Castonguay Copper Line: 2011

I never liked John's bad boy habits when he drank and took cocaine but as the guys and girls who went to get his albums rue St-Denis in the Alternatif store, I was in love with his voice , his personality, his music. I am 54 years and good old John died in 2009. But I'm still in love with him and for the rest of my life. Castonguay Copper Line is pleased to honor his music and to share it with you ... Here is a text of his site:

John Martyn was born Iain David McGeachy on 11th September 1948 in New Malden, Surrey, the only son of two light opera singers. John's parents separated and his early childhood was spent in Glasgow, John recalls, "you went out and kicked a few heads or you where looked on as a pansy." John learnt to play the guitar at fifteen and on leaving school at seventeen he started playing in some of the local folk clubs under the wing of Hamish Imlach, who encouraged and John to play the guitar. John was influenced by many different music genres including Debussy and soon began to explore music on his guitar. Davey Graham was one of John's first heroes, as was Clive Palmer who founded the Incredible String Band and became a good friend. John and Clive lived together for a while in a shed near Alston in Cumbria. "Those were wild times, and Clive was a remarkable man, a great musician and down to earth, absolutely no bullshit, taught me lots of things to play." With a growing reputation on the club circuit in the North John decided it was time to move on and he started playing in the clubs around London such as Les Cousins and the Kingston Folk Barge, and was soon signed by Chris Blackwell's Island Records.

John's debut album, London Conversation, was recorded in mono and released in October 1967. An album of innocent songs that won praise from the music press and launched a career that has spanned five decades!