Rayward Powell St. John (September 18, 1940 – August 22, 2021) was an American singer and songwriter, active on the mid-1960s Austin, Texas campus folk/bohemian music scene.
St. John began his musical career in Austin in the early 1960s, playing at parties and clubs around the University of Texas campus.
Later, responding to a request for material from Tommy Hall of the 13th Floor Elevators, St. John wrote six songs for their first two albums.
[4] In the late 1960s, St. John moved to San Francisco, California, forming the band Mother Earth with Tracy Nelson.
[1] St. John's songs have been recorded by artists including Janis Joplin ("Bye, Bye Baby"), Boz Scaggs ("I'll Forever Sing"), Mother Earth ("Living with the Animals", "The Kingdom of Heaven is Within You", "Marvel Group", "Then I'll Be Moving On", and "I, The Fly"), Roky Erickson ("Right Track Now"), Doug Sahm ("You Don’t Know"), and The Vietnam Veterans ("Right Track Now").