Quick Facts
Biography
Asım Can Gündüz (August 15, 1955 – June 25, 2016) was a Turkish rock and blues guitarist. He was also known as Awesome John, especially outside Turkey, partly because his name is pronounced very much like Awesome (Asım) John (Can).
Career
Gündüz lived in New York City until the early 1980s as John Gundez, where he formed "Zacharia", a three-piece rock band playing his original material. He sold out four nights in New York City at The Bottom Line night club. Gündüz also starred (portraying Jimi Hendrix) in the Broadway musical "Jimi and Janis Together Again". His career in the United States was cut short after family obligations forced him to return to Turkey at the height of his United States career. In Turkey, he formed rock bands including Ambulans, Delikanlı, Affetmez, Çapkınlar, Hard Rakı. He finished the sessions for his first album Anasının Gözü Cin Gibi in 1989, released three years later in 1992. Gündüz released his second album Bir Sevgi Eseri / "A Work Of Love" which consisted of Turkish language versions of blues singles in 1998.
After the year 2000 Gündüz resumed touring and performing outside of Turkey.
Death
Gündüz died of a heart attack on June 25, 2016, at his home in İçmeler, Marmaris.