As one of the founding members of the Los Angeles punk band X, John Doe was an influential figure in American alternative rock during the early '80s. In 1990, he stepped out as a solo artist, blending the uncompromising spirit of punk with country, folk, and roots rock flavors to create music that had a personality of its own without losing touch with X's sensibilities. Possessing one of the richest and most expressive voices in American punk, Doe's vocals were adaptable to the diverse roots rock sounds of 1990's Meet John Doe and the introspective singer/songwriter approach of 2000's Freedom Is … Doe indulged his interest in classic country music on 2009's Country Club, recorded with Canadian roots rockers the Sadies, and 2016's The Westerner and 2022's Fables in a Foreign Land showed him comfortably transitioning into contemporary folk the keen eye of a songwriter.