John Sebastian | |
|---|---|
 John Sebastian, c. 1953 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Sebastian Pugliese |
| Born | April 25, 1914 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | August 18, 1980 (aged 66) Périgord, France |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instrument | Harmonica |
| Years active | 1930–1980 |
| Labels | Schirmer, RCA Victor, Cadence, Columbia, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Heliodor |
John Sebastian (born John Sebastian Pugliese; April 25, 1914[1] − August 18, 1980)[1][2] was an American musician and composer known as a master of the classical chromatic harmonica. He was the first harmonicist to adopt an all-classical repertoire and, along with Larry Adler and Tommy Reilly, established the harmonica as a serious instrument for classical music. In addition to performing, Sebastian increased the range of classical music available for the harmonica by transcribing numerous existing classical works for the harmonica, composing works of his own, and commissioning or otherwise encouraging other composers to write for the instrument.[3]
He is the father of singer-songwriter John B. Sebastian, a founder of the popular 1960s folk rock band The Lovin' Spoonful.[3][4]
- ^ a b Sebastian, John, no. 165-12-7646 (official death record, also showing date of birth). U.S. Social Security Death Index, 1935–2014, available online at Ancestry.com, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2015. Non-official sources such as books and articles have sometimes listed Sebastian's birth date as May 1, 1914, or his birth year as 1916.
- ^ "John Sebastian, 65, Who Helped Make Harmonica Classical, Dies," The New York Times, August 20, 1980, p. B10. Although this obituary reports Sebastian's age at death as 65, he would have actually been 66 based on his birth date of April 25, 1914 as listed in the official U.S. Social Security Death Index record.
- ^ a b Field, Kim. Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers: The Evolution of the People's Instrument. Cooper Square Press, 2000 (updated edition), p. 288-293. ISBN 0815410204.
- ^ Missin, P. "Vintage Harmonica 78s", patmissin.com, 2014, archived at archive.org, April 3, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.