JOHNNY NITRO 1949-2011
Art By Lisabelle
oil on canvas 36x48"
A letter to my Sister... who asked me if I knew Johnny.
I met John (Newton) Nitro, when I was 21 yrs. old, through friends. We hit it
off, though romantically. We became friends. He was a virtuoso of Blues Music
electric guitar and taught me how to play blues on my guitar. He also taught me
how to change the clutch plate of my VW's which might remember I owned at least
four of them. Johnny Nitro and the Doorslammers were quite well known in San
Francisco Bay Area, they played regularly at the famous bar the Saloon on upper
Grant St. He taught electric guitar at Blue Bears Waltz Rock N' Roll College in
Marin County. When I worked as April's caregiver in 2010-11, I wanted to go see
him perform, years ago, before we moved from the Bay Area to Michigan, I was
invited on to the stage to perform with him and his band. I sang Steamroller
Blues. A life long friend. I asked Melanie if I could spend the night so I
could go to the Saloon to watch the Doorslammers Johnny Nitro's band perform and
not have to drive back to Santa Rosa an hour from San Francisco, since she lives
about 1/2 mile from Upper Grant Street. She said no, at that time. in Feb.
2011, I decided what the heck, I'll go to the Saloon and see Johnny and the band
and not worry about driving back. When I got to the Saloon. I walked in and
found out he had died of a sudden heart attack, two weeks before that time.
Fate can be cruel. So I painted his portrait in oil. His brother and everyone
that ever knew Johnny loves it. It's okay to be sensitive as say you are. I
would never hold that against anyone.
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