Eric Johnson was born on August 17, 1954 in Austin Texas. His earliest musical influences came by way of his father, an ardent fan of the classics and jazz. By age five Eric was already taking piano lessons and even began writing his own songs by age eight. He credits his musical 'ear', to that of his piano teacher. Eric had a musical revelation at the age of ten when he discovered his brother had put together a band. A band with, guitars. "I think I knew the moment I heard the sound of the electric guitar," notes Johnson. He got his first guitar the following year, and by age 13 had joined his first band, The Id. In 1967, Jimi Hendrix exploded onto the scene and raised the stakes for everybody. Eric, along with so many others, was captivated.
In the seventies, Eric would occasionally run into, and jam with, a friend of his, Stevie Ray Vaughn. (Oh to have been present at one of those sessions!) Around this time, Johnson began experimenting with instrumentals. He credits this to his discovery of Jeff Beck, and also to his musical mentor Vince Mariani.
By 1973 the guitar had begun to slip as the powerhouse instrument in rock music. After all, Jimi Hendrix's passing had left an obvious void. But Eric looked to other sources of inspiration such as Chick Corea & Return to Forever. Jazz fusion and Jazz-Rock fusion would lead Eric to form his own band, The Electromagnets in 1974.
1976 saw the break-up of The Electromagnets. A slight reincarnation
of the former was established shortly thereafter when Johnson reunited with
The Electromagnets rhythm section, drummer Bill Maddox and bassist Roscoe
Beck. In 1977, Johnson entered into a six-year contract with Bill Ham and
Lone Wolf Productions. Under the same Lone Wolf umbrella were none
other than his hometown buddy Stevie Ray Vaughn and ZZ Top. With a debut
album, 'Seven Worlds' ready to shop to a major label, Eric appeared on the
verge of a major break-out. However, Eric's management was pushing for nothing
less than a major deal with a major label. Passing over interests from smaller
labels, the album was eventually shelved and never released. A frustrated
Eric could not afford to buy out his contract and left him with little choice
but to go into virtual seclusion, and wait it out.
When the contract with Lone Wolf and Bill Ham expired in 1984, Eric plunged back into the stream and wasted no time, landing a spot on Austin City Limits. Minneapolis mogul, Prince (sorry, I haven't got that weird-ass little symbol thing on my keyboard) saw the show and promptly urged his label, Warner Brothers, to sign the Austin native. Reprise, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, did just that a few months later. A major stumbling block ensued when Johnson pleaded to be allowed to produce his own album. The label however, seemed determined to link him with producers who were bent on casting Eric in the mold of guitarists who had already run the gauntlet. Eric knew his style was unique and was unwilling to compromise his artistic vision. Approximately a year passed before a compromise was reached with the mutual acceptance of producer David Tickle.
Despite a succesfull tour, and despite critical praise as well as a Grammy nomination for "Zap", the album's first single, 'Tones', Eric's debut album, was not equally promoted by the label. Fans were equally frustrated in the unavailability of the record. Due to slow sales, Warner Brothers let Eric's contract run out.
Eric Johnson was now in his early thirties. Frustrated at having spent nearly 20 years in the business with only one album to his credit, Eric eschewed the major labels and shopped his wares at the indie level. He found a willing recipient in Cinema Records. They also were willing to give Eric free reign in the studio. "They said we like what you do, just do whatever you want." says Johnson. One can imagine Eric's glee over this turn of events. The whole thing nearly collapsed however when halfway through the sessions, Cinema lost it's distribution deal with Capitol Records. Fortunately enough material had already been produced so that Capitol, which had an option on Eric's contract, decided to pick up the record.
Ah Via Musicom was released in 1990 to rave reviews and the critics praise. This time however, the label also offered promotional support. As a result, four of the album's singles, "Cliff's of Dover", "Righteous", "Trademark" and High Landrons", all got considerable airplay lending to the albums eventual gold status. Finally, Eric Johnson was getting the recognition he deserved. Along with Steve Vai, Eric was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" in the 1990 Guitar Player's Reader's Poll. Eric would receive this honor the next three years in a row. He was also voted one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by Musician magazine. In 1992, "Cliffs of Dover" was chosen as the Best Instrumental, Eric's first Grammy award. 'Ah Via Musicom' had lost out to the Vaughn Brothers 'Family Style' the year before in the Best Rock Instrumental category.
-The long awaited 'Venus Isle' was released in 1996. His most ambitious offering to date. Critics and fans again found it to be well worth the wait. Grammy nominations were again forthcoming for "Manhattan" in the Best Rock Instrumental Category. 'Venus Isle', replete with Johnson's trademark guitar wizardry, also showcases Eric's musical composition skills as well as stronger vocals. Keyboards play a more prominent role on the album too, as evidenced by the beautifully haunting "Song for Lynette". "SRV", Eric's tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn (with a guest solo by Stevie's older brother Jimmy) has received major radio airplay. And "Camel's Night Out" has raised eyebrows among the guitar community and become a favorite of fans on the concert circuit. In the fall of 1996 Eric Johnson hit the concert circuit with two other guitar heavyweights, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. The tour, dubbed 'G3', became one the years most exciting and sought after concert events.-
Affectionately dubbed the 'Tone Ranger', Eric Johnson continues to amaze fans and critics alike. His penchant for being a perfectionist in the studio leaves fans waiting and wanting for years at a time. Fortunately Eric's CD's have the unique ability to never become boring. I can testify to the fact that Eric's CD's are the only ones in my collection that are in serious threat of wearing out! Eric's lavish orchestrations always turn up something new on repeated listenings. His flawless execution and technique have become his trademark, providing an articulation, even at blinding speeds, that only serve to further his mystique. Some would say that he is not human. He may well be from Venus Isle! An advanced transplanted alien, sent here as a gift, to amaze and delight his earthbound counterparts. Whatever he is, he is the undisputed master of the guitar on this planet, and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say, we're glad to have him! - Daniel Skorseth
For more on Eric follow this link - |Mikes Eric Johnson Page|