Jerome Godboo

Blues Harp (Harmonica), Singer - Blues Toronto, Canada

Jerome has been a full-time musician since 1986, when he won an Ottawa Bluesfest contest that helped launched his career and triggered a move to Toronto. That was the start of the Phantoms and an inspiring time that took the explosive rock band to sell-out status in the city's top clubs from the Horseshoe to Lee's Palace to the Phoenix (then the Diamond). And even when the Phantoms reluctantly called it quits, Jerome never did.

He's headlined at the Montreal Jazz Festival (2005), played Toronto's Air Canada Centre with Ronnie Hawkins, opened for the Yardbirds and performed on stages across Canada, the U.S., France, Finland, Portugal, Ukraine, Israel and beyond. He's played with Prince, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, the Tragically Hip, Levon Helm, Billy Ray Cyrus and many more, and recorded and toured with the likes of Alannah Myles, Dutch Mason, Jeff Healey, Jimmy Bowskill and Suzie McNeil.

An accomplished and exceptional bluesman, his bending harp skills have been sought by everyone from Ronnie Hawkins to the late Jeff Healey and he continues to mesmerize all who witness him onstage including the judges at the International blues Challenge 2014 held in Memphis where Jerome took home the Lee Oskar best harmonica Player award.

The one-time local legend of explosive 90s rock band the Phantoms, Jerome has released 14 albums in his 25-plus year career, 11 of which are solo, including the brand new Sanctuary City with drummer Gary Craig and Spin Doctors guitarist Eric Schenkman.

Jerome, who wears his trademark toolbelt with a harmonica in every key, stepped up his game even further on the instrument. He purchased an innovative 30-reed harmonica, invented by UK-based harmonica master Brendan Power,