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Wilko Johnson (born John Peter Wilkinson, 12 July 1947) is an English singer, guitarist and songwriter, particularly associated with the rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s. Johnson and Dr Feelgood have been credited as one of the founding influences of the English punk movement. Paul Weller has said of Johnson: "Wilko may not be as famous as some other guitarists, but he's right up there. And there are a lot of people who'll say the same. I can hear Wilko in lots of places. It's some legacy."
Music career
Born in Canvey Island, Essex, Johnson went to Westcliff High School for Boys and played in several local groups, before attending the University of Newcastle upon Tyne to study for a BA in English Language and Literature. His undergaduate course included early Anglo-Saxon and ancient Icelandic sagas. After graduating, he travelled overland to India, before returning to Essex to play with the Pigboy Charlie Band. The band evolved into Dr. Feelgood – a mainstay of the 1970s pub rock movement. After returning from Goa Johnson worked in 1972, for less than a year, as an English teacher.
Johnson bought his first Fender Telecaster from a shop in Southend, Essex for £90 (around $150) in 1965. He still plays a vintage 1962 Fender Telecaster with rosewood fingerboard which he bought in 1974, shortly after Dr. Feelgood signed their first record deal. Originally of sunburst-colored body with white pickguard, Johnson has refinished it in black and added a red pickguard.
Johnson developed his own image, coupling jerky movements on stage (his so-called "duck walk" ) with a choppy guitar style and a novel dress sense (he favoured a black suit and a pudding bowl haircut). He achieved his playing style by not using a pick but instead relying on fingerstyle. This enabled him to play rhythm guitar and riffs or solos at the same time creating a highly percussive guitar sound. It had evolved from a Johnson's failed attempt to copy Mick Green of Johnny Kidd and The Pirates, a guitarist he greatly admired.
His style formed the essential driving force behind Dr. Feelgood during their initial years, including the band's first four albums, Down by the Jetty, Malpractice, Stupidity and Sneakin' Suspicion, all released between 1975 and 1977. Johnson was the sole songwriter in the band for these four albums. Johnson had a cult following amongst fans of the four-piece band, helped by some electrifying stage performance during their extensive UK and north European touring of that period. The live album, Stupidity, reached number one in the UK Albums Chart, but although Johnson played on Dr. Feelgood's first 5 single releases, including "Roxette" and "Back in the Night", the only single to chart during his membership of the band was "Sneakin' Suspicion". He left the band in April 1977, following disagreements over the tracks to be included in the Sneakin' Suspicion album. Johnson maintains that he was kicked out of the band, which then put about the story that he had left voluntarily.
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. The Wilko Johnson Band played at the 'Front Row Festival', a three-week event at the Hope and Anchor, Islington in late November and early December 1977, featuring many early punk rock acts. This resulted in the inclusion of two tracks by The Wilko Johnson Band ( "Dr. Feelgood" & "Twenty Yards Behind" ), on a hit double album of recordings from the festival. The Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival compilation album (March 1978) which reached number 28 in the UK Albums Chart.
In 1980 Wilko 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 (future 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! (Live In London), 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 Don't Let Your Daddy Know (Live in Japan 2000) the following year.
The studio album Red Hot Rocking Blues was released in 2005. This contained covers of classics by the likes of Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Sonny Boy Williamson and Lead Belly.
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, and played throughout the UK, Europe and Japan, including twice a year at the 100 Club.
In 2007 a DVD (produced by Monti) was released of one of the concerts.
Johnson appeared in the Julien Temple-directed documentary film Oil City Confidential (2009), where he related his memories of Canvey Island and Dr. Feelgood. The reviewer Philip French described Johnson as "a wild man, off stage and on, funny, eloquent and charismatic", while Temple described Johnson as "an extraordinary man – one of the great English eccentrics." Reviewing the film for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw called it 'the best rockumentary yet' and said that 'the most likeable thing about this very likable film is the way it promotes Wilko Johnson as a 100-1 shot for the title of Greatest Living Englishman.'
On 2 October 2010, it was announced that Johnson was to support The Stranglers on their 'Black & Blue' UK tour commencing in March 2011. In April 2011, Johnson played several sold out shows as part of the Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots Festival in Ireland.
Johnson published his autobiography, co-authored with Zoe Howe and titled Looking Back on Me, at the end of May 2012. He also appeared in the BBC4 documentaries Evidently... John Cooper Clarke and Punk Britannia in May 2012.
On 24 August 2012 Wilko Johnson and his band headlined the Blues stage at Rhythm Festival.
Wilko stated in early 2013 that he had terminal cancer, and aptly announced he was going on a farewell tour. On 22 March 2013, Wilko played what would be his final show guesting with Madness on the television programme Madness Live: Goodbye Television Centre which was broadcast on BBC Four. Afterwards Wilko stated that he would be unable to perform his two final homecoming shows at Canvey Island due to ill health and would not be performing again.
Acting career
For his acting debut, Johnson was cast in the role of mute executioner Ilyn Payne, in both the first and second series of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, after the producers had seen him in Oil City Confidential. He related that "'They said they wanted somebody really sinister who went around looking daggers at people before killing them. That made it easy. Looking daggers at people is what I do all the time, it's like second nature to me'." He appeared in four episodes: "The Kingsroad", "Baelor" and "Fire and Blood" (series one, 2011), and "Blackwater" (series two, 2012).
