Eric Johnson (born August 17, 1954) is a Grammy Award winning guitarist and… Read Full Bio ↴Eric Johnson (born August 17, 1954) is a Grammy Award winning guitarist and recording artist from Austin, Texas USA. Best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, New Age, and even country and western elements into his recordings. A widely recognized virtuoso, Johnson's stylistic diversity, technical proficiency, and unique playing style have drawn praise from Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Prince, B.B. King, and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. His critically-acclaimed, platinum selling 1990 recording Ah Via Musicom produced the single "Cliffs of Dover", for which Johnson won a 1991 Grammy award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
(2) Very few musical artists achieve a true signature style -- one that makes comparisons to other musicians impossible. But Texas guitarist Eric Johnson arguably comes as close to this echelon as any musician from the past quarter-century. Like fellow Lone Star State guitarists Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnson blends the rock style of Jimi Hendrix and the blues power of Albert King. Yet Johnson's wide array of additional influences (from the Beatles and Jeff Beck to jazz and Chet Atkins) makes for a guitar sound as unique as his fingerprints.
"When I first heard Eric," Winter recalled, "he was only 16, and I remember wishing that I could have played like that at that age." Former Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter said, "If Jimi Hendrix had gone on to study with Howard Roberts for about eight years, you'd have what this kid strikes me as." The Austin prodigy appeared on the cover of Guitar Player magazine while working with Texas jazz/fusion band the Electromagnets and as a session player (Cat Stevens, Carole King, Christopher Cross), and a 1984 performance on the TV show Austin City Limits set his recording career in motion.
Johnson's 1986 debut album, Tones, certainly proved that the hype was warranted. Playing with the ace rhythm section of bassist Roscoe Beck and drummer Tommy Taylor, Johnson mixed blazing instrumentals ("Zap," "Victory") with Beatles-influenced vocal tunes like "Emerald Eyes" and "Bristol Shore." Johnson used the same half-and-half format on the 1990 follow-up, Ah Via Musicom, but a trio of the album's tunes surprisingly made him the first artist to have three instrumentals from the same album to chart in the Top Ten in any format (with "Cliffs of Dover" earning Johnson a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental).
But, if Johnson had a perceived weakness, it was the perfectionism that caused four years to pass between recordings. Even in concert, he would painstakingly tune his guitar between songs, by ear, for minutes on end. With the success of Ah Via Musicom, the guitarist admitted to feeling pressure to raise the bar again. But Johnson's studio nitpicking delayed Venus Isle until 1996, and the disappointing CD contained fewer instrumentals and sounded forced.
A stint on the 1997 G3 tour with fellow headlining guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, and its resulting live release, breathed new life into Johnson and sparked the idea of a live album. Overhauling his band for the 2000 CD Live and Beyond, Johnson brought in bassist Chris Maresh and drummer Bill Maddox, and concentrated on more of a blues feel. The guitarist still blended instrumentals with his vocal tunes ("Shape I'm In," "Last House on the Block"), but perhaps realized that his thin voice was too one-dimensional for guttural blues or R&B. Guest vocalist Malford Milligan ignites "Don't Cha Know" and "Once a Part of Me," helping Johnson's blazing debut on Vai's Favored Nations label and reestablishing the versatile virtuoso's status for the 21st century. As Vai himself testified, "Eric has more colorful tone in his fingers than Van Gogh had on his palette."
Souvenir, an album available only through Johnson's website, appeared in 2002, followed by CD and DVD versions of New West's Live from Austin, TX and Bloom, the second album for Vai's Favored Nations imprint, in 2005. Johnson returned in 2010 with Up Close, a studio album that slightly emphasized the guitarist's Texas roots. A collaboration with jazz guitarist Mike Stern, Eclectic, appeared in 2014. ~ Bill Meredith
(2) Very few musical artists achieve a true signature style -- one that makes comparisons to other musicians impossible. But Texas guitarist Eric Johnson arguably comes as close to this echelon as any musician from the past quarter-century. Like fellow Lone Star State guitarists Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnson blends the rock style of Jimi Hendrix and the blues power of Albert King. Yet Johnson's wide array of additional influences (from the Beatles and Jeff Beck to jazz and Chet Atkins) makes for a guitar sound as unique as his fingerprints.
