He had already followed in his hero's footsteps with a gig at Salford Lads Club. But 12-year-old John Denton's career which began by busking on rain-denched streets of Manchester is poised to take off thanks to a little help from a friend.
Guitar legend, Johnny Marr, who along with fellow members of The Smiths posed for an iconic picture at the Club in Ordsall, has chosen John to be the first recipient of an award he is sponsoring to help young people from Salford with potential to make it in the music industry.
John has covered songs by classic Manchester bands including The Smiths while playing to shoppers on Market Street, with videos of his performances gaining thousands of views on social media.
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Last year after John had wowed shoppers with his city centre performances, he told the Manchester Evening News: "I'd love to be the next Johnny Marr and just keep going to see where music can take me, It all started when my dad took me to a birthday party for one of his friends, and there was a karaoke machine. People were singing Highway to Hell by AC/DC.
"I went home and just listened to them over and over and it all came from there. I started singing, took guitar lessons and then did my first gig at a coffee shop in Eccles when I was nine, where I also sang two of my own songs."
Now Johnny, whose shimmering guitar playing and songwriting graced The Smiths, his solo work, and more recently, the score for the James Bond film No Time to Die, is lending a hand to nurture John's fledgling career. John was selected for funding by the charity The Salford Foundation Trust, which operates the Johnny Marr Award to support talented youngsters in the city.
The young guitarist has been awarded £1,000 funding to pay for extra singing and guitar lessons to progress to the next level in his performances.
John started playing at the age of eight when he received his first guitar as a Christmas present. He has played gigs around his home town, including at Salford Lads Club - where his hero Johnny Marr posed with The Smiths for an iconic photograph famously used inside the album sleeve for The Queen Is Dead album in 1986.
John has already met Johnny once before - when he chatted to him at a record signing event at Manchester’s Piccadilly Records for the release of Johnny's new album, Fever Dreams Pts 1-4, where John asked him for advice about forming a band.
John has since gone on to form his own group called ‘The Height’ - named after an area in Salford near where he lives - and the group released their first single just before Christmas.
He was selected for the award by a panel at the Salford Foundation Trust, a local charity which supports talented young people in the city. The Johnny Marr Award will run for three years, selecting another young musician from Salford each year for financial assistance.
John’s dad Phil Denton said: “John’s ambition is to have a career in music. He will be using the funding to have music lessons to help both his guitar playing and his singing. In these tough times it’s a massive help and means that he can progress in his passion.
“Music is not a hobby for John but just who he is and a creative outlet he hopes to enjoy for the rest of his life. He is incredibly grateful to Johnny and the Salford Foundation Trust who have provided this opportunity. It is a real privilege to get this award and he is determined to make the very most of the opportunity he has been given.”
Johnny said: “It’s a pleasure and privilege to give some assistance to a young musician especially when they’re as dedicated as John. Well done brother."
Peter Collins CBE, from The Salford Foundation Trust, said: “There couldn’t be a more worthy recipient of the Johnny Marr Award. Even though John is only 12 he’s already proven he’s committed to making a future in music and we’re delighted the Trust can give him a helping hand on this journey.”
Despite his young age John has already gained a reputation in the Manchester music scene. He is inspired by the music of The Smiths, Sex Pistols, Blossoms and his favourite contemporary artists include Sam Fender, Viola Beach and The K's.
Daily life as Salford lad and personal experiences are the inspiration for his songs. On February 18th 2022 he released his debut single, Anthem X, which now has over 2,000 Streams on Spotify and other platforms. He played alongside artists including Marseille, Megan Wyn and Modern Age at a Smashing Launch gig last year and has also played many other great gigs such as an acoustic set at Salford Lads Club. One of his biggest gigs so far was supporting the world’s biggest Oasis tribute band - Noasis - at Middleton Arena.
