Humanities Project: CCC Celebrates the Blues with Rockin" Johnny on Feb. 9.

Humanities Project: CCC Celebrates the Blues with Rockin" Johnny on Feb. 9.

Johnny Burgin.

Coffeyville Community College welcomes The Rockin’ Johnny Band to the Spencer/Rounds Theatre on Feb. 9 at 10:30 A.M. Admission is free.

The Rockin’ Johnny Band has been one of Chicago’s most loved blues bands since 1995. Their music has been played on Sirius XM radio, WXRT’s “Local Anesthetic” and “Blues Breakers” radio shows, and the band has often been featured at The Chicago Blues Festival. Their CD’s and live performances have been featured in WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight”, The Reader, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Living Blues Magazine, Pioneer Press, and WBEZ’s “848”.

Johnny Burgin came to Chicago from South Caroline to attend University of Chicago. A different path unfolded and he fell head first into the Chicago blues scene! After learning from the masters such as Pinetop Perkins and Howlin’ Wolf drummer Sam Lay, he put his own band together. Things started happening for the Rockin’ Johnny Band after they took a Monday night residency at the Smoke Daddy in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Their original, energetic approach soon made them a strong local draw week after week and year after year. The atmosphere the band generated was so electric that the prestigious local label Delmark Records offered them a contract after hearing just one set.

Since those days they’ve regularly toured Europe, played festivals, and headlined clubs all over the Midwest. The Rockin’ Johnny Band has recorded five CDs and plays vintage Chicago blues, rock and roll and soul. The band features great musicians including Rick Kreher, former Muddy Waters Band guitarist featured on the just released Muddy Waters/Rolling Stones Live at the Checkerboard DVD.