John Allen Campbell was born on January 20, 1952, in Shreveport, Louisiana. He started his career as part of the Texas-based electric power trio Junction, formed in Corpus Christi in 1973. The band disbanded two years later, and Campbell recorded his debut album Street Suite. In the early 1980s, he recorded a demo at Robin Hood Studios in Tyler, Texas; these tracks were posthumously issued as Tyler, Texas Session in 2000. As a solo artist, Campbell played extensively in clubs across East Texas and New Orleans before moving to New York City in 1985. He released his album A Man And His Blues, produced by Ronnie Earl, on a small German label in 1988. He subsequently signed with Elektra Records, releasing One Believer in 1991 and Howlin Mercy in 1993. Campbell died from a heart attack on June 13, 1993, in Manhattan.
