Dick Justice

There are two artists who used the name Dick Justice. Dick Justice (born Henry Franklin Justice april 3, 1903, died September 12,1962), was an influential blues and folk musician who hailed from West Virginia, United States. He recorded ten songs for Brunswick Records in Chicago in 1929. He was heavily influenced by black musicians, particularly Luke Jordan who recorded in 1927 and 1929 for Victor Records. Justice's "Cocaine" is a verse-for-verse cover of the Jordan track of the same name recorded two years earlier. The song "Brownskin Blues" is also stylistically akin the much of Jordan's work but stands on its own as a Justice original. As Jordan hailed from around Lynchburg, Virginia it is perhaps worth speculating that the two may have been associates. Justice is also musically related to Frank Hutchison (with whom he played music and worked as a coal miner in Logan County, West Virginia) and The Williamson Brothers. His recording of the traditional ballad 'Henry Lee' is the opening track of Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music. He also worked closely with Reese Jarvis(1899-1967) who played violin on "Muskrat Rag "and "Poca River Blues". There was also an alternative rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois named Dick Justice. They formed in late 1991, taking their name from one Richard Justice . . . the associate dean of students at the University of Illinois in charge of student discipline and mediation programs. Original members included Jim Kamp (guitar, vocals), Galen Gondolfi (drums, vocals) and Rob Arrol (bass, vocals). The band played thier first show on January 24, 1992 at a house party (with Bob Rising from Poster Children/Seam guesting on drums). dick justice made a name for themselves throughout the Midwest, through regular touring and playing with the likes of Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Elvis Hitler, Material Issue, Pansy Division, A Flock of Seagulls, Arcwelder, Busker Soundcheck, Tripmaster Monkey, Honcho Overload, The Moon Seven Times, Delta Kings, Walt Mink and one incredibly memorable night with Alcohol Funnycar. The original members released one 7-inch on Mud Records in December 1993. The Lasso Your Heart EP featured the songs "Nine Outta Ten" (also included on the CD comp. Mud Puddle Playoffs) and "Part of Your Problem." Arrol departed in May 1994. During this period he was also rhythm guitarist For Decatur, Illinois' and Medium Cool Recording Artists' Ticks. He reimerged in the fall of 1994 playing guitar and singing with a pop-punk power trio known as "mary me" with braid's Todd Bell on bass on Roy Ewing on drums. They recorded for John Yates' Allied Recordings. Gondolfi and Kamp recruited Chris Green to fill in before relocating to Chicago and asking Jeff Sorensen to assume full-time bass duties. Gondolfi eventually left the band with Paul Pagones taking over on drums. Gondolfi took a brake from drumming to travel and experience many parts of the United States. He came back into the spotlight in St. Louis' Push and currently drums with an outfit known as Airport Elementary. The Kamp, Sorensen, Pagones line-up of dick justice released two 7-inches: DICK JUSTICE ROCK on Evanston, Illinois' ten-spot record company, inc. and Superfancy Heavy Duty Everything on Chicago's Thick Records. Kamp later fronted seminal Chicago bands Team Player and Snaklab All-Tsars (w/Pagones on drums). He currently plays with his brother Paul (Busker Soundcheck) in Ruth Buzzy. On May 25, 2008, the original line-up of Rob Arrol, Galen Gondolfi and Jim Kamp reunited in Champaign, IL for a show at The High Dive. In front of a sell out crowd, dick justice (the band) was introduced by Dick Justice (the man). Others on the bill that night were Driver Has No Cash, Corndolly, The Moon Seven Times, Mother/Menthol and Honcho Overload. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.