One of the most important additions to the blues canon of the latter 20th century.
His web site is http://www.wilkojohnson.org/
Read more about Wilko Johnson on Last.fm.
User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.
Music career
Born in Canvey Island, Essex, Johnson went to Westcliff High School for Boys and played in several local groups, before attending the University of Newcastle upon Tyne to study for a BA in English Language and Literature. His undergaduate course included early Anglo-Saxon and ancient Icelandic sagas. After graduating, he travelled overland to India, before returning to Essex to play with the Pigboy Charlie Band. The band evolved into Dr. Feelgood – a mainstay of the 1970s pub rock movement. After returning from Goa Johnson worked in 1972, for less than a year, as an English teacher.
Johnson bought his first Fender Telecaster from a shop in Southend, Essex for £90 (around $150) in 1965. He still plays a vintage 1962 Fender Telecaster with rosewood fingerboard which he bought in 1974, shortly after Dr. Feelgood signed their first record deal. Originally of sunburst-colored body with white pickguard, Johnson has refinished it in black and added a red pickguard.
Johnson developed his own image, coupling jerky movements on stage (his so-called "duck walk" ) with a choppy guitar style and a novel dress sense (he favoured a black suit and a pudding bowl haircut). He achieved his playing style by not using a pick but instead relying on fingerstyle. This enabled him to play rhythm guitar and riffs or solos at the same time creating a highly percussive guitar sound. It had evolved from a Johnson's failed attempt to copy Mick Green of Johnny Kidd and The Pirates, a guitarist he greatly admired.
His style formed the essential driving force behind Dr. Feelgood during their initial years, including the band's first four albums, Down by the Jetty, Malpractice, Stupidity and Sneakin' Suspicion, all released between 1975 and 1977. Johnson was the sole songwriter in the band for these four albums. Johnson had a cult following amongst fans of the four-piece band, helped by some electrifying stage performance during their extensive UK and north European touring of that period. The live album, Stupidity, reached number one in the UK Albums Chart, but although Johnson played on Dr. Feelgood's first 5 single releases, including "Roxette" and "Back in the Night", the only single to chart during his membership of the band was "Sneakin' Suspicion". He left the band in April 1977, following disagreements over the tracks to be included in the Sneakin' Suspicion album. Johnson maintains that he was kicked out of the band, which then put about the story that he had left voluntarily.
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. The Wilko Johnson Band played at the 'Front Row Festival', a three-week event at the Hope and Anchor, Islington in late November and early December 1977, featuring many early punk rock acts. This resulted in the inclusion of two tracks by The Wilko Johnson Band ( "Dr. Feelgood" & "Twenty Yards Behind" ), on a hit double album of recordings from the festival. The Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival compilation album (March 1978) which reached number 28 in the UK Albums Chart.
In 1980 Wilko 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 (future 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! (Live In London), 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 Don't Let Your Daddy Know (Live in Japan 2000) the following year.
The studio album Red Hot Rocking Blues was released in 2005. This contained covers of classics by the likes of Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Sonny Boy Williamson and Lead Belly.
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, and played throughout the UK, Europe and Japan, including twice a year at the 100 Club.
In 2007 a DVD (produced by Monti) was released of one of the concerts.
Johnson appeared in the Julien Temple-directed documentary film Oil City Confidential (2009), where he related his memories of Canvey Island and Dr. Feelgood. The reviewer Philip French described Johnson as "a wild man, off stage and on, funny, eloquent and charismatic", while Temple described Johnson as "an extraordinary man – one of the great English eccentrics." Reviewing the film for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw called it 'the best rockumentary yet' and said that 'the most likeable thing about this very likable film is the way it promotes Wilko Johnson as a 100-1 shot for the title of Greatest Living Englishman.'
On 2 October 2010, it was announced that Johnson was to support The Stranglers on their 'Black & Blue' UK tour commencing in March 2011. In April 2011, Johnson played several sold out shows as part of the Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots Festival in Ireland.
Johnson published his autobiography, co-authored with Zoe Howe and titled Looking Back on Me, at the end of May 2012. He also appeared in the BBC4 documentaries Evidently... John Cooper Clarke and Punk Britannia in May 2012.
On 24 August 2012 Wilko Johnson and his band headlined the Blues stage at Rhythm Festival.
Wilko stated in early 2013 that he had terminal cancer, and aptly announced he was going on a farewell tour. On 22 March 2013, Wilko played what would be his final show guesting with Madness on the television programme Madness Live: Goodbye Television Centre which was broadcast on BBC Four. Afterwards Wilko stated that he would be unable to perform his two final homecoming shows at Canvey Island due to ill health and would not be performing again.
Acting career
For his acting debut, Johnson was cast in the role of mute executioner Ilyn Payne, in both the first and second series of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, after the producers had seen him in Oil City Confidential. He related that "'They said they wanted somebody really sinister who went around looking daggers at people before killing them. That made it easy. Looking daggers at people is what I do all the time, it's like second nature to me'." He appeared in four episodes: "The Kingsroad", "Baelor" and "Fire and Blood" (series one, 2011), and "Blackwater" (series two, 2012).
One of the most important additions to the blues canon of the latter 20th century.
His web site is http://www.wilkojohnson.org/
Read more about Wilko Johnson on Last.fm.
User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.
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