few contemporary traditional blues artists bridge the traditions of Chicago and West Coast blues with the passion, authenticity, and excitement of John Clifton. An accomplished vocalist, harmonica player, songwriter, producer, and bandleader, Clifton has spent more than three decades building an international reputation through live performances, acclaimed recordings, and an unwavering dedication to traditional blues.

Music became part of Clifton's life at an early age when he began taking piano lessons at eleven. By sixteen, he had discovered the harmonica, inspired by the electrifying playing of Charlie Musselwhite and Magic Dick of the J. Geils Band. Their music led him into the rich tradition of blues harmonica, introducing him to masters such as Little Walter, Junior Wells, and Sonny Boy Williamson, whose recordings became the foundation of his musical education.

By his late teens, Clifton was already honing his craft in nightclubs, developing his skills as a vocalist, harmonica player, and songwriter. Those countless nights on stage helped forge the dynamic live performance style that continues to define his music today.

Early in his career, Clifton balanced his passion for music with the physically demanding work of a well driller. The experience shaped the blue-collar work ethic that still defines him today, but it also confirmed that music was more than a hobby. By his late twenties, he committed to it full time—a decision that launched a career spanning more than three decades.

That decision led Clifton to the MoFo Party Band, where he served as frontman, lead vocalist, harmonica player, and primary songwriter from 1989 through 2015. Over more than twenty-five years with the group, the band became one of the West Coast's premier touring blues acts, performing throughout the United States and Europe while releasing five studio albums and two live recordings.

Following his years with the MoFo Party Band, Clifton launched a solo career, blending Chicago blues, West Coast swing, and classic rhythm & blues into a sound that is unmistakably his own. His solo releases—Let Yourself Go, Nightlife, In the Middle of Nowhere, and Too Much to Pay—have received international radio airplay while earning recognition on the highly regarded Living Blues Radio Chart, along with chart success on the Roots Music Report and Big Blues Chart. His recordings have earned critical acclaim for their original songwriting, passionate performances, and unmistakable harmonica style.

Over more than three decades, Clifton has brought his energetic blend of Chicago and West Coast blues to audiences throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico, New Zealand, and Fiji. Audiences have come to expect performances marked by energy, passion, and a deep respect for the blues tradition.

Throughout his career, Clifton has shared the stage with legends such as B.B. King, Bo Diddley, John Mayall, Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza, Tommy Castro, Walter Trout, Huey Lewis, and Mavis Staples. He has also toured and recorded with Big Bill Morganfield, the son of Muddy Waters, and appears on Morganfield's album Bloodstains on the Wall.

Beyond performing, Clifton has established himself as a respected songwriter, producer, and session musician. His production work on Made in Cali by Poland's Boogie Boys earned the Polish Blues Award for Best Blues Album, while his original song "Anytime Is Cool" was featured in the 2017 motion picture Shattered, where he and his band also appear onscreen performing the song. Today, Clifton is proud to represent Easttop as an endorsed artist.

Clifton's career has earned recognition both within the blues community and beyond, including induction into the Central Valley Music Hall of Fame, multiple industry award nominations, a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from U.S. Representative Jim Costa, and recognition from the Fresno County Board of Supervisors for his contributions to music in California's Central Valley.

More than three decades after first stepping onto a nightclub stage, John Clifton continues to honor the traditions of Chicago and West Coast blues while bringing his own voice, passion, and unmistakable style to audiences around the world.

UNITED STATES FESTIVALS

• Doheny Blues Festival (California)
• San Francisco Blues Festival (California)
• Mount Dora Blues & Groove Fest (Florida)
• Blues and Bones Festival (Eagle, Idaho)
• Alley Fest (Longview, Texas)
• New Blues Festival (Long Beach, California)
• Sonora Blues & Brews (California)
• Battle of the Blues Harps (Long Beach, California)
• Hayward Russell City Blues Festival (California)
• Black Diamond Blues Festival (California)
• Antioch Blues Festival (California)
• Hanford Blues & Roots Festival (California)
• Russian River Blues Fest (California)

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS

• Belgian Rhythm & Blues Festival — Peer, Belgium
• Kwadendamme Blues Festival — Netherlands
• Polish Boogie Festival — Chorzów, Poland
• Fiji International Blues Festival — Suva, Fiji
• San Felipe Blues & Arts Fiesta — Baja, Mexico
• Gisborne Blues Festival — New Zealand
• Blues Express Festival — Poland
• Crossroads Festival — Antwerp, Belgium
• Blues Heaven Festival — Frederikshavn, Denmark
• Moor Blues Festival — Zottegem, Belgium
• Seven Nights to Blues — Lille, France
• Eutin Blues Festival — Germany
• Keeping the Blues Alive Festival — Vlierden, Netherlands
• Jazz & Blues Rally — Netherlands
• Beautiful Swamp Blues Festival — Calais, France

