Josh Blocker – A Diamond In The Rough
There is amazing raw talent performing on city street corners that hasn’t been discovered and may not ever be. If they didn’t take the risk and vulnerably open up to share their God-given gifts with strangers who pass by on urban street corners, they would go virtually unnoticed. I met Josh Blocker while sitting on the D.C. Metro. He had an instrument case on his lap, so out of curiosity I asked him if he was a musician. He delightfully and proudly replied “yes.”
Josh’s friendly response invited me to further engage in a conversation with him. So I asked him what instrument he plays. “The lead guitar” he replied. His response opened a threshold of memories of the Friday night jam sessions when I was a young boy at home in Brooklyn, listening to my uncles jamming in our family room. My uncles were self-taught guitarists and singers who played R&B and Gospel.
Josh invited me to hear him play in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. that weekend. The magazine editor and I went and listened to him play on the corner of M Street and Wisconsin Ave. Hearing him play his guitar, I instantly realized that he is a diamond in the rough. At 19 years old, Josh Blocker aka “Little Stevie Hendrix” has skills that seem to be cultivated by formal training. But, little did I know, he is a self-taught guitarist who has been playing since he was nine years old. His musical journey started at church and he became really serious after a family tragedy.
Quiet on the Set Magazine sat down and jawed with Josh. Check out his interview below.
By Erik Humphrey
