John Fullbright (born April 23, 1988) is an American singer-songwriter from Okemah, Oklahoma. While still in high school, Fullbright performed at the

Woody Guthrie Folk Festival The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival is held annually in mid-July to commemorate the life and music of Woody Guthrie. The festival is held on the weekend closest to July 14 – the date of Guthrie's birth – in Guthrie's hometown of Okemah, Oklahoma ...

in Okemah. In 2009 he released the album ''Live at the Blue Door'' and three years later released his first studio album, ''From the Ground Up'', which received a Grammy nomination in the category Best Americana Album. He has been the subject of two segments on

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

NPR Staff
John Fullbright: The Man (And Album) Written In Oklahoma.
''NPR's Weekend Edition'', May 6, 2012.Tucker, Ken
John Fullbright: How To Connect 'From The Ground Up'.
''Fresh Air from WHYY'', May 21, 2012. and was a 2012 winner of

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

Foundation's Harold Adamson Lyric Award.Philbrook, Erik
"Young Master of Unbridled Americana" John Fullbright Receives ASCAP Foundation Lyric Award.
ASCAP website, June 26, 2012.

Early life

Fullbright grew up on an 80-acre farm in Okemah, Oklahoma. He began playing the piano at age five and taking piano lessons at the age nine.Lewis, Randy
John Fullbright: Folk-rock straight outta Okemah.
''Los Angeles Times'', May 3, 2012. Fullbright attended public school in Okemah, Oklahoma, and graduated from Okemah High School.Dillon, John and Nesbitt, Vivian
John Fullbright radio interview.
''Art of the Song: Creativity Radio''. Show #401, broadcast week of September 3, 2012. While still in high school he performed in an Okemah restaurant using an amplifier borrowed from the school bandBeal Jr., Jim
Fullbright hones folk chops.
''San Antonio Express-News'', May 30, 2012. and made his debut performance at the

. Fullbright briefly attended

Southeastern Oklahoma State University Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Southeastern or SE) is a public university in Durant, Oklahoma. It had a total enrollment of 5,376 in 2022. History On March 6, 1909, the Second Oklahoma State Legislature approved an act designating Du ...

Durant, Oklahoma Durant () is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 18,589 in the 2020 census. It serves as the capital of the Choctaw Nation, and is the largest settlement on the reservation, ranking ahead of McAlester and Po ...

, but left college to work with musician Mike McClure. A year later, after appearing on McClure's 2008 release ''did7'', Fullbright began his solo career.Wood, Arthur
John Fullbright: All the Way From Okemah, Oklahoma
''Maverick Magazine'', September/October 2012, Issue # 116, p. 56-7.

Early career: 2008–2012

Fullbright got his start in the music industry as a member of the Oklahoma band the Turnpike TroubadoursWofford, Jerry
John Fullbright talks Turnpike Troubadors, solo work ahead of Tulsa show
''Tulsa World'', March 7, 2014. also from the Okemah area. He performed an Oklahoma City venue called The Blue Door for the first time in April 2008. ''Live at the Blue Door'' was recorded by Travis Linville on February 17, 2009, his fourth appearance at the venue, the night before he left for the 2009 Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis. The owner of the club later became Fullbright's manager. In 2012 Fullbright's performance at the

SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

was described as being "as perfect as if it were a

Jonathan Demme Robert Jonathan Demme ( ; February 22, 1944 – April 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker, whose career directing, producing, and screenwriting spanned more than 30 years and 70 feature films, documentaries, and television productions. He was an ...

concert film."
SXSW: John Fullbright comes of age.
''Chicago Sun-Times'', March 14, 2012. In June, he played the main stage at the

Kerrville Folk Festival The Kerrville Folk Festival is a music festival with camping, held for nearly three weeks each year, in late spring/early summer, at Quiet Valley Ranch near Kerrville, Texas. The festival draws around 30,000 people. It aims to present establish ...

and in July at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival's ''Pastures of Plenty'' main stage. The music reviewer at ''No Depression'' wrote in her blog: "People who hadn’t heard Fullbright previously were stopped in their tracks by the brilliance of this 24-year-old whose mature lyrics have an immediate impact."Webb, Jela
Woody Guthrie Folk Festival (Okemah, Oklahoma July 11 –15, 2012).
''No Depression'', July 20, 2012. Also published in ''Maverick Magazine'', Nov.-Dec. 2012, Issue #117, p. 20. Fullbright's debut studio release ''From the Ground Up'' – released on May 8, 2012 – was recorded and mixed at 115 Recording in

Norman, Oklahoma Norman () is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, 3rd most populous city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,026 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the most populous city and the county seat of Clevel ...

