Jonathan Edwards(I)

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Jonathan Edwards was born on July 28, 1946 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He first started playing music on piano as a kid and took music lessons from a lady who lived next door. Jonathan began playing the guitar while he was in high school in the early 60's. Edwards studied art while attending college in Ohio, but still continued to play music as well. Moreover, Jonathan performed at local clubs in various folk, blues and rock bands. With his blues band Suger Creek in tow, Edwards went to Boston, Massachusetts in 1967 and recorded the album "Please Tell a Friend" in 1969. Jonathan left the group in 1970 to pursue a solo career. He scored a massive Top 5 hit with the catchy and defiant protest song "Sunshine" in 1971. The song was actually a last minute recording that was done to replace another track called "Please Find Me" on Edwards' debut album which had been accidentally erased. ("Sunshine" was featured on the soundtrack to the hit comedy "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.") While Jonathan's debut album was a pop-folk effort, his follow-up albums "Honky-Tonk Stardust Cowboy," "Have a Good Time for Me," and "Lucky Day" were more country-oriented and hence less successful. Edwards subsequently dropped out of the music scene in the mid 70's and bought a farm in Nova Scotia, Canada. He was encouraged by friend and fellow singer Emmylou Harris to sing back-up vocals on Harris' 1976 album "Elite Motel." Jonathan bounced back with two solo albums: 1976's "Rockin' Chair" and 1977's "Sail Boat." In 1982 he released a live album and in 1983 Edwards joined forces with the bluegrass group the Seldom Scene for the 1983 album "Blue Ridge." Jonathan released the children's album "Little Hands" in 1987 and the country album "The Natural Thing" in 1989; the latter album beget the hit country song "We Need to Be Locked Away." Edwards composed the scores for the films "The Mouse" and "Chatham." In 2000 Jonathan narrated and performed in a thirteen week travel series called "Cruising America's Waterways," which was broadcast on PBS stations from coast to coast. He also participated in a follow-up series which was aired on various PBS stations in 2004. Edwards still continues to tour and perform on stage. Jonathan Edwards lives in New York City.