John E. Lawrence
June 21, 2021
John E. Lawrence, a lifelong resident of Ypsilanti, is one of Michigan’s most talented and respected guitarists. John is gained national recognition as a guitar instructor with his contract with Mel Bay Publications, Inc., one of the country’s largest publishers of instructional materials; writing a celebrated series of guitar instruction books.
John became an instructor at Washtenaw Community College where he taught for 27 years and was the Director of the Music Performance Program. John also developed the “Living Legends Series.” The series provided a stage for famous recording artists to be interviewed and share their life stories in front of an audience.
Among Mr. Lawrence’s many accomplishments was a performance at Carnegie Hall. In addition to touring throughout the United States and performing at Jazz Festivals such as: Boston Globe, New Orleans, and Montreux Detroit, he has also performed in Haiti, Surinam, Germany, and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
Some of John’s sound recordings include “The Supreme Dream,” “Old Smooth,” “Summer Nights,” “All By Myself,” “Merry Christmas from John E. Lawrence,” “Winter Wonder Land,” and “A Solo Guitar Christmas.”
Some of John’s sound recordings include “The Supreme Dream,” “Old Smooth,” “Summer Nights,” “All By Myself,” “Merry Christmas from John E. Lawrence,” “Winter Wonder Land,” and “A Solo Guitar Christmas.”
