John Clayton White is a 13-year-old blues guitar prodigy, whose love for music began at a very early age when he received his first guitar as a Christmas gift. By age 8, he had developed a particular affinity for the electric guitar, and was introduced to stage performance. He played for several years with the Mississippi School of Music in Tremont, where he met his mentor and Mississippi Blues Trail artist Tony Wayne Hooper.
By 2021 John Clayton had started his own band which has played at venues and festivals all around the mid-South.
In June 2023, he was asked to play at the grand reopening of Club Ebony in Indianola, MS where he took the stage with musical greats Susan Tedeschi, and Derek Trucks along with former members of the B.B. King band. John Clayton has been selected by the Mississippi Delta Blues Society to be a featured artist in the Youth Showcase at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in 2024 and 2025. In addition, his band placed second in the 2023 IBC regional competition. John Clayton is an active member of the Pinetop Perkins Foundation and performs regularly at Pinetop events across the country.
In August 2024, John Clayton’s first EP of originals “Hittin’ the Road” was released. He has already begun writing the music for his first full album of originals to be released in late 2025.
John Clayton aspires to become a professional musician so he can continue to make people happy with his music.
Tony Wayne Hooper is a 30-year Music Business Veteran who played his first guitar at age 6, wrote his first song at age 9, had his first Manager at age 12, and learned to produce, mix, and master by sitting for hours alongside legendary Muscle Shoals producer Jimmy Johnson. His diverse live and studio performance collaborations include Michael W. Smith, Kari Jobe, Bryan Duncan, Michael O’Brien, Rick Cua, The Blues Counsel, and a plethora more studio and performance credits, and have resulted in a Gold Record. Additionally, Hooper enjoys being an Instructor for Toby Mac’s Camp Electric in Nashville, mentoring young musicians in a yearly, week-long music intensive. Hooper’s lifetime of dedication to music and the Music Industry has most recently resulted in the honor of being named an artist on the Mississippi Blues Trail by the State of Mississippi.
Currently, Hooper resides in Tupelo, Mississippi, where in addition to continuing collaborations with local Songshine Entertainment, artists and musicians across the country, he is a Worship Leader and Founder of the Mississippi School of Music, a school of 30+ aspiring artists and musicians preparing for possible careers in the music industry. Mississippi School of Music is located in the Tammy Wynette Event Center.
Tony is the most recent addition to the classic rock band Orleans as a guitarist and vocalist.
Drummer Roderick Talley II, started playing drums around the age of 3 and started playing drums for his church at 11. At the age of 14, he developed a love for singing and began recording as a blues/ country artist as”Dvell” and currently has a single out entitled “Sunroof”. Rod was also the drummer for The Mississippi School of Music where he developed his skill of being able to play drums while simultaneously singing.
Bassist Michael Vaughn began learning to play at age 9 and had a natural talent for music. By age 19, he was playing and recording in professional studios. Michael has played for artists such as Lee Williams and QC’s, Brian Duncan, Michael English, and Bobby Rush just to name a few. As a veteran musician, he has played professionally for over 35 years and continues to amaze crowds with his talents.
In February 2024, I found out a close friend, Ansley Thompson had terminal brain cancer. I wrote a song for her called “Biggest Fan” and performed it at her bedside just days before she died. Writing this song helping me get through a tough time of dealing with the inevitable loss of my friend. The song starts out talking about her being there for me as a fan when I first started performing and then how I was there for her as she fought her battle with cancer. While I really miss Ansley, her story lives on through my song. I recorded this song the afternoon of her funeral and released it as a single in April. All proceeds from the sale of this CD will go to fund cancer research at St. Jude Children’s Research Center.
Definitely Kingfish Ingram. I love his music and his style but I love his story more. Just a poor kid growing up in the MS Delta and now he is playing on big stages all over the world. In October, I will be on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise in the Caribbean and plan on meeting him while on the cruise.
