Johnny Iguana, together with his longtime songwriting/producing partner JQ, is the composer of the original score for the hit FX/Hulu series “The Bear.” Johnny and JQ also created a Delmark Records remix for the Chicago Cubs, which was played at home games and sold on vinyl in 2025.

Johnny grew up in Philadelphia, where he learned piano from age eight and played piano and organ in blues bands from age 16. He moved to New York City at age 22, where he met one of his greatest musical heroes, Junior Wells. He was hired by Junior after auditioning live at the Boston House of Blues, and moved to Chicago in February 1994. He toured with the Junior Wells Band for three years, toured with Otis Rush and recorded with Carey (and Lurrie) Bell, Lil’ Ed and more.

Johnny went on to play on Grammy-nominated albums by Junior Wells, Chicago Blues: A Living History and the Muddy Waters 100 Band, and he played all the piano on the celebrated “Chicago Plays the Stones” album (2018). Those releases saw Johnny play on record with Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Derek Trucks, Gary Clark Jr., Johnny Winter, Shemekia Copeland and more. After appearing on dozens of blues albums by other artists, Johnny released his first blues album as a leader, on the iconic blues/jazz label Delmark Records. “JOHNNY IGUANA’S CHICAGO SPECTACULAR!” features Lil’ Ed, John Primer, Billy Boy Arnold, Bob Margolin, Matthew Skoller, Billy Flynn, Kenny Smith, Bill Dickens and Michael Caskey.

All along, Johnny has also had his own decidedly non-blues rock bands, sometimes playing his distinctively grimy overdriven organ. First came Stevie Lizard & His All-Reptile Orchestra (late ’90s). Then came the nationwide cult favorite oh my god (see discography and press quotes). His band Them vs. Them, formed with JQ of the Q Brothers, recorded and performed after that. The synth-fueled Software Giant came next.

Since late 2010, Johnny has been recording and touring with his “garage cabaret” band the Claudettes. who started as a piano-drums instrumental duo with Michael Caskey. The Claudettes put out four releases on Yellow Dog Records and two on Forty Below Records. These album saw the Claudettes evolve into a vocal group featuring Zach Verdoorn on guitars and Yana, Berit Ulseth and now Rachel Williams as lead vocalist. On his blues tours and his tours with the Claudettes and oh my god, Johnny has played all over Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand, Indonesia, all across Japan and in the Middle East. In recent years, Johnny has won presitigous Best Keyboardist nominations from the Blues Music Awards, Living Blues Awards and Blues Blast Awards.

Among Johnny’s musical inspirations: Otis Spann, Jay McShann, Ray Charles, Mose Allison, Bobby Timmons, Mike Watt, Bob Mould, Joe Strummer, Captain Beefheart and the near, dear, late, great Junior Wells. Johnny is a proud carrier of tradition but also wields a keyboard style that sounds like no one else.