John St. John Bio

John Saint John Bio
With 17 years of practicing law in Pascagoula, Jackson County, South Mississippi, John St. John has personally opened and closed more than 2,000 divorce files dealing with perhaps the “Crème de la Crème” of southern society. He spent 14 of those years working part-time for Jackson County, Ms. representing mental patients being committed to the local psyche ward who could not afford an attorney. He was once heard to say (before he realized how it sounded), “I have spent more time on a psyche ward that most patients”. For those same 14 years, John St. John represented countless neglected children and youth court offenders, did title searches, prepared deeds, powers of attorney, bankruptcy petitions, loan closings and the occasional damage suit. John St. John learned to sail when he was ten years of age at Mississippi Gulf Coast Military Academy summer camp. His father was a marine surveyor/naval architect who eventually worked for the American Bureau of Shipping and who was involved in building the World War II liberty ships in Pascagoula, Ms. John St. John’s grandfather was the launch master at both Ingal’s Pascagoula shipyard (end launches) and Ingal’s Mobile shipyard (side launches) during those same war years. With his father, John St. John built three wooden boats (sail and power) before graduating from high school. For 14 years after law school, John St. John sailed his wooden 28 foot “Gulf One Design” sloop (built in 1934 as a “class” boat for Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, La) to every island in the northern Gulf of Mexico, ranging from Dog Keys, Fla., to the Chandeliers in South Louisiana. Seeking to go further afloat in safety, he bought a derelict Pearson 32 foot “Vanguard”, (I mean even holes in the fiberglass deck derelict!) and began a complete refit doing all the work himself (a story in itself). It took three more years of growing unhappiness at practicing law (with lengthening winter vacations sailing to the Bahamas) before John St. John decided he had had enough! Despite all his “good” friends nay-saying, he turned his office and practice, books and clients over to “true” good friends without charge and took off on his vastly improved Pearson “Vanguard” sailboat for points south seeking a warmer climate seeking a saner environment. Starting out on accordion in grade school and then learning trumpet classically in junior high school, John St. John became a professional musician at the age of 14 as the paid bugler for Chamberlain Hunt Military Academy in port Gibson, Ms. where he also learned guitar from anyone who would take to time to teach him. He played trumpet in the military academy band and brass choir. As to why he learned guitar, John St. John quipped, “You can only play with yourself so long and then you’ve got to find something else to do with your hands!” During those academy years, a part of his duties as bugler was playing taps at military funerals throughout the delta area of central Mississippi. His family was very musically inclined with his mother playing virtuoso piano and his father playing so-so violin. He continued to learn and play music throughout his legal career and upon the advice of a fellow musician (who told him, “If you want to get serious about your music, get a serious guitar!”), he bought a “D. H. Martin” dreadnaught 12 string guitar which he still plays until this day, having it re-fretted 4 times and counting. Once he finally broke free of the law profession, John St. John sailed South single-handed (3 times), playing music in bars and marinas throughout the Bahamas (Hammerheads in Nassau; Stainal Cay Yacht Club, Stainal Cay) and then on further south to the Dominican Republic (luperon Yacht Club and Marina) and Puerto Rico (Salinas Yacht Club and Marina). After several trips up and down the Caribbean islands (with two single-handed trips back to the states), John St. John began hanging around the U.S. Virgin Island of St. John, for seven years. As his “day-time job”, he occupied his time captaining charter boats, repairing high-end restaurants and villas while seeking places to play his music at night with summer trips during “cane” season to most Caribbean islands including Martinique, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago. As a muse, John St. John became a professional writer being published in local St. John newspapers and the sailing magazines “Ocean Navigator” and “Caribbean Compass”. His true stories give advice on sailing and boating from over 40 years of personal experience (almost 50 now) and tell of travel adventures in the paradise of the Caribbean with such titles as; ”life Saving 101” (dragging a drunk out of the drink), “Ten Tough Miles” (getting upwind, up current and up wave from Diamond Rock to Marin, Martinique) and “Caribbean Cons” (dealing with double dealers “down island”). He has been writing now for over 5 years and will probably eventually put his stories together in a book. Near the end of the “07” tourist season John St. John played a few times at “Foxy’s Tamarind Bar and Restaurant”, in Jost Van Dyke, a small island in the British Virgin Islands. “Foxy’s” is undeniably the most famous and well attended bar in the Caribbean and was the number three place to have been