"When I first heard Eric," Winter recalled, "he was only 16, and I remember wishing that I could have played like that at that age." Former Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter said, "If Jimi Hendrix had gone on to study with Howard Roberts for about eight years, you'd have what this kid strikes me as." The Austin prodigy appeared on the cover of Guitar Player magazine while working with Texas jazz/fusion band the Electromagnets and as a session player (Cat Stevens, Carole King, Christopher Cross), and a 1984 performance on the TV show Austin City Limits set his recording career in motion.
Johnson's 1986 debut album, Tones, certainly proved that the hype was warranted. Playing with the ace rhythm section of bassist Roscoe Beck and drummer Tommy Taylor, Johnson mixed blazing instrumentals ("Zap," "Victory") with Beatles-influenced vocal tunes like "Emerald Eyes" and "Bristol Shore." Johnson used the same half-and-half format on the 1990 follow-up, Ah Via Musicom, but a trio of the album's tunes surprisingly made him the first artist to have three instrumentals from the same album to chart in the Top Ten in any format (with "Cliffs of Dover" earning Johnson a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental).
But, if Johnson had a perceived weakness, it was the perfectionism that caused four years to pass between recordings. Even in concert, he would painstakingly tune his guitar between songs, by ear, for minutes on end. With the success of Ah Via Musicom, the guitarist admitted to feeling pressure to raise the bar again. But Johnson's studio nitpicking delayed Venus Isle until 1996, and the disappointing CD contained fewer instrumentals and sounded forced.
A stint on the 1997 G3 tour with fellow headlining guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, and its resulting live release, breathed new life into Johnson and sparked the idea of a live album. Overhauling his band for the 2000 CD Live and Beyond, Johnson brought in bassist Chris Maresh and drummer Bill Maddox, and concentrated on more of a blues feel. The guitarist still blended instrumentals with his vocal tunes ("Shape I'm In," "Last House on the Block"), but perhaps realized that his thin voice was too one-dimensional for guttural blues or R&B. Guest vocalist Malford Milligan ignites "Don't Cha Know" and "Once a Part of Me," helping Johnson's blazing debut on Vai's Favored Nations label and reestablishing the versatile virtuoso's status for the 21st century. As Vai himself testified, "Eric has more colorful tone in his fingers than Van Gogh had on his palette."
Souvenir, an album available only through Johnson's website, appeared in 2002, followed by CD and DVD versions of New West's Live from Austin, TX and Bloom, the second album for Vai's Favored Nations imprint, in 2005. Johnson returned in 2010 with Up Close, a studio album that slightly emphasized the guitarist's Texas roots. A collaboration with jazz guitarist Mike Stern, Eclectic, appeared in 2014. ~ Bill Meredith
The Sea and the Mountain
Eric Johnson Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Eric Johnson:
A Change has come to Me Finding all that's meant to be Visions of eternity Surpass…
A Song for Life [Instrumental]…
A Thousand Miles And so I walk A thousand miles with you But…
All About You You’re a special kind of person You’re unique in every way I…
Alone With You Everyday I'm alone with you You know that's the only way…
Another One Like You Looking back this road of memories Footprints in the sand r…
Are You Experienced I'd talk with you all night As you'd lay in my…
Are You Experienced? If you can get your mind together Then come across to…
Arithmetic Someone to hold to Love never to erase One you belong to …
Battle We Have Won Artist: Eric Johnson Album: Venus Isle Track: Battle We Have…
Brilliant Room Utside this brilliant room, are parts unknown But you love,…
Bristol Shore There's a place, I dream of, far away There's a girl…
