Art By Lisabelle

Portraits of People and Pets since 1987

 

 

 

 

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.