The cover of John Eddie’s 2003 album, “Who the Hell Is John Eddie?”
Few people know what it’s like to play in nightclubs as well as John Eddie, who was a mainstay of the Jersey rock circuit (particularly Jersey shore clubs) in the 1980s and 1990s, and still commands a loyal following there. And he’s sick and tired of people who think it’s terribly witty to yell out “Free Bird!” in the middle of a song.
Eddie has had his fair share of success: He’s had major labels albums and a hit single (“Jungle Boy”), and Kid Rock and Brantley Gilbert have recorded his songs. But he captures the indignities of the not-particularly-well-known working musician’s life perfectly on “Play Some Skynyrd,” a track from his 2003 album, Who the Hell Is John Eddie?
The song’s narrator wants to sing some deeply personal material, but the crowd is having none of it. “Play some Skynyrd, play some Petty,” sings Eddie. “Play some Seger, play some Dead/Who the hell is John Eddie?/That’s what the redneck said/If you want to stick around, play some Skynyrd.”
Below is a clip of Eddie singing “Play Some Skynyrd” at the first Rockland-Bergen Music Festival, which took place in Tappan, N.Y., in June.
New Jersey celebrated its 350th birthday in 2014. And in the 350 Jersey Songs series, we marked the occasion by posting 350 songs — one a day, from September 2014 to September 2015 — that have something to do with the state, its musical history, or both. To see the entire list, click here.
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