G. Love - Biography

Biography

Dutton, the son of a banking lawyer, was born in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, and began playing guitar at age eight. He wrote his first song by the time he was in the ninth grade and began playing harmonica in a wire rack. Dutton credits Bob Dylan and John Hammond Jr., as well as the then-contemporary "old school" hip-hop sounds of Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, and Philadelphia's own Schoolly D, as influences.

Dutton, who attended high school at the private Germantown Friends School, began playing solo on the streets of Philadelphia. After one year at Skidmore College, also a private school, Dutton dropped out and relocated to Boston, working as a fundraiser for Peace Action and playing wherever and whenever he could. One of his few indoor gigs at this time was a Boston bar called The Tam O'Shanter, where he met drummer Jeffrey "The Houseman" Clemens in January 1993. Dutton and Clemens began working as a duo, they were joined a few months later by bassist Jim "Jimi Jazz" Prescott and became the house band on Mondays at The Plough and Stars in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The "G" stands for Garrett as said in many radio interviews. He said in an interview that the "Love" was just there because it sounded right.

G. Love featured Jack Johnson on his 1999 album Philadelphonic playing an early version of Jack Johnson's "Rodeo Clowns" when Jack was an unknown artist. Jack later featured the song on his 2003 album On and On.

Garrett dated Tristan Prettyman and wrote the song "Beautiful" with her while they were dating.

Known nowadays for his live shows, he is often seen touring with Jack Johnson. As a producer, Johnson signed G. Love to his record label Brushfire Records. He has made appearances on the records of artists such as Slightly Stoopid and Donavon Frankenreiter. And also recently went on tour with Dave Matthews.

In 2009, he collaborated with Zap Mama on their album ReCreation, singing on the single "Drifting."

In 2010, G. Love joined forces with The Avett Brothers who produced and are featured on his newest album "Fixin' to Die". The album was released under the Brushfire label on February 22, 2011. This album showcased G. Love's love of back road blues.