By Your Side When you're sad Call on me There I'll be By your side All th…
Camel Artist: Eric Johnson Album: Venus Isle Track: Camel's Night …
Change You know a change is coming A change is coming to…
Cliffs of Dover [Instrumental]…
Climbing From Inside There's danger when you dig Deep into emotion, think I've…
COLUMBIA Don't look so sad I know it's over But life goes on And…
Desert Rose Desert Rose that dances, in heat of the sky, I must…
East Wes [instrumental] There are silk clouds floating through a ro…
Easy to Love I know too well that I'm just wasting precious time In…
Emerald Eyes When I go and I get lonely I begin to think…
Eric Johnson Desert Rose that dances, in heat of the sky, I must…
Fatdaddy 1 Fat daddy, bring it home to me Fat daddy, bring it…
Forever Yours Through the endless sea, pouring waves thunder a symphony S…
Forty Mile Town I got a way I can find you, Down the melody…
Friends Night, darkness of night I've got a friend, I'm turning to …
From My Heart The night is like a lovely tune Beware my foolish heart How…
Get to Go You don't need nobody, knock on your door You don't…
Good to Me Don't look so sad I know it's over But life goes on And…
Hard Times I've grown tired of the city Need to get away sometimes I…
High Landrons Way down here on the edge of these snows, I hear…
Hold on to Love Walking back, the years do flow The time that leads The ho…
I Promise I Will Try Way down here on the edge of these snows I hear…
I'm Finding You Highways stretch into the night One way leading to your…
If I Had You I could show the world how to smile I could be…
It's Just the Rain Between worlds I can hear the sound of a distant life,…
Last House On the Block Must move on I'm getting caught in the fray Something says…
Lonely In The Night Artist: Eric Johnson Album: Venus Isle Track: Lonely in the …
Love or Confusion Is that the stars in the sky or is it…
Love Will Never Say Goodbye Love, do you see it in the view? A fantasy that…
Manhattan Artist: Eric Johnson Album: Venus Isle Track: Manhattan In…
Missing Key You don't want me to tell you about my emotions You…
My Back Pages Crimson flames tied through my ears Rollin' high and mighty …
Nothing Can Keep Me From You Close my eyes, see your reflection In my life, you always…
Off My Mind Misery in my life You caused the heartbreak deep down in…
On the Way You You had way that you loved me (oh, oh, oh) You And…
Once a Part of Me Here's a note to say I'm fine But words escape between…
Paperback Writer Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book? It took…
Pavillion Artist: Eric Johnson Album: Venus Isle Track: Pavilion Instr…
Prelude to a Kiss If you hear A song in blue Like a flower crying For the…
Rain Between worlds I can hear the sound of a distant life,…
S. R. V Artist: Eric Johnson Album: Venus Isle Track: S.R.V. Instrum…
Sad Legacy There's no such thing as freedom Without some responsibili…
Shape I'm In I can't change It don't matter what I do Tried to change …
Showdown Lived in Santa Fe Jacob never wore his side guns Till news…
Steve's Boogie [Instrumental]…
Sunnaround You I think this world was made for you, Because of…
Texas Well I just stop by from Texas baby Little girl you…
Trail of Tears Take me from these earth bound chains I must find it…
Turn The Page Oh Elaine, you've broken my dreams It's not as it seemed…
Venus Isle Artist: Eric Johnson Album: Venus Isle Track: Venus Isle Lo…
Venus Reprise Artist: Eric Johnson Album: Venus Isle Track: Venus Reprise …
Virginia One thing I'll say I will always love you, Virginia…
When The Sun Meets The Sky Artist: Eric Johnson Album: Venus Isle Track: When the Sun M…
You Never Know I never knew there was a smoking gun I didnt think…
Your Book You showed some pages From the book of your life. Where th…
Your Sweet Eyes Its so crazy living in this world Separating the stone…
Zap [Instrumental]…
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Eric
on Camel's Night Out
What is it about? A person?