JD McPherson is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He is associated with rock and roll and rockabilly, and his sound draws on the rhythm and blues and rock and roll records of the 1950s.

Early life and background

Jonathan David McPherson is born in 1977. He grows up in rural southeastern Oklahoma on a cattle ranch near Talihina. His father is a farmer and former army serviceman, and his mother is a church minister. He starts playing guitar at 13 and, while still at school, plays in several local punk rock bands and begins writing his own songs. From the age of 16, he is continuously involved in some kind of band activity.

He develops a strong interest in 1950s rock and roll after hearing Buddy Holly, and that influence shapes both his writing and the style of the bands he plays with, including The Poison Okies and The Starkweather Boys.

Education and early career

McPherson studies visual arts at college and earns a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Tulsa. He later works as an art and technology teacher before focusing on music full time.

Recording career

He sends a demo to Jimmy Sutton of the independent roots-music label Hi-STYLE Records, who agrees to produce his debut album. Signs and Signifiers is released in 2010 and later reaches a wider audience through Rounder Records. In a 2012 review of the album, Rolling Stone names McPherson an “Artist to Watch.”

Live work and other appearances

McPherson and his band play the acoustic stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2015. In the same year, they appear in animated form on the DreamWorks series The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show on Netflix, performing the original song “Crazy Horse.”