{{Short description|American rock band}} {{More citations needed|date=October 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Josefus | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = group_or_band | alias = Come | origin = Houston, Texas, United States | genre = Psychedelic rock, hard rock, blues rock, southern rock | years_active = 1969–2024 | label = P-Vine Records, Hi Horse Records, Indigo, Hookah, Josefus, Paradise lost, Akarma Records, Sundazed Music, Dandelion | associated_acts = | past_members = Pete Bailey<br/>Dave Mitchell<br/>Ray Turner<br/>Doug Tull<br/>Phillip White<br/>Leesa Harrington-Squyres<br/>Jerry Ontiberez <br/>Mark Weathers }}
'''Josefus''' was an American rock band from Houston, Texas, United States, who have been credited as "one of the first models for the blunt sound of Texas hard rock and heavy metal."<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p18576|pure_url=yes}}|title=Josefus Biography|last=Unterberger|first=Richie|website=AllMusic|accessdate=19 December 2009}}</ref> They were also mentioned in an article in ''Classic Rock'' titled "The Lost Pioneers of Heavy Metal".<ref>{{Cite news |title=The Lost Pioneers of Heavy Metal |last=Sleazegrinder |magazine=Classic Rock |date=March 2007}}</ref>
Band members Dave Mitchell and Ray Turner originally played together in a band in high school called Rip West. Along with Doug Tull, the two recorded a demo titled "I Love You." The group changed its name to Josefus when vocalist Pete Bailey joined the band.<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=1326}}</ref> Phillip White, the band's second lead guitarist, left the band in 1969.<ref name="Allmusic"/>
They recorded an album in Phoenix, Arizona, during December 1969 with producer Jim Musil, and for a short while performed under the name Come.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Their next album, ''Dead Man'', was recorded in March 1970.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Josefus performed its last concert in Houston, Texas, at an auto show, though the group would later reunite in the late 1970s.<ref name="Allmusic"/> In 1978, they reunited with drummer Jerry Ontiberez. They recorded four singles that were released on the Hookah label ("Slave Of Fear", "Let Me Move You", "Hard Luck", and "Wheels").<ref name="LarkinGE"/> In 1990, Josefus once again reunited. Doug Tull was found hanged in a jail cell in Austin, Texas. So they joined forces with drummer Leesa Harrington-Squyres and recorded ''Son Of Deadman'' on Paradise Lost Records. This line-up has performed a handful of shows over the past two decades, one of which was recorded and released - ''Halloween 2004''. In 2011, bassist Ray Turner, suffered a stroke which rendered him unable to play. Mark Weathers was brought back to the band, after two decades, to take over for Turner.
Josefus performed twice during 2011 and plan to continue performing regionally when Harrington-Squyres is available. Pete Bailey died on April 27, 2024, in Pasadena, Texas.
==Discography== ===Studio and live albums=== *''Get Off My Case'' (1969)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/get-off-my-case-mw0000709377|title=Get Off My Case - Josefus | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|accessdate=5 October 2020|website=AllMusic}}</ref> *''Dead Man'' (1970)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dead-man-mw0000734710|title=Dead Man - Josefus | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|accessdate=5 October 2020|website=AllMusic}}</ref> *''Josefus'' (1970)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/josefus-mw0000563013|title=Josefus - Josefus | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|accessdate=5 October 2020|website=AllMusic}}</ref> *''Son of Dead Man'' (1990)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/son-of-dead-man-mw0000956293|title=Son of Dead Man - Josefus | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|accessdate=5 October 2020|website=AllMusic}}</ref> *''Dead Man Alive'' (2002)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dead-man-alive-mw0000514016|title=Dead Man Alive - Josefus | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|accessdate=5 October 2020|website=AllMusic}}</ref> *''Halloween 2004 Live'' (2005)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/halloween-2004-live-mw0001533418|title=Halloween 2004 Live - Josefus | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|accessdate=5 October 2020|website=AllMusic}}</ref>
===Compilation albums=== *''Dead Man/Get Off My Case'' (1999)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dead-man-get-off-my-case-mw0000671136|title=Dead Man/Get Off My Case - Josefus | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|accessdate=5 October 2020|website=AllMusic}}</ref> *''Dead Box'' (2003)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dead-box-mw0000018788|title=Dead Box - Josefus | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|accessdate=5 October 2020|website=AllMusic}}</ref>
==See also== * Josephus Jewish Roman historian
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:American blues rock musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1969 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2024 Category:1969 establishments in Texas Category:2024 disestablishments in Texas Category:Hard rock musical groups from Texas Category:Musical groups from Houston Category:Psychedelic rock music groups from Texas