Blues Traveler - Definition and Overview

Blues Traveler is an American jam band, led by John Popper (vocals, harmonica) along with Chan Kinchla (guitar), Brendan Hill (drums), Tad Kinchla (bass) and Ben Wilson (keyboards). Former member Bobby Sheehan (bass) died in 1999 of a drug overdose in New Orleans. Their fourth album, Four, was a late-blooming success thanks to the singles "Run-around" and "Hook".

Blues Traveler's future releases were not able to live up to the quintuple platinum sales of Four, though they have maintained a loyal fanbase from the beginning of their career. Their albums with A&M in the later 1990s include Straight on Till Morning and Bridge. Sheehan's untimely death in 1999 and Popper's struggle with obesity have helped keep the group on the fringes of the mainstream, and A&M dropped the band after disappointing sales of their 2001 album "Bridge".

Signing with Sanctuary Records, they released "Truth Be Told" on August 5th, 2003.

Politics

John Popper is an outspoken supporter of the Libertarian Party.