Michael Johnson Death

lpa53 · #1 07-26-2017, 07:19 PM

Michael Johnson, one of my guitar heroes, member of the Chad Mitchell Trio along with John Denver, and wonderful guitarist and entertainer, died yesterday.
I got the news from his website's newsletter but have not yet found anything about it on the web. He would have been 73 this August 8th.

Many fans are posting their thoughts on his website here>

Larry Pattis · #2 07-26-2017, 07:40 PM

I just saw this news on Facebook, via Richard "Dick" Pinney, and came here to see if anyone else took note.

I am so sad.

Michael was a significant musical influence, a great singer-songwriter, and an astonishingly great guitarist/musician.

Thank you for starting this thread, and sharing a few videos....I opened a show for him years ago in Pueblo, CO...no more words.

fitness1 · #3 07-26-2017, 07:44 PM

Oh no - this is sad. He was one of my big influences back in the day too. Got a chance to meet him a couple times and found him to be a very genuine soul.

One of my favorites of his that I covered many times over the years....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzrljQ0Euto

played this one a few hundred times too...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf1hY5GxUzM

lpa53 · #4 07-26-2017, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Pattis

I just saw this news on Facebook, via Richard "Dick" Pinney, and came here to see if anyone else took note.

I am so sad.

Michael was a significant musical influence, a great singer-songwriter, and an astonishingly great guitarist/musician.

Thank you for starting this thread, and sharing a few videos....I opened a show for him years ago in Pueblo, CO...no more words.

Larry, what a wonderful memory you must have of being able to open for Michael. I've had the privilege of seeing him perform three times and I'll never forget the experiences.

Speaking of Dick Pinney, whom you mentioned but who I don't know, he has posted on Michael's website along with many others.

Over the last several years, learning several of his songs through watching him play has stretched my guitar skills so much. I'm still getting teary-eyed just thinking about this. Only last night, after playing two of his tunes at a round robin, several of us were talking about MJ and how much we loved his music.

lpa53 · #5 07-26-2017, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fitness1

Oh no - this is sad. He was one of my big influences back in the day too. Got a chance to meet him a couple times and found him to be a very genuine soul.

One of my favorites of his that I covered many times over the years....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzrljQ0Euto

played this one a few hundred times too...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf1hY5GxUzM

Fitness, I taught myself "I Can't Get to You From Here" just this last week and played it at a local round robin only last night. "Give Me Wings" is on my to-do list.

dirkronk · #6 07-26-2017, 08:19 PM

There Is A Breeze.

There was a time long ago when this album was on frequent turntable repeat at my house. My wife was an early fan. Her advocacy and my ears made me one.
So long, Michael. And thanks. You will be remembered.

Dirk

lweb10 · #7 07-26-2017, 08:33 PM

Sad news today - one of my longtime musical heros died yesterday. Michael Johnson had a big influence on me in the 70s that is still easily noticeable today. He had the most effective combination of voice and guitar technique I've ever heard. Most people know him for Bluer Than Blue but his first three albums (There is a Breeze, For All You Mad Musicians, Ain't Dis Da Life) were the soundtrack of my 20s. My wife and I shared a love for his music when we met and some tears this evening when we heard of his passing.

duluthdan · #8 07-26-2017, 08:45 PM

That's sad. Booked him at events in the early seventies. Heckofa songwriter.

fretfile100 · #9 07-27-2017, 06:43 PM

One of my biggest influences, particularly before he went to Nashville. He was sui generis; no one played or sang like him. He was a good song writer who was especially adept at interpreting the songs of others. I will lift a libation to his memory and play his version of
Bristle Cone Pine.

tbeltrans · #10 07-27-2017, 08:08 PM

I met Michael Johnson at a Leo Kottke concert in St. Cloud at the U, Minnesota back around 1979 or so when he was still living in the Twin Cities. After the concert, I was waiting to meet Leo for the first time. I had gotten one of the concert posters and wanted to ask him to sign it. Michael Johnson was standing next me, also waiting. I recognized him and asked if he would sign my poster. He did -right by Leo's foot (the poster had a picture of Leo sitting in a chair and playing guitar). Michael said something to the effect that by Leo's foot was where he felt he deserved to be, he thought that highly of Leo.

At the time, I was convinced there was something magical and different about Leo Kottke's hands, so when we were talking that evening, I asked if we could measure hands palm to palm. We did, and his hands are the same size and pretty much shape, as mine. Michael couldn't stop laughing about that one. A few months later, I saw Michael in concert, just him and his guitar (he played a classical guitar). He put on a very nice, warm, homey show at Northrup Auditorium. Back then the Twin Cities was alive with acoustic guitar players and music. Some time later, Michael moved to Nashville.

As I recall, Michael played the other guitar on the original recording of Mona Ray on Leo's "Dreams and All That Stuff".

I also had "There Is A Breeze" back then. Unfortunately, I must have either loaned the album to somebody and not gotten it back (a frequent problem back then) or I lost it in a move somewhere along the way.

Tony

Andromeda · #11 07-27-2017, 09:05 PM

I'm very sad to hear this. I've been a fan for a long long time. Big influence on me.

After the Mitchell Trio dissolved after the last original member left, Michael Johnson joined David Boise and John Denver for a year or two. Here is this line-up performing one of my favorite cover's of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JWFMs7mGcpo&feature=share

Larry Pattis · #12 07-27-2017, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andromeda

I'm very sad to hear this. I've been a fan for a long long time. Big influence on me.

After the Mitchell Trio dissolved after the last original member left, Michael Johnson joined David Boise and John Denver for a year or two. Here is this line-up performing one of my favorite cover's of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JWFMs7mGcpo&feature=share

The Mona Ray link is great, but this just sent shivers up my spine.

Wow.

Here's the active link...

lpa53 · #13 07-28-2017, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Pattis

The Mona Ray link is great, but this just sent shivers up my spine.

Wow.

Here's the active link...

Wow to both videos. What an era of great music we've lived in!

chrisc · #14 07-28-2017, 11:40 AM

I have been a fan of Michael Johnson since I first heard "Bluer than Blue" as a teen. I rediscovered him when he had a couple of country-ish albums in the later 80's (I loved "That's That").
Around 1990 just across the river in West Virginia the Huntington Civic Center used to have a big crafts event in the fall and that year they advertised "Michael Johnson in Concert."
It was a dollar to get into the event and I never really understood what connection he had to a craft fair. Regardless, I got to see him do 2 sets that day for a dollar.
Met him between times and had a few minutes conversation. Was totally blown away by his guitar playing (I hadn't realized the depth of his skill beforehand). In my conversation with him I told him how impressed I was with some of the chords he formed and said "I have small hands, not sure I could ever reach some of those." He held his hand up to measure against mine, and our hands were the same size. He kind of gave me a look like "Now what's your excuse?" (In good fun). That day is one of my favorite musical memories. RIP

tbeltrans · #15 07-28-2017, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Pattis

The Mona Ray link is great, but this just sent shivers up my spine.

Wow.

Here's the active link...

Michael Johnson was definitely the "whole package" - a wonderfully skilled guitar player AND a very good singer. There are not a lot of singers whose voice I can enjoy listening to, but Michael is certainly among those I never get tired of. To be able to skillfully accompany oneself while singing (not just strumming or banging away on the guitar, but really playing it), and then be able to play really nice solo instrumentals will provide a much wider audience than playing solo guitar alone all the time. Michael Johnson definitely had it all.

Tony