, with producer/engineer

Wes Sharon Wes Sharon (born January 23, 1970, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States) is an American musician and an award-winning and Grammy nominated record producer and recording engineer. Music career Early years Wes Sharon began his career in Oklahoma and Tex ...

. The title of the release pays homage to the farmhouse where he grew up. Fullbright states: "Every song on this record was written in that house, and I was kind of written in that house." In the studio with his backing musicians, Fullbright was almost immediately captivated by what he was hearing. Although he initially thought he would leave the studio with a demo record, he says: "We got lost in it in those three hours we were recording. We all looked at each other and thought, ‘No, this is the record. It’s not going to get any better than this anywhere else."Reed, James
John Fullbright a young master of Americana.
''Boston Globe'', June 10, 2012. Favorable reviews include ''

The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American Conservatism, conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on Politics of the United States, national politics. Its broadsheet daily edit ...

'' which said: "''From the Ground Up'' proves to be a killer debut, pairing sharply worded stories that resonate with confident performances that pop."Leahey, Andrew
Listening Station: John Fullbright.
''Washington Times'', May 7, 2012. The album peaked at No. 10 on the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Top Folk Albums chart for the week of June 9, 2012.Folk Albums: Week of June 9, 2012.
Billboard.com. Fullbright performed at a

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

tribute concert honoring

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

on October 27, 2012. The concert – part of the Hall's American Music Masters Series – took place in

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

at the State Theater.Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
American Music Masters Tribute Concert Honoring Chuck Berry.
Fullbright played keyboard and harmonica on "Downbound Train."Doyle, Patrick
Chuck Berry Rocks Cleveland Tribute Concert.
''Rolling Stone'', October 29, 2012. In his review of the show for ''Cleveland Scene'', Jeff Niesel wrote: "While the New York Dolls

David Johansen David Roger Johansen (January 9, 1950 – February 28, 2025) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor best known as lead singer of the seminal proto-punk band the New York Dolls. He is also known for his work under the pseudonym Buster Po ...

and Motorhead's

Lemmy Kilmister Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was a British musician. He was the founder, lead vocalist, bassist and primary songwriter of the metal band Motörhead, of which he ...

brought star power to the show, it was little known Americana singer-pianist John Fullbright who really shined on his contribution, a moody rendition of "Downbound Train."Niesel, Jeff
Concert Review and Slideshow: American Music Masters Series Tribute to Chuck Berry.
''Cleveland Scene'', October 28, 2012. JohnFullbrightWoodyFest2014

On December 5, 2012, ''From the Ground Up'' was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Americana Album. Fullbright says that he was scrubbing his bathtub when he learned that ''From the Ground Up'' – which he says co-producer

refers to as "the little record that could" – had received a Grammy nomination. Fullbright performed "Gawd Above" at the Grammy Pre-Telecast show which was streamed live on the Grammy Awards website. Fullbright received the

Harold Adamson Lyric Award at the 17th Annual ASCAP Foundation Awards Ceremony held in New York City on December 12, 2012.

Career: 2013–2015

In early 2013, Fullbright toured the United Kingdom. His first performance in London was a sell-out show at The Slaughtered Lamb. In September 2013, Fullbright performed at the 12th Annual

Americana Music Association The Americana Music Association is a not-for-profit trade organization advocating for American Roots Music globally, and supporting professionals within the field. Purpose The Americana Music Association was founded in order to advocate and p ...

awards show in Nashville, where he was a nominee in the Emerging Artist of the Year category. Also in 2013, "Gawd Above" was included on the soundtrack of the movie ''August: Osage County'', the film based on Tracy Letts' play set in Oklahoma. The soundtrack also includes tracks from

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Vernon had originally formed Bon Iver as a solo project, but it eventually became a band consisting of Vernon (vocals, guit ...

Kings of Leon Kings of Leon is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, in 1999. The band includes brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill and their cousin Matthew Followill. The band's early music was a blend of Southern roc ...

and

Gustavo Santaolalla Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla (; born 19 August 1951) is an Argentine composer, record producer and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Gustavo Santaolalla, numerous accolades for List of works by Gustavo S ...

