Known to his folks as John Redding, he played the accordion as a youngster and later adopted the piano and the trombone as his primary instruments. Johnny performed with local groups including the Rock-A-Beats, and Al Knight’s Untouchables. He also toured with Jay Price and group out of Philadelphia.
By the mid-‘60s Redding had adopted the name Johnny Walker and formed his own group. Billed as Baltimore’s #1 dance band, the Good Guys included Walker (piano, trombone), with Warren Cassell (guitar ex-Beltones), Glenn Cassell (bass), Billy Smith (sax), Betty Jay Holland (guitar, vocals ex-Whatnots), Bobby Bassett (sax ex-Exquisites), Billy Holmes (drums ex-Beltones), Bob ‘Spider’ Shower (drums), Jerry Strager (sax ex-Du-Kays, Imperials)… The group name came about from the proliferation of automobile advertisements featuring ‘good guys’ salesmen wearing white hats. They could be seen at the Hitching Post, the Spa Club, Minnick’s, Tarry Inn, the Hilander…
By the late ‘60s they became known as the Johnny Walker Revue and the group usually featured five to six pieces.
In 1971 Redding downsized the group to a trio. The Johnny Walker Trio featuring Johnny on organ, Bassett (sax), and ‘Spider’ (drums). They could be seen at the House of Miller, Parkville American Legion, Holiday House, and the Dutch Mill. Later in the ‘70s the Revue could again be seen at the Belford House, and the Trio at Mimmie Lorenzo’s, and LaFontaine Bleu where they were a house band for more than ten years. In the late ‘70s the trio featured former Hourglass / Nantucket drummer Jerry Haebler.
By 1979 Walker began doing solo happy hours and piano bars during the week, while working with various configurations of the group on weekends. Seen frequently during this period at the Cromwell Holiday Inn…
Walker continued performing into the ‘00s as a solo pianist/vocalist for banquets, bull roasts, weddings, service clubs and private parties.
Shower was later with the Buddy Robbins Combo, City Lights… Haebler later played in Patch. Betty Jay also led her own groups. Bassett later with Phoenix…
