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John Ryan started in the music business while an Amos Alonzo Stagg Scholar at the University of Chicago. Having come from a small farming town in upstate New York, the culture shock of being dropped in the midst of a hard-core urban environment was as exhilarating as it was terrifying. For it was in Chicago where John first heard artists like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf...they played the neighborhood bars on the South Side near campus. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band were the house band for dorm parties.
As a fledgling jazz dj on the college radio station, WHPK, the best way to build one's record library was to become a regular in ghetto record stores, leafing thru the bargain bins for the best buys on Miles Davis, Coltrane and The Modern Jazz Quartet. History was everywhere as John experienced the wrath and the tear gas in Grant Park, with the police and military trying to keep the lid on for the Democratic National Convention of 1968. After time spent tutoring local school kids, John joined firey educator Barbara Sizemore in helping run the Woodlawn Experimental Schools project, where inner city parents were hired to be in the classroom to assist in their children's progress. Test scores rocketed. He was one of the youngest PhD candidates in U of C history in the field of education.
The need for doing something with immediacy and his love of music pushed John toward professional radio. "Ryan Against the Night" became a huge hit on WGLD-Fm, The program integrated jazz and blues with the standard rock fare. Word got out, and many major artists would make their way by the studio when they visited the windy city. Some of the friendships begun during this period...like the Allman Brothers Band would later become the cornerstone of a new, and much deeper part of his career. While a dj, John attended many recording sessions with pals like Curtis Mayfield and Alice Cooper and began to develop a passion for the idea of actually creating records in the studio. Thru a small local label called Wooden Nickel Records, John met and began to produce a band called STYX. The first record he ever produced on his own, "Lady", became a top-ten hit, and John was on his way.

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The Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival album that John Co-Produced for Atlantic around this time was something quite unique, with performances by Sun Ra, Count Basie and Muddy Waters. 30,000 Michigan college kids were rocked within an inch of their souls by some of the greatest blues and jazz talent in history on that very special weekend.

In the late 70's John had the opportunity to make some amazing music with the classic English rock band, and Beatles' proteges, BADFINGER. Stones pianist Nicky Hopkins was on keys. This never-released album was recently re-discovered and will be soon be out for the very first time, with digital enhancement.

The 80's brought another stage, where John shuttled between his new home in Los Angeles and recording studios all over the UK. During this period, John produced top-ten hits for Vince Gill and Pure Prairie League, featuring David Sanborn.

The recent resurgence of Carlos Santana's career has recently led to the Columbia Records release of "Best of Santana". This platinum album was compiled by John Kalodner, and features our hit production of "Hold On".

ANIMOTION 's "Obsession" was a world-wide top-ten hit. John had started a new phase, dividing time between London and the U.S., using computers and space-age electronics in the studio via the Fairlight.

John and Clive Davis
Other significant productions included the ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND

In 90's, Chicago Kid struck platinum with John's involvement as an Executive Producer on the JASON'S LYRIC motion picture music soundtrack. It became the number one R&B album in the country, and our artist, SOVORY, was a member of Black Men United, featuring D'Angelo, Boyz II Men, and many other major stars. Sovory has since toured with Sheryl Crow, Lenny Kravitz, and written with and sung for Eric Clapton.

Other motion picture successes include:

2000 marks the newest phase of the journey, with the creation of Chicago Kid Records . The first release on our label will be North Carolina's Wil Seabrook.

The Unsigned on Sunset compilation put together by John features some of the finest rock talent from Southern California. Some of the album's proceeds benefit children's charities..... a cause near and dear to John.

Chicago Kid is back in the trenches with our wonderful promo team getting an unbelievable reaction to Yes...Kate Ceberano