.Lewis, Randy
John Fullbright aims to connect, uplift with 'Songs'.
''Los Angeles Times'', May 28, 2014. Fullbright's sophomore release ''Songs'' was released in May 2014. Within a week of its release, several favorable reviews appeared. In his review for ''The Wall Street Journal'', Jim Fusilli wrote, "''Songs'' is a warm, winning and plainspoken Americana album that builds on the authority and charm of ''From the Ground Up'' not by musical-muscle flexing, but by its clarity and simmering intensity." In her review for ''American Songwriter'', Lynne Margolis wrote, "Neil Young was 24 when he released ''After the Gold Rush''. Joni Mitchell recorded ''Blue'' at 27. Years from now, after it stands the test of time, John Fullbright's ''Songs'' could take its place in that same pantheon of hallowed musical masterpieces." In his review for the ''Los Angeles Times'', Randy Lewis wrote, "The simplicity of the album's title is a harbinger of what it contains – songs impressively and potently economical, mostly stripped to the emotional essence through poetically concise lyrics and heart-rending musical settings." In her review for NPR's ''All Things Considered'', Meredith Ochs wrote, "So what makes John Fulbright good enough to prompt comparisons to the likes of Townes Van Zandt. Maybe it's his voice, provocative and world weary beyond his years or his melodies that play gently and continuously in your head, long after his new album reaches the end. Or his spacious and sometimes unexpected arrangements that let the songs breathe on their own accord, like they do on this one." On June 27, 2014, the

Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, located in Muskogee, Oklahoma, honors Oklahoma musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The induction ceremony and concert are held each year in Muskogee. Since its establishment in 1997, the Hall of Fa ...

presented Fullbright with its Rising Star award at an awards ceremony in

Muskogee, Oklahoma Muskogee () is the 13th-largest city in Oklahoma and is the county seat of Muskogee County, Oklahoma, Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of ...

. Fullbright's first major exposure on American national television occurred when he performed on

The Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production comp ...

on August 28, 2014.McDonnell, Brandy
John Fullbright to perform TONIGHT on "The Late Show with David Letterman".
''The Oklahoman'', August 28, 2014.

Career: Since 2016

At the 19th annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in July 2016, Fullbright was not only the Saturday night headliner at the Pastures of Plenty, but also joined several other artists on stage during the festival, accompanying David Amram, as well as performing during tribute sets to

Bob Childers Robert Wayne Childers (November 20, 1946 – April 22, 2008) was an American country music, country-folk music, folk musician and singer-songwriter from the state of Oklahoma. Both before and after his death, he achieved widespread critical acc ...

and Tom Skinner.Poppe, Nathan
WoodyFest 2016 endures weather, welcomes new stage and more.
''The Oklahoman '', July 22, 2016. During the 2017 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Fullbright was one of many performers along with Andy Adams, the Burns Sisters, Michael Fracasso, Jaimee Harris, Greg Jacobs, Levi Parham,

Joel Rafael Joel Rafael is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician from San Diego County, California. Rafael's second volume to celebrate the songs of Woody Guthrie, was released on Appleseed in 2005. The first volume, ''Woodeye'', was released on ...

and the Red Dirt Rangers who performed at a tribute for

Jimmy LaFave Jimmy LaFave (July 12, 1955 – May 21, 2017) was an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. After moving to Stillwater, Oklahoma, LaFave became a supporter of Woody Guthrie. He later became an Advisory Board member and regular performer ...

, festival-regular and board member, who had died two months earlier.McDonnell, Brandy
Woody Guthrie Folk Festival reveals 2017 lineup, including Jimmy LaFave tribute, Arlo Guthrie, John Fullbright, Turnpike Troubadours and more.
''The Oklahoman'', June 12, 2017. In 2018 Fullbright shifted his focus to the production and recording spectrum while also intermittently touring. In particular, he produced the album ''Things Change'' for the Raleigh, North Carolina–based Americana group

American Aquarium American Aquarium is an American alternative country band from Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Background Formed in 2006, the band derived its name from the Wilco song, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” and is led by band founder an ...

.Gage, Jeff
American Aquarium Prep New Album 'Things Change'
''RollingStone'', March 7, 2018. Earlier in his career he commented on the pressure of recording new material while meeting the standard set by previous pieces of work. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't," Fullbright told the

Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the sta ...

. "It's a little bit manic in the sense that when I'm under pressure, I'm under pressure. But if I sit and think about it long enough, I realize that the pressure doesn't really exist and then I'm not under pressure. It wanes and waxes back and forth between being terrified and being overconfident."

Discography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
John Fullbright entry on MusicBrainz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fullbright, John Living people American male singer-songwriters People from Okfuskee County, Oklahoma American session musicians 1988 births Singer-songwriters from Oklahoma 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American male singers Thirty Tigers artists