Jonny Benavidez 'My Echo, Shadow and Me' LP

In collaboration with Timmion Records, Daptone is proud to present My Echo, Shadow and Me, the debut album from the soulful Chicano brother, Johnny Benavidez. 

Hailing from San Diego (via El Paso, TX), Johnny’s desire to sing was influenced by his grandfather, John Lorenzo Guzman, who as a teen in the early sixties spent some time harmonising with groups in El Paso, most notably Sonny Powell and the Night Dreamers. When he was 13, Johnny was given a record player and a box filled with R&B, Doo-Wop, and Soul 45s that he studied obsessively, employing the harmonies and melodies therein to cultivatehis own unique voice. After a chance encounter with the legendary Dimas Garza, Johnny’s career began to blossom and soon he would find himself singing alongside stars like Eugene Pitt and Archie Bell, garnering the interest of Timmion Records.. 

Backed by the incomparable Cold Diamond & Mink (Bobby Oroza,  Pratt and Moody) two incredibly successful singles were cut and plans  for a full length were struck, culminating in 11 original songs penned  by Benavidez. From the uplifting bounce of the title track, the  doo-wop dinged "Dedicated to You", the Latin flare of “Uncle Sam,”  to the Sweet Soul masterpiece "Somebody Cares" (licensed and  released on a Penrose Records 45), My Echo, Shadow and Me is not  only an aweinspiring display of Jonny's versatility as an artist but  also serves as a window into the eclectic array of soulful sounds that  inspired him to fall in love with music and become a singer. A must  have for fans of Daptone, Timmion, Penrose, et al.