* En anglais uniquement
Born in 1975 in Idaho,
John Németh grew up in Boise, where his first exposure to music was singing in the Catholic Church. He branched out from there, though, and was playing in local bands as a teenager. He was 17 when a friend, Tom Moore, exposed him to the blues, and together they formed Fat John & the 3 Slims, which is still regarded as a legendary band in the Boise region.
Németh began playing with
the Junior Watson Band in 2002 as well as gigging with his own band, the Jacks. A vocalist with great range, ability, and soulfulness,
Németh had also developed into a top-notch blues harmonica player, which led to a spot with
Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets, where he filled in for the great
Sam Myers. A self-released album with the Jacks, The Jack of Harps, appeared in 2002, followed by a second self-release, Come and Get It (which featured
the Junior Watson Band) in 2004. That same year,
Németh left Boise and relocated to San Francisco. In 2006, he signed with Blind Pig Records, which released
Magic Touch (produced by
Anson Funderburgh and featuring
Junior Watson on guitar) in 2007.
Name the Day!, also on Blind Pig, followed in 2010. The
Scott Bomar-produced
Memphis Grease, recorded in
Bomar's Electraphonic Studio in Memphis with
the Bo-Keys, arrived early in 2014. In 2017, he returned with his ninth album, the
Luther Dickinson-produced
Feelin' Freaky, recorded with his backing band the Blue Dreamers. ~ Steve Leggett