The CanJoe Company

05/05/2024

Meeting a happy canjoe owner who received his own custom created instrument 10 years ago, when he was 4.

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05/01/2024

04/28/2024

A Doc Watson story from way back:

This weekend was the annual MerleFest music festival held in Wilkesboro, NC in honor and in memory of the legendary Doc Watson and his son Merle Watson. I was privileged to have met Doc many years ago and became one of his friends. The first time we met was at the Cherokee Bluegrass Festival in the year 1997 where I was both a vendor and performed on my canjoe instrument on stage. Doc was performing there as well. We met backstage and he wanted to "see" my canjoe instrument so I handed it to him. As most know, Doc was blind. When I handed it to him, he felt up and down the neck of it, felt the can, the tuner key, the string, and then he strummed it a couple of times and paused; he then said, "son, you have something on your hands here ... too much time". ... lol!!!
Doc, of course, wanted one for himself so, I went home and made one for him. After I finished making his, I saw him again at the Carter Fold in Hiltons, VA and delivered it to him. As I handed his to him, I said, "Doc, I put a real pretty can on it for ya'", and he replied, "CanJoe, son, I don't rightly care much about that, as long as it sounds good". He loved it!
Later, on the next time we met, Doc told me that he played "Black Mountain Rag" on it all the way back home that evening. He was warned by his band members riding back with him, too, that if he played that tune one more time they would "throw him and that thing out of the car".... LOL!!!... I loved Doc Watson!!!!! ~ CJ*J

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04/15/2024

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) – Former News Channel 11 anchor Tim Cable oversaw one of the region’s most popular series: Cable Country. In June 1995, Cable featured the Can Joe Company in Blountville a…

02/15/2024

Acquired a lighted display cabinet from Karon Simpson, today. She saw my recent post that I am creating a private museum from artifacts collected for the past 30 years. Had my friend, Jack, help me pick it up, and move it. Thank you, Karon and Jack! I now have it set up with a few items in it for my ongoing, progressing "CanJoe Museum" ... starting to come together. ~ CJ*J

01/22/2024

Here's a close up of one of the treasured artifacts displayed in the newly establishing personal, private 'CanJoe' museum. It is a special gift, a birdhouse effigy figure of yours truly that was bestowed upon me by the maker, Glenn Bauman. He had assembled it as unfinished wood, thought it looked so much like me, he presented it to me in person. I then took the liberty to dress it up, and it now sports the official sunglasses that were worn by me in many public appearances, back in the 90s. These Bolle' sunglasses were worn so much they became included on the caricature logos, seen in many early promo photos, and became almost a trademark item in my stage clothing. ~ CJ*J

01/20/2024

This year marks 30 years of being licensed in the music business, as the "CanJoe Company", as well as identified professionally, publicly, and privately as "CanJoe*John". Having collected and stored absolutely everything related to the instrument, the business, and the history of the one-stringed musical instrument for over the past 30+ years, I decided to create my own, personal little museum. I have begun hanging on walls, posters, photos, awards, memorabilia, displaying artifacts and articles on shelves and throughout a private living space on my property. The photos here show the beginning of this newest undertaking, with much more to be added.... stay tuned! ~ CJ*J

08/18/2022

Coming to 963 "The Possum" on Saturday, 8/17/2022, from 12 noon until 3pm, join host of the Mountain Matinee, CanJoe*John, with guests Zak Saltz and Johnny Cox, front man and lead guitarist of the Zak Saltz Band (ZSB).

From the official ZSB web site: "With his roots in Gospel Bluegrass, and then a later transformation to Country Rock, band founder Zak Saltz is an energetic and easily likable Front-Man that will have both guys and gals grinning from ear to ear all night. Zak has spent many years honing his sound, writing, and refining his stage show. Together now with his partners in crime, Johnny Cox on bluesy lead guitar, thumping George Campbell on electric bass, and Waylon Lewis rockin' with steady, driving drums, ZSB has created a unique Southern Appalachian, Alt-Outlaw Country, Southern Rock & Blues sound that is sure to blow any crowd away!"

Y'all tune in for this special close encounter with ZSB members, Zak and Johnny, in a mix of in-depth interviews, a few tasty tracks of the ZSB recorded music, and some hot acoustic guitar licks with vocals samples , LIVE from the studio of 963 "The Possum", on your terrestrial radio dials at FM 96.3; FM 100.7; and WPWT AM 870 in the NE TN/SW VA region, or online at 963thepossum.com, as well from your portable communication devices from the new 963 "The Possum" app.... C ya' Saturday ~ CJ*J the DJ

06/15/2022

Happy to announce that today, "The CanJoe* Man," has been recognized by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences as a 2017 Short Form Non-Fiction Student Production Award recipient.

05/18/2022

Gary Brewer and the Kentucky Ramblers with the Mountain Matinee host, CanJoe*John, after a LIVE broadcast on FM 96.3 "The Possum"...