Spider John Koerner Hiawatha Music Festival Performance

"Spider" John Koerner, born in 1938 in Rochester, NY, has described himself as a "traditional American folk and country blues musician, rhythmic guitarist, song-crafter, singer, and humorist." While attending the University of Minnesota as a engineering major, he discovered folk music, which he began performing in 1958. Around this time, he met Bob Dylan, who has cited Koerner as one of his early musical influences. Other musicians who have cited Koerner as an influence include John Lennon, Ray Davies, Bonnie Raitt, and The Doors. During the 1960s and 1970s, he toured and made albums with Willie Murphy and separately as a trio with Dave Ray and Tony Glover. He has made albums with record labels Elektra, Red House, and Tim/Kerr records which span from 1965 to 2013. Koerner has held a number of jobs outside of his musical career. He served in the Marines as a young man. During the 1970s and 1980s, he became an experimental film maker. He also builds telescopes and has given lectures and shows on astronomy. Other than a few years in Denmark during the 1980s, he has continued to reside in Minnesota.