JD McPherson
Guitar World|December 2017

This One-time Art Teacher Got the Ax, Grabbed His Ax and Put His Undivided Heart & Soul Into His Vintage Brand of Rock and Roll.

Damian Fanelli
JD McPherson

WE’VE ALL HEARD of guitar gods whose rock careers took off when they dropped out of school, formed a band and hit the road. But JD McPherson’s “school dropout” story has a twist: the Oklahoma native was a dedicated art teacher—until his contract wasn’t renewed.

“I was a really good teacher, I was great with the kids, but I’m really, truly a terrible employee,” says McPherson, who’s been in bands since he was 16. “I can’t wallow in the mire of administrivia, can’t keep paperwork, can’t keep up with the political game. It was gonna happen sooner or later.”

This story is from the December 2017 edition of Guitar World.

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This story is from the December 2017 edition of Guitar World.

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