02/24/2026
Here's a really nice write up about our beloved Jimmy Junkins and his love of blues music. Enjoy!
This week, we put veteran guitarist, singer and songwriter Jimmy Junkins in our Artist Spotlight, presented by the The Maine Blues Society and the Maine Blues Festival.
Jimmy Junkins and his Soulcats still cranking out powerful Blues across Maine in 2026
ST. JOHN, U.S.V. I. — While most of us are enduring the closest thing to a good old-fashioned Maine winter seen in many years, one of the most well known Blues guitarists in our state is enjoying balmy temps in the Tropics. Yet when he gets home to West Falmouth, he'll be playing the Blues once again.
For 67-year-old Jimmy Junkins, playing music has been a way of life for over 40 years. His journey carried him over a long and winding road which brought success, notoriety and a dedicated fan base. While he doesn't play as many gigs as the old days, he's still active, and loves doing it as much as ever.
“I played several cool gigs in 2025, but most of my shows are under the radar now,” Junkins explained. “I kind of pick and choose my shows now. I still work part-time at Robinhood Marina in Georgetown, Maine. That keeps me busy, but I still have plenty of time for music.
“The manager up there is a guy named Neil Collins. He was in the very successful band called Twisted Roots in the 1990s, and is now with a band called Murcielago. They are an amazing Heavy Rock band. Neil is dialed in to all kinds of music. He hosts a nice little Summer Concert Series in Georgetown.”
For those not familiar with details of the Mid-Coast music scene, Junkins sets the scene for us.
“It's held right there on the water, it's just a gorgeous spot for Live music. He always invites me to do a 90-minute show. I usually play just Blues, I've had some old friends like Jeff Davidson and Per Hanson there with me. I also went to Rockland last year and played a Monday night show for Paul Benjamin.”
That Monday Blues series show at Park Street Grill allowed player and promoter time to reflect a little.
“It was really nice to catch up with Paul like that,” Junkins said. “I used to play the North Atlantic Blues Festival right up until about a year or two after they went to the big stage. I went up when it was in the Tradewinds parking lot. I met so many of the Chicago Blues greats up there. It was amazing.”
Junkins' origins in music date back to the 1980s, a time when his perspective was different than today.
“Prior to me getting into the Blues, I made the decision to go out and try to make a little money playing music when I was 23 years old,” he explained. “Some friends had encouraged me to get out there and try playing some gigs, so I did it. That's how I got started in music.”
Junkins crossed paths with another of Maine's Blues icons in the early 1980s, and they hit it off well.
“I met Bub Lynch back in 1983 or so when I had rented a house on Orr's Island,” he recalled. “He was my next door neighbor, and was also a contractor building houses at the time. I worked with him for a season, we got along pretty well.
“He mentioned that he was a drummer, so we would get together at my house and play songs. We called my neighbor, Eddie Dunlap, who was only 18 or 19, to come play guitar with us. He was a Rock 'n Roll guy, and was actually pretty good. I hadn't even evolved yet, but Eddie could play anything.”
Any time you put a few guys together with skills and passion, you get interesting results.
“So it was me, Bub Lynch, Eddie Dunlap and John Gebner. We called it “Atlantic Jam,” because we were on the ocean, and we were a Jam band. We were doing covers of the Allman Brothers, The Who, and other popular Rock bands of the day. We did that pretty successfully for a little while.
“Jimmy Racine was our second guitarist. It was he and I who worked out all of those Allman Brothers tandem guitar parts. We had a lot of fun with that band. We played mostly the local venues, like the Steakhouse in Bowdoin and the Harbor Light Cafe in Bath. We even did a little recording back then.”
That loyal following referenced earlier was built the hard way; by playing often and chatting with fans.
“The main reason I play, and I think the big reason most of us who do this, is to feel that interaction with an audience,” Junkins said. “That positive vibe when listeners are connecting with the band can be really amazing. I feel that, and it's absolutely what drives me forward to keep doing this in 2026.
“I never thought I was all that good, or a better player than anybody else. I've never had an inflated guitar player ego. I just feel I'm good at the type of music I play, and people enjoying hearing it. I'm not famous, although a song I wrote back in the day did become popular as a dance song down south.”
A lot of players will tell you how they listened to Blues growing up, getting hooked at a young age. Junkins' road to the Blues was slightly different.
“My first exposure to Blues was different than most,” he said. “I was in a Tower Records store in Boston, Mass., a long time ago. I was going through stacks of records, and I found one by the Fabulous Thunderbirds called 'Girls Go Wild.'
“I looked at the album cover, and thought it looked like a cool-ass band. I bought the album, took it home, and cranked it up. They were playing these great covers, and I didn't know a thing about any of them. It didn't take long before I realized they were playing the Blues, and I was instantly hooked.”
Along the road, this high-profile musician has played alongside some of the genre's true icons.
“I was fortunate enough to open for Buddy Guy twice in my life,” Junkins said in humble fashion. “I had some great conversations with him back then, and you never forget that kind of thing. He told me the audience is what kept him going; and that playing music was the only thing he knew how to do.”
When this gifted guitarist, singer and songwriter steps out on stage, he utilizes some fine equipment.
“I play a Fender Stratocaster, it's my favorite overall,” Junkins said. “I'm not really a Telecaster guy, but I have played one a little. As for my Amp, I used to use a '59 Fender Bassman all the time. But those are too big and heavy these days; I actually use a little Solid State unit down here on the island. There's so much humidity, a Tube Amp would rust out in a year.”
Once he gets settled back into his home here in Maine in April, Junkins will start booking a few gigs.
“I am excited about getting back home to play some gigs in Maine again this year,” he added. “I know I'll have a gig at some point this summer at Lenny's in Westbrook, and I'll be playing in Georgetown, as well. I do many as a Duo with my wife, Ann Sparling, who plays the Harp, guitar and mandolin.
“We do folk, alternative country, Blues, much original songwriting and good old Rock 'n Roll, like the great Buddy Holly. I also continue to record new material in my Maine studio, and plan a release on vinyl soon. Getting up on stage to play is just as fun for me now as it was when I first started out.”
Story by Phil Whipple
Photo by Peter D'Amour
