Remembering Professor John Jeter: A Music Industry Legend, Writer, and Entrepreneur
Written by Amanda Mathis
Not too often can you see someone light up the room they are in, but that was the case with Converse’s adjunct professor John Jeter, with his legendary handlebar mustache. There is something to be said for someone who lived a rich, full life, and Jeter was known for squeezing every drop out of his time on earth.
On November 9, 2026, our community lost John Jeter. He was 66 years old.
Jeter was known for squeezing every drop out of his time on earth.
He earned a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and then pursued a robust career as an author, journalist, entrepreneur, professor, and world traveler. He even appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to share his survival story after receiving a kidney transplant from his brother.
A self-declared “burnt-out journalist,” Jeter worked at award-winning newspapers such as the Chicago Sun-Times, the San Antonio Express-News, and the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times, where he met the love of his life, Kathy Laughlin.
Together, they made music history.
Jeter was an industry legend and entrepreneur who, along with his wife and brother Stephen, opened the legendary Handlebar, Greenville’s prominent music venue founded in 1994. For 20 years, Jeter welcomed rock, folk, blues, bluegrass, and alternative genres, hosting regional and national touring acts, including John Mayer, Joan Baez, Zac Brown, Sugarland, Southern Culture on the Skids, and Drive-By Truckers, among many others. His work in the Greenville area was recognized with the Impact Award from Greenville Music Preservation at Fall for Greenville in 2024.
He always had a story to share.
Remaining passionate about writing, Jeter had written many novels, including The Plunder Room, Taxi Dance, and Rockin’ a Hard Place. In 2023, he won two journalism awards from the South Carolina Press Association, and in 2020, he was honored with a first-prize award for ‘News Feature Writing’ in the Greenville Journal.
Jeter arrived at Converse’s Petrie School of Music thanks to his sister, Sally Hammond Gregg ’81, who suggested he contact the late Dr. Jeff Barker, provost and past president. The partnership launched a series of highly anticipated classes, including a Concert Promotion & Venue Management class that included running a student-led festival in 2023.
With his creative spirit, he exemplified the importance of learning and sharing his wisdom with others.
From an article about that event, Jeter said, “Students learn how hard concerts are to put on, but when their work’s done and the crowd’s rockin’ out, there’s no feeling like it. The students see all those people having fun, and they get to say, ‘Wow, we did that!’ That is so fulfilling, and I think you find that same kind of fulfillment in any career when you love the work you do.”
He was always eager to try something new, especially with what he called “his wry, irreverent voice”.
In 2025, Jeter produced Waiting for You, the first-ever musical comedy that premiered in Spartanburg. Teaming up with retired Professor Emeritus of Music, Dr. David Berry, they collaborated on the comical production.
“Over the years we’ve had numerous long conversations about music, music business, pedagogy, AI, and life in general—conversations that I expected to continue well into the future. That’s why his loss is so personal to me,” said Berry.
Jeter believed in the long-lasting impact of music and art. His own words, shared when interviewed about Waiting for You, now provide comfort to those who knew him. “I want the audience to walk away… singing songs and laughing and having a great time and supporting this art because art saves lives. I truly believe that,” he said.
He will be greatly missed by students, alumni, faculty, and staff, as we’re reminded that the music lives forever.
Along his journey, Jeter made cherished friendships with Broadway stars and famous musicians, all that he valued and held close. With his creative spirit, he exemplified the importance of learning and sharing his wisdom with others – especially in Gee Dining Hall. It’s a good lesson for all of us, and he will be greatly missed by students, alumni, faculty, and staff, as we’re reminded that the music lives forever.