John Frazier PHOTO BY/Karin Eagle
John Frazier: Paving his own path in music
By Karin Eagle
Native Sun News Staff Writer RAPID CITY — “I was told I paved the way for Native artists. Not true. There have been Native musicians before me doing tremendous things. I just paved my own way, my own path.” Humble words from a humble Native man who is proving to be a true Ikceya Wicasa. This humility highlights the life and accomplishments of this South Dakota native. Rapid City is home to many accomplished people of all races. Doctors, lawyers, great athletes and performers, scientists and even notorious villains claim Rapid City as their hometown. However, by way of Eagle Butte, Rapid City boasts only one Grammy winner; Mr. John Frazier. Native Sun News has featured John, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, shortly after learning of his achievement. The story was told nearly ten years after the fact, due in large part to John’s absolutely genuine humility. The Grammy was awarded during the televised presentation in 2001 for the production of the Best Native American Album “Gathering of Nations “CD that year. Executive producers Tom Bee and Douglas Spotted Eagle accepted the award on behalf of the entire team. Winning a Grammy means very little to John in his daily life as he works harder at being a husband and father and son than he ever did as a sound engineer. Born to Mervin and Ernestine Frazier, John has great memories of his father’s musical influence. Mervin was a good musician playing the guitar, mandolin and the fiddle. He played with "The West River Country Band" with Cheeto, Jim & Eddie Gunderson. John remembers traveling with his parents while they played for dances all over South Dakota. In visiting with John, you hear about the great impact those experiences had in his life. John picked up drumming and playing the guitar at a very young age. Another thing that John picked up from his father is his love of, and skill, at playing pool. Mervin was also a professional pool player; he and John played in a league in Rapid City and went to Las Vegas for a tournament, taking 6th place and beating a team from France. Sadly, John lost his father and friend in August of 2012. Through his career, John has been a member of the bad Stones of Red and a brief stint with the Cody Black Bird Band. His dedication to the art of music has opened doors for John to continue the legacy that began with his father. He has recently announced plans to reach out and teach young Natives the finer points of playing the drums through a “drum clinic” locally. Native Sun News recently got to visit with John to speak about not only his career and his thoughts about succeeding in this industry. As a board member of the Native American Music Association, John has a front row, center, seat to the best of the best that comes through Indian Country. “Let me share the first thing that comes to mind, and I feel like it’s the thing I'm supposed to say. In a song, and life, you have to have a solid foundation. If you don't have rhythm, you don't the timing. If you don't have the time, you don't have a thing. Keep the rhythm!” Having experience in almost all aspects of music production, John has a unique perspective from all points of view. “When you're into a song, not only do the words of music speak to you, but also the musical arrangement itself. There are times when I play back a song just because the guitar solo was killer! A good musician can make his instrument speak to you, tell a story.” In addition to performing and producing the music in studio, John has been able to garner experience in pulling a music event together that brings many acts under one venue to promote the Native music of America. “I've learned things like that when I was starting out in music all those years ago. I had the privilege of helping a friend of mine Mitchell Zephier put together a Native American music showcase during the South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin Texas in 1996.” “I saw backstage, there for the first time, the passion that music can bring out of you. It wasn't the phenomenal acts performing; it was how they performed it! I was floored. Then to be involved with backstage duties every year at the Native American Music awards, and being an advisory board member for NAMA, I get to involve MY passion for music. “ John has been with NAMA since 2007. Following in his father’s footsteps, John makes sure that his family, both close and extended, are as much a part of his life and his day to day as possible. “My wife Marissa brought these passions that I have, not only for music, but for everything I do. She brought color into my life. Watching her do what she does as a hair stylist in her own studio, Artistry Hair Studio in downtown Rapid City, makes me try even harder in what I do musically,” says John. “My son Malachi has caught on to my teachings quick. He's a fast learner. He knows a lot on the drums, and is currently learning Stevie Ray Vaughn stuff.” “My daughter wants to be a writer, and practices on me with questions about music. So I get a lot of practice for interviews. Music has been the way of life for me as I grew up. I don't know where I would be without it. It’s helped me find who I am, brought me great friends, and has taken me too many great places.” John’s life with music began early on, having learned to play the mandolin at the tender age of six when he started performing with his father at schools around Cheyenne River. “So that's where my desire to teach kids music, and just lend a hand in those efforts came from,” said John.”One of my goals is to teach youngsters how to play the drums, or to do stagehand work.” John Frazier is one of the big names in Native Music, but his humble demeanor does not keep him from being awed by the greats in not only Native but in Mainstream music as well. “While traveling with Mitchell Zephier, I got to stay in Long Island New York at Harry Chapin's, a folk singer, whose best known for the song “Cats in The Cradle,” house with his wife Sandy Chapin.” “In 1996 I first got a taste of seeing what goes on behind the scenes when working alongside Mitchell (owner of Medicine Wheel Records, and Lakota Jewelry Visions) when I assisted him in setting up a Native Music showcase at the SXSW festival in Austin Texas at the State Theatre.” “At SXSW I was given the duty of stage manger on a whim. People were asking "who's on next?" and kind of looking at each other in confusion. So I grabbed the stage list, and started shouting out what was what, and whose next!” John has also performed during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics at the Reebok Human Rights Awards, for Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu, Robert Redford, and Alfrey Woddard. “I’m sharing all this, because there is more to me than being a Grammy winner,” Frazier said. Some of John’s biggest memories include far off lands and people he has looked to as musical inspirations. He performed at the infamous Valhalla Amphitheatre in Sweden, and counts as one of his favorite memories, having lunch with Lynyrd Skynyrd's, Rickey Medlocke (Blackfoot) in New York, and hearing “Skynyrd stories.” In keeping with his humble demeanor, John always pays tribute to his time with the popular Lakota band, Stones of Red aka Steel River. “After seeing them open for Indigenous, I saw Robert Briggs at Wal-Mart a week later in Rapid City,” remembers John.”I followed him around the store, thinking of what to say. Finally I approached him, and asked if I could play my congas for him in the parking lot.” “I carried my drums with me always at that time. So I played for him right there, crowd watching, no cares, playing like my life depended on it; 2 months later, I get a call from his brother Monte Briggs asking me to join Steel River. We had an autograph signing at Big Bats in Pine Ridge next week!” John Frazier is not just a Grammy award winner; he is not just a musician; nor is he just a father or husband or son. John Frazier is more that “just” anything. He has, through his heart and dedication and hard work, established himself as one of the examples in Indian Country of just how far a person’s will and confidence in their talent and ambition can take them. It is just up to someone else to tell about it! (Contact Karin Eagle at staffwriter@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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