Jonathan Butler is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who leads a life few can imagine. Born in South Africa under the shadow of apartheid and raised in poverty, Butler was the first non-white artist to be played on South African radio and appear on national television. Though his musical abilities would take him away from the world he grew up in, Jonathan would neither forget the plight of his fellow South Africans, nor the man that led them to freedom. It is for this reason Nelson Mandela credits Butler’s music as having inspired him during his imprisonment. In more ways than one, Jonathan Butler is representative of South Africa.
Jonathan’s story begins at a very young age when his father presented him with a homemade one-string guitar. Little did his father realize that he was giving way to a musical phenomenon. From then on, Jonathan’s musical gifts grew by leaps and bounds. In his early teens Butler won a local talent contest, affording him the opportunity to perform with a touring musical company throughout South Africa. On occasion he would perform at lavish concert halls for whites only, where he would not be allowed to use the bathroom, and the very next night he would perform in a dilapidated local township. Ultimately, his ticket to a new life was music.
NATURALLY 7 (9/19/24-9/19/24)
LYFE JENNINGS (9/20/24-9/20/24)
STANLEY JORDAN & BOBBY BROOM PAY HOMAGE TO RUSSELL MALONE (9/24/24-9/24/24)
ALGEBRA BLESSETT (9/25/24-9/25/24)
KYLE EASTWOOD QUINTET: EASTWOOD PLAYS EASTWOOD (9/26/24-9/26/24)
JAMISON ROSS (9/27/24-9/27/24)
RICHIE GOODS AND CHIEN CHIEN LU: CONNECTED (9/27/24-9/27/24)
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UNCLE LOS MUSIC (9/2/24-9/2/24)
THE DRIFTERS - CORNELL GUNTER'S COASTERS - THE PLATTERS (8/22/24-8/22/24)
J. HOLIDAY (7/27/24-7/27/24)
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DWELE (7/12/24-7/12/24)
TOMMY DAVIDSON (7/8/24-7/8/24)
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Videos
Kurt Weill + Weimar Era Cabaret
Stookey's Club Moderne (10/31 - 10/31) | ||
Best of SF Stand-up Comedy
The Purple Onion at Kells (5/19 - 1/17) | ||
Head Over Heels
City Lights Theater Company (7/17 - 8/24) | ||
ALGEBRA BLESSETT
Yoshi's Oakland (9/25 - 9/25) | ||
Clue
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts (10/29 - 11/3) | ||
An Inspector Calls
City Lights Theater Company (9/26 - 10/20) | ||
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical
Golden Gate Theatre (6/3 - 6/22) | ||
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