John Ellis is a musician who was founding member of bands Bazooka Joe in 1970, and The Vibrators in 1974. Between late 1990 and 2000, Ellis was also a member of the punk rock band The Stranglers. He has a career as a leader and has often worked and collaborated with Peter Hammill, Nic Potter and Judge Smith, a founding member of Van der Graaf Generator. In 2009 Ellis started his own record label, Chanoyu Records, in order to release his own music.