Wilko Johnson

Infobox Musical artist


Img_size =
Name = Wilko Johnson
Birth_name = John Wilkinson
Background = solo_singer
Born = Birth date and age|1947|07|12|df=y
Canvey Island, Essex, England
Died =
Instrument = Guitar
Genre = Rock, pub rock, rhythm and blues
Occupation = Musician, guitarist, songwriter
Years_active = 1974–present
Label = United Artists
Associated_acts = Dr. Feelgood
URL = [http://www.wilkojohnson.org.uk Link]

Wilko Johnson (born John Wilkinson, 12 July 1947, Canvey Island, Essex [ [http://www.worldmusicdatabase.org/profile.php?id=Wilko+Johnson Worldmusicdatabase.org] ] ) is a English guitarist and songwriter, particularly associated with the 1970s UK rhythm and blues band, Dr. Feelgood.

Career

Johnson was first educated at the Westcliff High School for Boys. Johnson played in several local groups before moving to the University of Newcastle upon Tyne to study English. [http://www.southend-sites.co.uk/people/wilko.html Southend-sites.co.uk] ] Returning to Essex, he played with the Pigboy Charlie Band, which evolved into Dr. Feelgood – a mainstay of the 1970s pub rock movement.

Johnson developed his own unique style, coupling a choppy guitar style with a novel dress sense (he favoured a black suit and a pudding bowl haircut) and jerky movements. [http://www.punkbands.i12.com/johnson/biography.html Punkbands.i12.com] ]

It should be noted that Johnson's unique, highly percussive guitar style, was due to the fact that he did not use a pick in his right hand, something that enabled him play rhythm guitar and play riffs or solos at the same time. Such a style - which also made it easier to move around abruptly on stage with the jerky movements of an automaton without the fear of losing his pick - was probably derived, at least in part, from blues-oriented American fingerstyle guitar.

Johnson himself describes how the style evolved from an attempt to copy Mick Green of Johnny Kidd and The Pirates, a guitarist he admired.

He maintained this style even after leaving Dr. Feelgood, a step that meant he missed out on their biggest UK success, the punk-tinged Top 10 single "Milk and Alcohol", although he was still with Dr. Feelgood when their live album, "Stupidity", reached number one in the UK Albums Chart.

In 1977, he was a founding member of the Solid Senders; with keyboardist John Potter, bassist Steve Lewins, and drummer Alan Platt. They signed to Virgin in 1978 and released the album, "Solid Senders" that year. [http://wm09.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=WILKO|JOHNSON&sql=11:g9frxqu5ldae~T1 Allmusic.com biography] ] The band played at the Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival, a three-week event at the Hope and Anchor, Islington in late November and early December 1977. This resulted in the band's inclusion, alongside the likes of Dr. Feelgood, The Only Ones, the Saints, The Stranglers, X-Ray Spex, and XTC, on a hit double album of recordings from the festival. The "Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival" compilation album (March 1978) reached number 28 in the UK Albums Chart.cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages=
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5]

A couple of years later joined Ian Dury's band, The Blockheads. He then formed the Wilko Johnson Band, joined by Blockhead bassist Norman Watt-Roy and drummer Salvatore Ramundo. Ramundo was later replaced by Steve Monti (former Curve and The Jesus and Mary Chain drummer). In early 1981, Johnson released his second album, "Ice on the Motorway", and two years later issued the EP "Bottle Up and Go!" with Lew Lewis; several small-scale LPs, mostly for European record labels, followed over the 1980s: 1984's "Pull the Cover", 1985's "Watch Out!", 1987's "Call It What You Want", and 1988's "Barbed Wire Blues".

In 1992 Johnson appeared at the Eurockéennes music festival, and the following year at GuilFest.

In 1998, Johnson finally had the opportunity to release another album, "Going Back Home" for Mystic. Johnson began to cut back on his concert appearances in 1999, but still found the wherewithal to cut "Live in Japan 2000" the following year. The Wilko Johnson band still play on the pub circuit, in spite of his wife's and booking manager Irene's death in 2004.

Throughout 2005 and 2006 the band teamed up with The Hamsters and John Otway to take part in the The Mad, the Bad & the Dangerous tour. He played Club Bang Bang at the 100 Club on 6 October 2006.

In 2007 a DVD (produced by Monti) was released of one of the concerts.

ee also

*Pub rock (UK)
*The Stranglers & Friends Live in Concert
*List of NME covers

References

External links

* [http://www.wilkojohnson.org.uk Wilko Johnson's official website]
* [http://www.punkbands.i12.com/johnson/index.html Wilko Johnson photographs]
* [http://www.bluesinlondon.com/feat_wilko.html 2006 Interview]
* [http://www.madbaddangerous.co.uk The Mad, The Bad & The Dangerous Tour official website]