NOTABLE CLUBS & VENUES

• Biscuits & Blues — San Francisco, CA
• The Rhythm Room — Phoenix, AZ
• The Zoo Bar — Lincoln, NE
• Sang a Klang — Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
• B.B.’s Lawnside Bar-B-Que — Kansas City, MO
• The Shrine — New York, NY
• Crossroads — Antwerp, Belgium
• Wilbert’s Food & Music — Cleveland, OH
• Midway Tavern — Mishawaka, IN
• Byron’s — Pomeroy, IA
• The Big Easy Social & Pleasure Club — Houston, TX
• Mac’s at the Vet’s Club — Eugene, OR
• St. George’s Country Store — St. George’s, DE
• Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay — San Diego, CA
• Sapphire Room — Boise, ID
• The Alamo — Springfield, IL
• Poor House Bistro San Jose CA
• Torch Club Sacramento CA.

SELECTED SUPPORTING PERFORMANCES

John Clifton has shared the stage with:

• B.B. King
• John Mayall
• Joe Bonamassa
• Huey Lewis
• Charlie Musselwhite
• Los Lobos
• Dr. John
• Rick Estrin
• Little Milton
• Johnny Winter
• The Yardbirds
• Derek Trucks
• Lazy Lester
• Luther Tucker
• Kim Wilson
• Rod Piazza
• Tommy Castro
• Mark Hummel
• Walter Trout
• Magic Dick
• James Harman
• Bo Diddley
• Mavis Staples 
• Robert Cray
• Albert Cummings
• And Many Mores

SOLO RELEASES

Too Much To Pay (Flower Records, 2024)

John Clifton's latest release features original songs recorded in Poland with Bartek Szopiński (piano/Hammond), Piotr Bieńkiewicz (guitar), Janusz Brzeziński (bass), and Miłosz Szulkowski (drums).

Recorded at Źle i Tanio Studio, Poland.

Chart Highlights

• #18 Living Blues Radio Chart
• #1 Roots Music Report California Album Chart
• #4 Roots Music Report Contemporary Blues Album Chart
• #7 Roots Music Report Album Chart
• #9 Roots Music Report United States Album Chart

In The Middle Of Nowhere (Rip Cat Records, 2019)

John Clifton's third solo release continued his success on blues radio and Roots Music Report charts.

Chart Highlights

• #20 Living Blues Radio Chart
• #8 Roots Music Report California Album Chart
• #13 Roots Music Report Contemporary Blues Album Chart

Nightlife (Rip Cat Records, 2018)

Featuring original material alongside carefully chosen classics, Nightlife became Clifton's first nationally charting solo release.

Chart Highlights

• #19 Roots Music Report Contemporary Blues Album Chart
• Finished #72 on the Roots Music Report Top 200 Contemporary Blues Albums of 2018

Let Yourself Go (Rip Cat Records, 2015)

Clifton's solo debut featured an all-star cast including:

• Kid Ramos
• Rusty Zinn
• Bob Welsh

introducing his songwriting while laying the foundation for his solo recording career.

MOFO PARTY BAND (1989–2015)

Lead Vocal • Harmonica • Primary Songwriter

Studio Albums

• 10 Dynamite Hits (1996)
• Call the Doctor (1998)
• Voodoo Dolls and Jungle Drums (2001)
• The Sound of the MoFo Party Band (2005)
• Low Down (2010)

Live Albums

• Black Market Live (2003)
• Live at the Tower Theater (2012)

SELECTED PRODUCTION, SONGWRITING & GUEST APPEARANCES

• Big Bill Morganfield — Bloodstains on the Wall (Harmonica)
• Boogie Boys — Made in Cali
  • Producer
  • Songwriter
  • Harmonica
  • Vocals
  • Polish Blues Award – Best Blues Album
• Gravel & Grace — Bringing The Blues
  • Producer
• Smooth Gentlemen — New
  • Producer
  • Songwriter
• Maciej Krec — Brothers and Friends
  • Songwriter
  • Lead Vocal
  • Harmonica
• Fillmore Slim
  • Guitar
  • Harmonica
• Kasa Chorych — Orla
  • Harmonica