Eric Johnson

BIOGRAPHY

Born on August 17, 1954, Eric Johnson basically grew up in a musically inclined family where he and his three sisters studied piano and his father, an Austin physician, was a singing enthusiast. Eric started playing the guitar at the age of 11 and progressed rapidly through the music of his influences which included artists like Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, and Django Reinhardt. His first professional experience came as a member of the psychedelic rock band Mariani at just 15 years of age. In 1968, Johnson recorded a demo tape with the group which saw extremely limited release; years later the recording would become a prized collector's item.

In 1974, Johnson joined a local fusion group Electromagnets. The band toured and recorded regionally but didn't attract major labels and later on disbanded in 1977. After Electromagnets, he formed the Eric Johnson Group with drummer Bill Maddox and bassist Kyle Brock. In 1978, the band recorded an album entitled Seven Worlds. Although the album showcased Johnson's considerable playing ability, a combination of contract disputes, financial wrangling, and mismanagement held up the album's release—and Johnson's career—for several years. True to form, Seven Worlds was released two full decades later after Johnson secured the rights to the master recordings.

Unable to secure a new management contract, Johnson nonetheless continued to build his professional reputation by working as a session guitarist for nationally known and regional acts, appearing on recordings by Cat Stevens and Christopher Cross, among others. All the while, he continued to toil on the local scene, thrilling audiences with his flashy—yet tasteful—electric guitar playing. His career rebounded in 1984 when pop superstar Prince caught one of Johnson's performances on the public television program Austin City Limits. Despite the story of Johnson being signed to Warner Brothers courtesy of Prince, it was singer Christopher Cross and producer David Tickle who recommended Johnson to be signed to the label. 1986 saw the release of Johnson's major-label debut, Tones with Tickle as co-producer.

The release of Tones brought Johnson considerable praise, if not widespread commercial success. Despite the track "Zap" being nominated for the 1987 Best Rock Instrumental Performance Grammy Award, the album did not sell well, and soon after Johnson left Warner Bros. for Capitol Records. By the time Johnson released his Capitol debut Ah Via Musicom in 1990, he was a bona fide "guitar hero," regularly winning awards for his musicianship in the guitar press. During this period, Johnson was also drawing recognition for the rich, violin-like tone he coaxed from his vintage Fender Stratocaster. The album's second cut, "Cliffs of Dover", exemplified his unique sound and won Johnson a 1991 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Ah Via Musicom was a crossover hit, and was soon certified platinum. Johnson is an admitted perfectionist, and those traits seemed to work against Ah Via Musicom's follow-up release. Unhappy with his recordings, Johnson mastered—then subsequently scrapped—several completed tracks for the new album and delayed its release for a period of six years. When Venus Isle was finally released in late 1996, it received mixed reviews and did not match the success of its predecessor. However, a successful tour with fellow guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai ensued the following year, as did their live recording (G3 Live in concert). performance was released on both In 1999, Johnson formed a side project called Alien Love Child and released their live performance, Live And Beyond, in 2000. He eventually returned to the recording studio, releasing Souvenir in 2002 and Bloom in 2005. His December, 1988 Austin City LimitsDVD and compact disc later that year. Johnson's current plans include a new live album and an all-acoustic project.