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Johnny Guitar Watson was born on February 3, 1935, in Houston, Texas, USA, and passed away on May 17, 1996, in Yokohama, Japan. He was a seminal electric blues and rhythm & blues guitarist who rose to prominence in the mid-1950s, known for hits like "Gangster Of Love." Throughout his career, Watson performed with notable artists such as Little Richard and ventured into synthesizer productions in the 1960s. His music later became a source for sampling by renowned artists like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Watson's influence extended to other musicians, including one who cited Watson's 1956 song "Three Hours Past Midnight" as inspiration for his own guitar playing. Watson began his musical journey by learning piano as a child and later took up the guitar, agreeing with his preacher grandfather not to use it for playing the blues. His family relocated to Los Angeles in the 1950s, where he honed his skills playing guitar, piano, and singing in local jump bands. Tragically, Watson collapsed and died on stage from cardiac infarction while performing in Japan.

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