January 24, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

For Poulter, entertaining people is a calling

Jonny Poulter just wants to entertain people.


The 2022 St. Joseph-Ogden High School graduate was inspired to play music after hearing the Beatles in fifth grade.

He started playing piano and got his first guitar not long after that.


“I learned to play by listening to different songs or albums I enjoyed,” Poulter said. “I tried to play what I heard. Once I got my first guitar riff down, I believed that I had it. In hindsight, I was only getting started.”

Poulter said he likes multiple genres of music but he is partial to the music he creates.


“My favorite type of music is my own,” he said. “My favorite song to perform at the moment is one of my own called, “This Old Dog.”


For Poulter, practice makes perfect. He spends his time before shows running through songs. In the days leading up to a show Poulter spends time creating a set list and practicing his songs.


“It can be a little nerve-wracking,” he said about performing. “You’re thinking about this big ordeal and you’re terrified of what may go wrong.”


However, once he starts playing, the nerves just go away.


“Once I get started, it’s not too bad and I relax a little,” Poulter said.

Poulter will be performing at Open Mic Night at the Space located at 399 N Fremont St, Champaign on Tuesday, Open Mic at Winston’s in Sidney on July 25 and the Sidney Saloon on Sept. 21 from 8 to 11 p.m.

“I aim to entertain and make sure everyone is having a good time,” Poulter said.

Poulter can also be found on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@jonnyp8236

in Life, People
Banner
Related Posts

St. Joseph man peacefully protests against police brutality: ‘We need to listen’

June 4, 2020

June 4, 2020

Jon Arteaga isn’t looking for any praise by protesting at the corner of Main Street and Route 150 in St....

As children go back to school why is it important that they wear masks?

October 23, 2021

October 23, 2021

By: Jeanelle Murphy, DO As Covid-19 continues to thrive due to the delta variant it is more important than ever...

‘We can’t wait to be back’

April 8, 2020

April 8, 2020

Amy Gibbons, the owner of Salon 192, is urging people not to do anything rash. That means resisting the urge...

10 Things You Don’t Know about me Nikki Setterdahl

December 8, 2020

December 8, 2020

For years, Nikki Setterdahl and her daughter Whitney have been bringing joy to teens at Barnes-Jewish Hospital through their project...

Former SJO teacher Williams making a difference

December 23, 2019

December 23, 2019

Larry Williams wants to help people live a healthy life. Eight years ago, Williams and his partner participated in Christie...

Ceremony to honor Edwards scheduled for Thursday

December 9, 2020

December 9, 2020

A Gift of Hope Flag raising ceremony will be held on Dec. 10 at 4 p.m. at the St, Joseph-Ogden...

Get to know to know SJO Senior Marching Band member Maya Hewkin

October 21, 2022

October 21, 2022

My favorite thing about marching band is the connection between the students. Being in band is like being a part...

10 Things You Don’t Know About Me… Kent Brown

February 7, 2019

February 7, 2019

Every week we ask a community member to share 10 facts about themselves. This week it is St. Joseph resident...

Success of students, FFA is what Duitsman will remember about her time at SJO

July 30, 2019

July 30, 2019

This August will be a little different for Katie Duitsman. The former St. Joseph-Ogden High School agriculture teacher will not...

La Luna Cafe closed, new business expected to open

February 27, 2019

February 27, 2019

La Luna Cafe, located at 208 Main Street in St. Joseph, had numerous issues after it was sold to Ranjia...

‘Having a trip on the books gives us something to look forward to’

June 4, 2020

June 4, 2020

It’s a crazy time in the travel industry, that’s for sure. While some news tends to lean towards the doom...

Senior spotlight: Gage Atwood

May 16, 2019

May 16, 2019

Leading up to graduation, we asked five seniors five questions.Next up is Gage Atwood! What will you be doing next...

Senior Spotlight: Taylor Barnes

June 7, 2019

June 7, 2019

Every week we are going to do a Q and A with an SJO senior. This week we talked to...

Franzen finds freedom in music

October 4, 2019

October 4, 2019

Dakota Franzen is an inspiration. Marching Band Director Chuck Hess said Franzen’s efforts to be the best he can be...

‘They want to show their support of the law enforcement and their family’

June 2, 2021

June 2, 2021

Jim and Jen Wagner support their community, so when a friend came in to their store, Wagner signs and Graphics,...

Comments
Leave a Reply