For more than 30 years, Johnny Palazzotto has been the backbone of the music scene in Baton Rouge. He has booked the clubs, managed the bands, recorded the artists and produced live performances, albums, music videos and a radio show, much of it without fanfare or recognition from his eclectic studio—a one-time beauty parlor in a renovated A. Hays Town building in the 800 block of Main Street downtown.
As Business Report details in its new cover story, to those in the local music industry, Johnny P., as they call him, is an indispensable fixture in this city. He’s a tall, soft-spoken guy with an encyclopedic knowledge of seemingly every musician to come out of Baton Rouge and a tireless devotion to those blessed—or, perhaps, cursed—with the talent and desire to make a living by making music.
That’s not easy to do, particularly in Baton Rouge, which isn’t the birthplace of the blues but, unquestionably, has produced some of the finest blues musicians ever to emerge on the American music scene. The Capital Region has given the world Slim Harpo, Buddy Guy and, more recently, Kenny Neal, as well as musicians like Johnny Rivers, John Fred and Jimmy Clanton, who were heavily influenced by the blues in Baton Rouge. Yet for all its recent efforts to capitalize on its musical heritage and musical talent, Baton Rouge—as so much of Louisiana so often does—has come up short when it comes to building an economy around the native sons that are its natural resources.
Palazzotto has witnessed this dynamic firsthand, tried to change it and worked around it, with varying degrees of success. He has had some wins—more losses—and a handful of almost really big breaks that, for one reason or another, didn’t materialize. In that respect, he is an apt metaphor for the music industry in his hometown, which has never quite realized its considerable potential.
“I’ve scored a lot of runs, but never a grand slam,” he says without a hint of self-deprecation.
But a life well lived is not necessarily about hitting the grand slam or, in the case of someone in the music business, ascending to the top of the charts. For some, like Palazzotto, it’s about pursuing a passion while following a path that isn’t straight and narrow but crooked and quirky—one that doesn’t always end up in the right place but usually finishes somewhere interesting and, more importantly, makes a positive difference along the way.
“Johnny has been pivotal in the local music scene,” says John Kaufman, director of marketing and programming for the Manship Theatre at the Shaw Center for the Arts. “He believes in it, he has kept it alive, and he hasn’t given up.”
Read the full cover story which includes a sidebar that explores why Baton Rouge lacks a viable music industry despite its bevy of local musical talent. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
