arden Miller plays guitar and sings. He is also a Mohawk person from Six Nations. When he was a teenager, Josh toured across Canada with Murray Porter. Besides being a member of The Pappy Johns Band, he also led his own bands. These were The Soul Kings and Three Wheel Drive.

Band Music Albums

Here is a list of some of the music albums and compilations that feature The Pappy Johns Band or its members:

• 1492, Who Found Who, First Nations Music, Murray Porter (solo), 1995
• Blame It On Monday Independent, 2002
• Skin Tight Blues A First Peoples Blues Compilation Sweet Grass Records/EMI Music Canada, July, 2002. This album includes the song Blame It On Monday by Pappy Johns Band and Colours by Murray Porter.
• Full Circle, Independent, November 2003
• Blues sur Seine compilation, France, July 2005. This album includes the song Make Your Mind Up by Murray Porter.
• Toronto Blues Society 20th Anniversary compilation 2005 TBS, May 2005. This album includes the song Meat on the Bone by Murray Porter.