John "Johnny 'Guitar'" Watson, Jr. (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996) was an American blues, soul, and funk musician and singer-songwriter. A flamboyant showman and electric guitarist in the style of T-Bone Walker, Watson recorded throughout the 1950s and 1960s with some success. His creative reinvention in the 1970s with disco and funk overtones, saw Watson have hits with "Ain't That a Bitch", "I Need It" and "Superman Lover". His successful recording career spanned forty years, with his highest chart appearance being the 1977 song "A Real Mother For Ya".

Early life

Watson was born in Houston, Texas. His father John Sr. was a pianist, and taught his son the instrument. But young Watson was immediately attracted to the sound of the guitar, in particular the electric guitar as played by T-Bone Walker and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

His grandfather, a preacher, was also musical. "My grandfather used to sing while he'd play guitar in church, man," Watson reflected many years later. When Johnny was 11, his grandfather offered to give him a guitar if, and only if, the boy didn't play any of the "devil's music". Watson agreed, but "that was the first thing I did." A musical prodigy, Watson played with Texas bluesmen Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland. His parents separated in 1950, when he was 15. His mother moved to Los Angeles, and took Watson with her.

Johnny Watson Navarro (1963 – 8 December 1987) was a Peruvian professional footballer who played for Sport Boys and Alianza Lima.

Watson died in the 1987 Alianza Lima air disaster.

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John Thomas "Johnny" Watson (January 16, 1908 – April 29, 1965) was a Major League Baseball player. Watson played for the Detroit Tigers in 1930. He batted left and threw right-handed.

In 1986, he was inducted into the Marshall University Athletics Hall of Fame for his collegiate career in baseball and basketball.

He was born in Tazewell, Virginia, and died in Huntington, West Virginia.

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