J.P. Soars

John Paul Soars (born 1969) and known professionally as J.P. Soars, is an American blues singer, guitarist, songwriter and record producer. In 2021, he was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Contemporary Blues Male Artist' category. A 2009 winner of the International Blues Challenge, Soars has released six albums, including 2019's collection, Let Go of the Reins. His backing band are known as the Red Hots.

One music journalist noted about Soars that "He's a very versatile guitarist who is well-versed in several different genres."

Life and career Soars has lived in Boca Raton, Florida since 1999, but was born in Anaheim, California, and moved to Cedarville, Arkansas, with his family at three years old.

Soars developed his guitar technique, but did not play professionally until after his graduation. His enjoyment of heavy metal music won the initial battle and Soars played in a number of local bands including Burner, Mask of Innocence, Wynjara and Human Plague – before he had an eight-year membership with the thrash metal band, Raped Ape. Through touring with the latter, Soars became friends with musicians who played with Malevolent Creation and, in 1996, Soars joined them and was part of the line-up that recorded In Cold Blood. The band was due to undertake a European tour the following year, but Soars left them at that point as he was reluctant to lose his daytime occupation with Motorola. He kept in touch with the blues by playing alongside local blues musicians in his free time. In 2005, he turned his back on the heavy metal scene, after realising he was almost double the age of his average audience member. It was followed by another two albums, More Bees With Honey (2011) and Full Moon Night in Memphis (2014). After further touring commitments and music festival appearances, it was not until 2018 that Soars next album, Southbound I-95, was ready for release. It featured guest appearances from Jimmy Thackery and Albert Castiglia on guitars, Sax Gordon on horn and Jason Newsted on bass guitar, with Lee Oskar playing the harmonica.

In January 2019, Soars and Peet traveled to Houma, Louisiana, to enable recording to take place at Tab Benoit's studio. Benoit produced the album and played drums, so usual percussionist Peet was able to play his other musical passion, the bass. Soar supplied the bulk of the vocals and played electric and acoustic guitar, dobro, dulcimer, and his homemade two-string cigar box guitar. The same year, Soars was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Blues Rock Artist' category.

In 2021, he was nominated for the 42nd Blues Music Award ceremony in the 'Contemporary Blues Male Artist' category.