Jontavious Willis

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Jontavious Willis

| image = File:JontaviousWillis-CBF-Spring23.jpg

| caption = Jontavious Willis at Chicago Blues Festival in 2023

| image_size =

| birth_name =

| alias =

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1996}}

| birth_place = Greenville, Georgia, United States

| death_date =

| death_place =

| instrument = Vocals, guitar, harmonica, banjo

| genre = Country blues

| occupation = Singer, guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist

| years_active = 2014–present

| label =

| associated_acts = Keb' Mo', Taj Mahal

| website = {{URL|jontaviouswillis.com}}

}}

Jontavious Willis (born 1996){{Cite web|url=https://feelingoverdose-com.webnode.es/news/jontavious-willis/|title=Jontavious Willis – The Third Day of the Devil's Music|website=Feelingoverdose-com.webnode.es|accessdate=July 23, 2019}} is an American country blues singer, guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Willis has released three albums to date, with his sophomore effort, Spectacular Class, debuting at number 12 in the Billboard Blues Albums Chart in May 2019.

He has been mentored through his early career by Keb' Mo', and Taj Mahal.

Biography

Jontavious Willis was born in Greenville, Georgia, United States. He grew up singing gospel music, alongside his grandfather, at his local Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church. At the age of 14, Willis watched an online video of Muddy Waters performing "Hoochie Coochie Man" and was drawn towards blues music. He learned to play many styles of country blues including Delta, Piedmont, and Texas, eventually becoming adept on the guitar as a fingerpicker, flatpicker and slide player. He developed further in his teens towards an autodidactic multi-instrumentalist. In addition to the guitar, Willis taught himself to play the harmonica and five string banjo. He studied at Columbus State University, majoring in sociology and anthropology.

His playing progressed and he was given a big opportunity in 2015 when Taj Mahal invited Willis onto the stage to perform. Taj Mahal stated afterwards, "That's my Wonderboy, the Wunderkind". The exposure led to appearances at music festivals and Willis self released his debut album, Blue Metamorphosis, in April 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/blues-jontavious-willis/Content?oid=9524649|title=BLUES | Jontavious Willis|first=Katie|last=Halligan|website=Rochestercitynewspaper.com|date=February 13, 2019|accessdate=July 23, 2019}} Blue Metamorphosis got favorable reviews from both Living Blues and Blues & Rhythm magazines.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iheg.com/event.asp?show=9905&id=6691&n=Jontavious+Willis|title=Jontavious Willis|website=Iheg.com|accessdate=July 23, 2019}} Paul Oscher stated "When I heard him play I said to myself: this is how the blues, as I know it, is going to stay alive." In 2018, the album earned recognition from the Blues Foundation through the International Blues Challenge, where it received the 'Best Self-Produced CD Award'.

In 2017, Keb' Mo' had partnered up with Taj Mahal to release a joint album, TajMo.{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/tajmo-mw0003033262 |title=TajMo – Taj Mahal / Keb' Mo' |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=May 8, 2017 |author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas}} It won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/kebmo|title=Keb'Mo'|date=November 28, 2017|publisher=National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences|accessdate=January 29, 2018}} On the resulting promotional tour, Willis played as the support act for the two seasoned blues men on several dates.

On April 5, 2019, Willis released his follow up album, Spectacular Class.{{Cite web|url=https://www.axs.com/uk/artists/1107107/jontavious-willis-tickets|title=Jontavious Willis|website=Axs.com|accessdate=July 23, 2019}} The album was issued on Kind of Blue Music. Taj Mahal was credited as executive producer and Keb' Mo' as producer.{{Cite web|url=http://jontaviouswillis.com/bio|title=Bio|website=Jontaviouswillis.com|accessdate=July 23, 2019}} The collection contained ten sides with the lyrical content all penned by Willis. He provided vocals and acoustic guitar (fingerpicker/flatpicker/slide) with Keb' Mo' on electric guitar, Eric Ramey on bass, Phil Madeira on keyboards, plus Martin Lynds and Thaddeus Witherspoon on drums.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockandbluesmuse.com/2019/04/03/review-spectacular-class-by-acoustic-bluesman-jontavious-willis/|title=Review: 'Spectacular Class' by Acoustic Bluesman, Jontavious Willis|first=Martine|last=Ehrenclou|website=Rockandbluesmuse.com|date=April 3, 2019|accessdate=July 23, 2019}} Spectacular Class debuted at number 12 in the Billboard Blues Albums Chart in May 2019, and was nominated for the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2020-grammy-awards-complete-winners-list#13|title=2020 Grammy Awards|website=Grammy.com|accessdate=January 27, 2020}}

Tour dates for 2019 and beyond include concerts in the US, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Canada, and Puerto Rico.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thekurlandagency.com/artist/jontavious-willis/|title=Jontavious Willis|website=Thekurlandagency.com|accessdate=July 23, 2019}}

Discography

=Albums=

Year \|\| Title \|\| Record label
class="wikitable sortable"
2017	Blue Metamorphosis	style="text-align:center;"\|Self released
2019	Spectacular Class	style="text-align:center;"\|Kind of Blue Music
2024	West Georgia Blues	style="text-align:center;"\|Strolling Bones Records

{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jontavious-willis-mn0003647055|title=Jontavious Willis | Album Discography|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=July 23, 2019}}