Papa John Creach

Papa John Creach
Creach performing with Jefferson Starship in 1974
Background information
Birth name	John Henry Creach
Born	(1917-05-28)May 28, 1917 Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	February 22, 1994(1994-02-22) (aged 76) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Blues, blues rock, psychedelic rock, classical, jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Violin
Years active	1935–1994
Formerly of	Jefferson Airplane (1970–1973) Hot Tuna (1970–1974) Jefferson Starship (1974–1976; 1978 [touring member]) Jefferson Starship - The Next Generation (1992–1994) San Francisco All-Stars (1979–1984) Dinosaurs (1982–1989) Steve Taylor

John Henry Creach (May 28, 1917 – February 22, 1994),^[1] better known as Papa John Creach, was an American blues violinist who also played classical, jazz, R&B, pop and acid rock music.^[2] Early in his career, he performed as a journeyman musician with Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Stuff Smith, Charlie Christian, Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker, Nat King Cole and Roy Milton.^[2]

Following his rediscovery by drummer Joey Covington in 1967, he fronted a variety of bands (including Zulu and Midnight Sun) in addition to playing with Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, Jefferson Starship, the San Francisco All-Stars (1979–1984), Dinosaurs (1982–1989) and Steve Taylor.

Creach recorded a number of solo albums and guested at several Grateful Dead and Charlie Daniels Band concerts. He was a regular guest at the early annual Volunteer Jams, hosted by Charlie Daniels, which exposed him to a new audience that was receptive to fiddle players.^[3]