John Runnels

In September 2008, Runnels released his first full-length CD. That his debut is titled Street Spirit seems fitting, considering how much of his performance experience he has earned as a busker. The venue for virtually all of his early solo performances was a stretch of sidewalk on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. “I realized that if I made music that was worthwhile, people stopped and listened," Runnels says. As a busker, Runnels himself becomes a kind of street spirit. If his music ...

In September 2008, Runnels released his first full-length CD. That his debut is titled Street Spirit seems fitting, considering how much of his performance experience he has earned as a busker. The venue for virtually all of his early solo performances was a stretch of sidewalk on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. “I realized that if I made music that was worthwhile, people stopped and listened," Runnels says. As a busker, Runnels himself becomes a kind of street spirit. If his music moves people — or rather, stops them — then he forges a personal connection through his songs.