Rocker admits importing banned guns

Canadian rocker John Butcher, known as Rockin' Johnie B., has pleaded guilty to importing guns destined for a Scarborough street gang member.

Butcher, 62, looking disheveled, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to report goods to Canada Customs and one count of importing prohibited firearms, the Toronto Sun said Thursday. He will be sentenced April 22.

Butcher has been in jail since March 22, 2004, when he was stopped at the Detroit-Windsor border with 23 guns stashed in the spare tire well of his Pontiac Sunbird.

Butcher earlier admitted he had transported large sums of money from the United States into Canada as part of a scheme involving four other alleged co-conspirators.

I remember him from the early MTV days.

Here is a bio from AllMusicGuide.com:

Jimi Hendrix disciple Jon Butcher achieved some moderate chart success in the mid-'80s as the singer/guitarist for the Jon Butcher Axis. Coming out of the Boston club scene in the early '80s, the Butcher Axis (which also included members Chris Mann on bass and Derek Blevins on drums), issued such albums as 1983's self-titled debut, 1984's Stare at the Sun, and 1985's Along the Axis (Butcher dropped the Axis for such releases as 1986's Wishes and 1989's Pictures From the Front), opened for local Boston heroes the J. Geils Band in addition to other harder-edged bands, and issued a few singles that enjoyed some success on radio and MTV — "Wishes," "Goodbye Saving Grace," and "Life Takes a Life." Butcher continued issuing solo albums in the '90s — Positively the Blues (1995) and Electric Factory (1996) — while a hits compilation (1998's The Best Of: Dreamers Would Ride) and an archival concert (1999's King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents) were also issued. In addition to his musical career, Butcher founded the Electric Factory Recording Studio, which focuses primarily on film, TV, and multimedia work.

Butcher, along with California-based rocker Randy Hansen, worshipped Hendrix so thoroughly that they not only did all the tricks (playing over the shoulder, setting the guitar aflame, etc.), they even played with their mouths agape, just like Jimi.

Hansen, like Butcher, has disappeared from the pop music scene, but he shares a writing credit with Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson...to his everlasting shame. The track? The ridiculous "State of Shock" from the Jacksons' Victory tour.

Hey folks, I really have to question whether the posted article is about the same rocker y'all are referring to in your replies.

The article refers to the gunrunner dude as "Canadian rocker JOHN Butcher, known as Rockin' Johnie B." But the artist you're referring to in your replies (opened for Rush, Goodbye Saving Grace, Hendrix-influenced, etc.) is JON Butcher, who is from Boston, and who I've never heard referred to as "Rockin' Johnie B." in any way, shape, or form. I also find it a bit hard to believe the Jon Butcher I met back in the day could be 62 now (admittedly, I am notoriously bad at guessing people's ages, but 62 seems a stretch for even me to be off).

I had the opportunity to photograph and hang out with the whole band originally known as The Jon Butcher Axis on several occasions from about '87?-'90?, and Butcher was always a bit sensitive about the name. Jon was clearly the star of the show, but he was insistent that they were a band, not just him, hence "The JB Axis."

When one of their later albums (might have been Wishes) came out, they'd dropped the Axis part and the band was just going by Jon Butcher. When I asked why, he and his longtime manager groaned and related a story about having gotten this great interview with some prestigious magazine, the writer spent several days on the road with the band, seemed totally supportive and loved the music, etc. The guys just knew this was going to be the press attention that finally put them on the A-list. And then when the story appeared, every reference to Jon referred to him as "Mr. Axis"!! He and Amdur told me they decided at that moment to drop it, LOL.

So that's one of the several reasons I think this article refers to a different rocker. I just cannot imagine him going by something as cheesy as "Rockin' Johnie B." Plus last I heard, he was living in the Los Angeles area. Also, I followed the Canadian rock scene pretty closely and never heard anyone refer to the JBAxis as Canadian.

If any follow-up info to this article surfaces that would help clarify the identity of the perp, please ping me to it.

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