Deacon John Moore

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Deacon John Moore
Moore at the Richmond Folk Festival 2015
Background information
Birth name	John Moore
Born	(1941-06-23) June 23, 1941 (age 80)
Origin	New Orleans, Louisiana
Genres	Blues, Rhythm and Blues
Occupation(s)	Musician, bandleader, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, tambourine
Years active	1950s –
Labels	Minit Records, RedBone Records, Vetter Communications
Website	Deacon John's Jump Blues

Deacon John Moore (born June 23, 1941,^[1][2] New Orleans, Louisiana) better known as Deacon John, is a blues, rhythm and blues and rock and roll musician, singer, actor, and bandleader. John Moore was given the name "Deacon" by one of his band members. He did not like the name at first as he thought everyone would assume he was a gospel singer and never get gigs. However, based upon his early reputation, and at the urging of a music promoter, he decided to keep it as has been "Deacon John" ever since.

Career[]

Moore grew up in New Orleans' 8th Ward. He plays guitar and is the brother of the Creole scholar Sybil Kein.

He was active on the New Orleans R&B scene since his teens, and became a session man on many hit recordings of the late 1950s and the 1960s, including those by Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Lee Dorsey, Ernie K-Doe, and others.^[2]

His band The Ivories at New Orleans' Dew Drop Inn attracted an enthusiastic following, sometimes upstaging visiting national acts Moore was hired to open for.^{[citation needed]} While highly regarded locally and by his fellow musicians, lack of hit records under his own name kept him from the national fame achieved by a number of his peers.

In 2000 Moore was inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame.

He is featured in the documentary segment Going Back to New Orleans: The Deacon John Film and the concert CD, Deacon John's Jump Blues (2003).

As of 2006 he remains a local favorite on the New Orleans music scene. On July 25, 2006 Moore became president of the local branch of the American Federation of Musicians.

On April 10, 2007, Moore's son Keith was shot and killed at the age of 42, in New Orleans. Keith was locally famous in New Orleans as ambient noise artist, Jambox Pyramid, and member of the punk band Manchild. In addition, Keith co-founded the experimental music event Noizefest in 2005 with local producer Sir Stephen, as an alternative, modern addition to the Jazzfest festivities.

In January 2008, Deacon John was selected to close the Inauguration of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal by performing "God Bless America" with the and a Navy fly-over of jets, and later headline the Governor's Inaugural Ball.

In 2008, in ceremonies and performance at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Deacon John was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.^[2]

Acting career[]

Moore had his first taste of acting 1987 by appearing in the horror film Angel Heart. Moore did not appear on the big screen again until 2013 when he had a cameo in another horror film, The Last Exorcism Part II. Moore also guest starred in a few episodes of Treme during 2010.

Discography[]

• 1990 Singer of Song (Singer of Song)
• 1999 Live at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 1994 (RedBone)
• 2003 Deacon John's Jump Blues (Vetter) CD & DVD

Filmography[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Deacon John Moore.

• Deacon John's Jump Blues
• NAMM Oral History Interview with Deacon John Moore March 19, 2015