for “Y2K”. Adopting the stage name of “John St. John”, he did quite well with his extensive repertoire and excellent ability to interact with large audiences ( usually 85 to 100 people). In Jan. “08” he got word through the coconut telegraph (faster than high speed internet) that “Foxy’s” manager was looking for him. He was offered the “more valuable than gold” coveted position of house musician at “Foxy’s”. Being a college graduate with a degree in psychology, a minor in sociology, a jurist doctorate degree in law and having countless hours in college theatre (eventually being paid to handle lights and sound for college stage shows), and, more importantly, being no fool, John St. John took that job! He played (illegally) at “Foxy’s” sis night a week the whole month of February, 08 and is presently waiting the processing of his troubadour’s license allowing him the legal permission to work as a foreign national in the British Virgin Islands (a process than can take up to six months with no guarantees). Meanwhile, he is playing private parties and in area restaurants and bars in St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix, U.S.V.I. where he is totally legal, at least in that one small regard, as U.S. citizen. A total professional, John St. John provides sophisticated printed menus of all songs he performs (alphabetically listed by singer or songwriter) and plays primarily requests. He is constantly learning new songs and his extensive song list follows this narrative. He has been heard to say that, “If you are going to sing a song with heart and sing it from the heart, then you have to know that song “by heart”. That means committing it to memory which, by his words, “takes a commitment!”. With the exception of Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville” and “Volcano” (pabulum crowd pleasers) every song he performs has some special meaning for him, be it the beauty of the music or the poignancy of the words and most often, both. He has been complemented repeatedly on his clear powerful lilting voice, his control and range. Taking no more than his share, John St. John lives aboard his Pearson Vanguard sailboat in a “state of green and bliss” (his words), using the wind for propulsion. He is a vegetarian eating mostly raw vegetables without refrigeration and using only a 12 volt electrical storage battery system charged by passive solar panels for power. He swims, walks and practices yoga daily which he feels greatly aids his singing performance. It certainly aids his continuing sanity and patience with bar crowds. John St. John has learned in his travels that sanity is simply a state of mind and that we are all a little bit crazy, just some more than others. He is happy to report that “Pirates of the Caribbean” are alive and well and if you don’t believe it, leave your dinghy unlocked in downtown Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. They just have better weapons now and sometimes boltcutters.

John Saint John Bio

With 17 years of practicing law in Pascagoula, Jackson County, South Mississippi, John St. John has personally opened and closed more than 2,000 divorce files dealing with perhaps the “Crème de la Crème” of southern society. He spent 14 of those years working part-time for Jackson County, Ms. representing mental patients being committed to the local psyche ward who could not afford an attorney. He was once heard to say (before he realized how it sounded), “I have spent more time on a psyche ward that most patients”. For those same 14 years, John St. John represented countless neglected children and youth court offenders, did title searches, prepared deeds, powers of attorney, bankruptcy petitions, loan closings and the occasional damage suit.
John St. John learned to sail when he was ten years of age at Mississippi Gulf Coast Military Academy summer camp. His father was a marine surveyor/naval architect who eventually worked for the American Bureau of Shipping and who was involved in building the World War II liberty ships in Pascagoula, Ms. John St. John’s grandfather was the launch master at both Ingal’s Pascagoula shipyard (end launches) and Ingal’s Mobile shipyard (side launches) during those same war years. With his father, John St. John built three wooden boats (sail and power) before graduating from high school. For 14 years after law school, John St. John sailed his wooden 28 foot “Gulf One Design” sloop (built in 1934 as a “class” boat for Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, La) to every island in the northern Gulf of Mexico, ranging from Dog Keys, Fla., to the Chandeliers in South Louisiana. Seeking to go further afloat in safety, he bought a derelict Pearson 32 foot “Vanguard”, (I mean even holes in the fiberglass deck derelict!) and began a complete refit doing all the work himself (a story in itself). It took three more years of growing unhappiness at practicing law (with lengthening winter vacations sailing to the Bahamas) before John St. John decided he had had enough! Despite all his “good” friends nay-saying, he turned his office and practice, books and clients over to “true” good friends without charge and took off on his vastly improved Pearson “Vanguard” sailboat for points south seeking a warmer climate seeking a saner environment.
