John Townley (born 1945) is a musician, astrologer, and naval historian who was a member of the folk-rock group The Magicians and founder of New York City's Apostolic Recording Studio.
Opposed to the California education system's adoption of the whole-word recognition system to teach reading, the family relocated to Port Lavaca, Texas, where they began living on a boat and homeschooling Townley for over two years as they sailed from the Bahamas to New England, eventually settling in the Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove.
Townley immersed himself in the Greenwich Village folk music scene, associating with Peter La Farge, David Crosby, Fred Neil, and Vince Martin at establishments like The Gaslight Cafe and Kettle of Fish.
In 1965 Townley was trying to make a living as a musician, working with various artists, including Peter Tork, David Blue, and Jay Ungar.
He was approached by Allan "Jake" Jacobs to record a B-side for Alan Gordon and Garry Bonner.