Our Story
Multi-Instrumentalist John Donahoe adds color and texture to any group on Violin / fiddle, Mandolin, Guitar, Banjo and Saxophone. John also supplies lead and back up harmony vocals.
Born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota John originally pursued Architecture as a profession and became a registered architect. As years went by it became clear that music was his true passion. John has performed with numerous bands through the years including the innovative South Dakota bluegrass/newgrass group "The Rocky Mountain Oysters" with whom he recorded three albums playing fiddle, banjo and mandolin and performed twice on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion show and also performed at the 1983 Worlds Fair in Knoxville Tennessee. In the mid eighties John moved to Boston where he studied jazz and earned his degree in performance and professional music at the Berklee College of Music. John then spent eight years in the ground breaking, four time Boston music award winner the "Boogaloo Swamis" performing on saxophone and fiddle in the Cajun and Zydeco styles of Louisiana.
From 2001 until 2013 John was a regular member of the Bruce Marshall Group (Marshall Tucker Band) which had the honor in 2008 of representing Boston in the International Blues Challenge band category in Memphis, Tennessee. As luck would have it, John won again in 2009 in the Blues Duo category and travelled to Memphis to compete again along with songwriter, vocalist and blues guitar great Steve Bailey.
Over the years John has shared the stage with many notable artists including Bill Monroe, Jonathan Edwards, Mickey Gilley, Shawn Colvin, Leon Russell, Buckwheat Zydeco, James Montgomery, Kix Brooks, BB King and many others.
Most recently John has been moving in a new direction and can be found performing as a Nashville freelance Utility musician in a wide variety of styles including Country, Jazz, Blues, Americana and Bluegrass at numerous Tennessee venues. Bands that John is currently performing with include The Al Green band (R&B and Soul), Duusty Hundley Band (Country), Mike Siler & SwingShots (Western Swing), Sista Ruth and SwampGrass revival (Blues), Audio Saints (variety), Grasstime (Bluegrass), Jon Coco (Rock), Shane Chisholm Band (Country), Carvin Walls (New Country), and others.