Starting out on accordion in grade school and then learning trumpet classically in junior high school, John St. John became a professional musician at the age of 14 as the paid bugler for Chamberlain Hunt Military Academy in port Gibson, Ms. where he also learned guitar from anyone who would take to time to teach him. He played trumpet in the military academy band and brass choir. As to why he learned guitar, John St. John quipped, “You can only play with yourself so long and then you’ve got to find something else to do with your hands!” During those academy years, a part of his duties as bugler was playing taps at military funerals throughout the delta area of central Mississippi. His family was very musically inclined with his mother playing virtuoso piano and his father playing so-so violin. He continued to learn and play music throughout his legal career and upon the advice of a fellow musician (who told him, “If you want to get serious about your music, get a serious guitar!”), he bought a “D. H. Martin” dreadnaught 12 string guitar which he still plays until this day, having it re-fretted 4 times and counting.
Once he finally broke free of the law profession, John St. John sailed South single-handed (3 times), playing music in bars and marinas throughout the Bahamas (Hammerheads in Nassau; Stainal Cay Yacht Club, Stainal Cay) and then on further south to the Dominican Republic (luperon Yacht Club and Marina) and Puerto Rico (Salinas Yacht Club and Marina). After several trips up and down the Caribbean islands (with two single-handed trips back to the states), John St. John began hanging around the U.S. Virgin Island of St. John, for seven years. As his “day-time job”, he occupied his time captaining charter boats, repairing high-end restaurants and villas while seeking places to play his music at night with summer trips during “cane” season to most Caribbean islands including Martinique, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago.
As a muse, John St. John became a professional writer being published in local St. John newspapers and the sailing magazines “Ocean Navigator” and “Caribbean Compass”. His true stories give advice on sailing and boating from over 40 years of personal experience (almost 50 now) and tell of travel adventures in the paradise of the Caribbean with such titles as; ”life Saving 101” (dragging a drunk out of the drink), “Ten Tough Miles” (getting upwind, up current and up wave from Diamond Rock to Marin, Martinique) and “Caribbean Cons” (dealing with double dealers “down island”). He has been writing now for over 5 years and will probably eventually put his stories together in a book.
Near the end of the “07” tourist season John St. John played a few times at “Foxy’s Tamarind Bar and Restaurant”, in Jost Van Dyke, a small island in the British Virgin Islands. “Foxy’s” is undeniably the most famous and well attended bar in the Caribbean and was the number three place to have been for “Y2K”. Adopting the stage name of “John St. John”, he did quite well with his extensive repertoire and excellent ability to interact with large audiences ( usually 85 to 100 people).
In Jan. “08” he got word through the coconut telegraph (faster than high speed internet) that “Foxy’s” manager was looking for him. He was offered the “more valuable than gold” coveted position of house musician at “Foxy’s”. Being a college graduate with a degree in psychology, a minor in sociology, a jurist doctorate degree in law and having countless hours in college theatre (eventually being paid to handle lights and sound for college stage shows), and, more importantly, being no fool, John St. John took that job! He played (illegally) at “Foxy’s” sis night a week the whole month of February, 08 and is presently waiting the processing of his troubadour’s license allowing him the legal permission to work as a foreign national in the British Virgin Islands (a process than can take up to six months with no guarantees). Meanwhile, he is playing private parties and in area restaurants and bars in St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix, U.S.V.I. where he is totally legal, at least in that one small regard, as U.S. citizen.
A total professional, John St. John provides sophisticated printed menus of all songs he performs (alphabetically listed by singer or songwriter) and plays primarily requests. He is constantly learning new songs and his extensive song list follows this narrative.
He has been heard to say that, “If you are going to sing a song with heart and sing it from the heart, then you have to know that song “by heart”. That means committing it to memory which, by his words, “takes a commitment!”. With the exception of Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville” and “Volcano” (pabulum crowd pleasers) every song he performs has some special meaning for him, be it the beauty of the music or the poignancy of the words and most often, both. He has been complemented repeatedly on his clear powerful lilting voice, his control and range.
Taking no more than his share, John St. John lives aboard his Pearson Vanguard sailboat in a “state of green and bliss” (his words), using the wind for propulsion. He is a vegetarian eating mostly raw vegetables without refrigeration and using only a 12 volt electrical storage battery system charged by passive solar panels for power. He swims, walks and practices yoga daily which he feels greatly aids his singing performance. It certainly aids his continuing sanity and patience with bar crowds.
John St. John has learned in his travels that sanity is simply a state of mind and that we are all a little bit crazy, just some more than others. He is happy to report that “Pirates of the Caribbean” are alive and well and if you don’t believe it, leave your dinghy unlocked in downtown Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. They just have better weapons now and sometimes boltcutters.