Summary of Achievements and Background

• Age & Talent: 15-year-old guitar prodigy who began performing on stage at age 9.
• Stage Presence: Feels most at home on stage and enjoys entertaining crowds.
• Band Collaboration: Started his band John Clayton White at age 11. Each band member contributes their unique sound and passion, creating a classic blues rock style that highlights John’s exceptional lead guitar skills.
• Musical Inspiration: Many of John’s original songs are inspired by native Mississippi people and local culture.

Competitions & Accolades:

• Earned 2nd place at age 12 in the Mississippi Delta Blues Society’s International Blues Challenge (IBC) regional competition (October 2023).
• Won 1st place at age 13 in the Mississippi Delta Blues Society’s International Blues Challenge (October 2024) and competed in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis (January 2025).
• Sponsored by the Mississippi Delta Blues Society to represent them at the International Blues Challenge  Youth Showcase in Memphis, TN in both January 2024 and January 2025.
• Wrote, recorded, and released his first original songs at age 13.
• Won 2nd place at the 2025 Dallas International Guitar Festival “Top 10 Under 20” competition.

Performances & Mentorship:

• June 2023: At age 12, invited to perform at the Grand Re-Opening of historic Club Ebony with Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, D.K. Harrell, and members of B.B. King’s band.
• October 2024: Performed alongside Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Mr. Sipp “The Mississippi Blues Child”, Kenny Neal, and Ivan Neville on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise in the Caribbean.
• November 2024: Invited to perform with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram at Ground Zero Biloxi.
• April 2025: Performed with his band at Ground Zero Biloxi and was honored to have club co-owner Morgan Freeman in attendance 
• May 2025: Performed with his band for the Ground Zero Clarksdale 24th Anniversary celebration, opening for John Primer. Morgan Freeman praised John Clayton for his talent.
• August 2025: Performed with his band at Ground Zero Biloxi at the annual meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of State with 37 Secretaries of State in attendance.  
• September 2025: Invited to perform with his band at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center for B.B. King’s 100th Birthday Celebration in Indianola, MS
• October 2025: Performed with D.K. Harrell and Mr. Sipp “The Mississippi Blues Child” on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise
• November 2025: Performed at the Grammy Museum of Mississippi as the headliner for Rock’N’ Blues Family Day celebrating the 100th birthday of B.B. King and the 90th birthday of Elvis Presley
• June 2026: Represented the state of Mississippi performing at the Chicago Blues Festival on the Visit Mississippi stage.
•  Continues to refine his style and sound under the mentorship of many blues legends.