Editing Eric Johnson (guitarist) (section)

==Music career==
===Early life===
Born into a musically inclined family, Eric Johnson and his three sisters studied piano, while his father was a whistling enthusiast. Johnson started learning the guitar at age 11 and rapidly progressed while listening to the musicians who would heavily influence his future style, including [[Mike Bloomfield]], [[Chet Atkins]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[Jimi Hendrix]], Ric Bailey, [[Wes Montgomery]], [[Jerry Reed]], [[Bob Dylan]], and [[Django Reinhardt]], among others.<ref name="guitarhoo"/> At the age of 15, he joined his first professional band, Mariani, a [[psychedelic rock]] group. In 1970, Johnson and the group recorded a demonstration, which had an extremely limited release. The recording became a prized collector's item years later.<ref name=PinsonM-EJ-2006-08-06 /><ref>Simon, Scott. [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4795689 "Eric Johnson's Guitar Gets to Austin's Roots"], [[NPR]], August 13, 2005.</ref><ref name=LandersR-MGM>Landers, Rick. [http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/001025.html "Eric Johnson Interview"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022233005/http://modernguitars.com/archives/001025.html |date=October 22, 2007 }} – ''Modern Guitars Magazine'' – August 11, 2005.</ref><ref name=BostonBeats>[http://www.bostonbeats.com/Interviews/InterviewJohnsonE.htm "An Interview with Eric Johnson"] – Boston Beats.</ref><ref>Sonobeats Page.[http://sonobeatrecords.com/mariani.html "Mariani with Eric Johnson"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107182624/http://sonobeatrecords.com/mariani.html |date=November 7, 2007 }}.</ref>

===Early bands===
[[Image:Eric-johnson-electromagnets.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The Electromagnets with Johnson (left) performing at [[North Carolina State University]] in [[Raleigh, North Carolina]], 1976]]
After graduating from high school, Johnson briefly attended the [[University of Texas at Austin]] and traveled with his family to [[Africa]]. He eventually returned to Austin, and in 1974, joined a local fusion group called Electromagnets. The group toured and recorded regionally, but did not attract attention from [[major record label]]s and disbanded in 1977. The strength of Johnson's playing, however, attracted a small [[cult following]] to the group's early recordings, and decades later, their two albums were given wide release on compact disc.<ref>Obrecht, Jas.{{cite web|url=http://www.guitarplayer.com/archive/artists/johnson86.shtml |title=Eric Johnson:An Underground Legend Surfaces |access-date=2017-04-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000819115123/http://www.guitarplayer.com/archive/artists/johnson86.shtml |archive-date=August 19, 2000 |work=[[Guitar Player]] |date=May 1986}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Endres |first=Cliff |url=http://www.ericjohnson.com/electromagnets/html/bio.html |title=Electromagnets – Selling Jazz to the Schlock-Rock Hardheads |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209002833/http://ericjohnson.com/electromagnets/html/bio.html |archive-date=December 9, 2007 |publisher=Electromagnets Bio}}</ref>

===''Seven Worlds''===
Following the Electromagnets' demise, Johnson formed a touring trio, the Eric Johnson Group, with drummer Bill Maddox and bassist Kyle Brock. They played to audiences around Austin. From 1976–1978, Johnson recorded ''[[Seven Worlds]]'', his debut album, at Odyssey Studios in Austin. Contract disputes followed, and ''Seven Worlds'' was not released until 1998 on [[Ark21 Records]].<ref>Musician's Friend.[http://www.musiciansfriend.com/document?doc_id=98738 "Musician's Friend's Artist Spotlight Exclusive Interview with Eric Johnson, Part 1 and 2"] – Musician's Friend.</ref><ref>Santiago, James. [http://www.ericjohnson.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35&Itemid=9 "Eric Johnson On Seven World's"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101027080546/http://ericjohnson.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35&Itemid=9 |date=October 27, 2010 }} – "EricJohnson.com".</ref>

Unable to secure a new management contract, Johnson began working as a [[session musician|session guitar]]ist for some well-known acts, including [[Cat Stevens]],<ref>Junior, Chris. [http://www.medleyville.us/archives/000037.html "Storytime: Eric Johnson"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120903174905/http://www.medleyville.us/archives/000037.html |date=September 3, 2012 }} – the ''Medleyville US'' – March 22, 2004.</ref> [[Carole King]], and [[Christopher Cross]].<ref>Willcox, James.[http://www.starpolish.com/news/article.asp?id=633 "StarPolish Interview: Eric Johnson"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105060613/http://www.starpolish.com/news/article.asp?id=633 |date=January 5, 2008 }} – ''Starpolish.com'' – November 6, 2003.</ref> While a session musician, Johnson continued to perform locally in Austin.

Johnson's career rebounded in 1984 when he was signed to [[Warner Bros. Records]]. Christopher Cross and producer [[David Tickle]] recommended Johnson to the label. His breakthrough appearance at ''[[Austin City Limits]]'' on July 31, 1984, was recorded and later released on CD/DVD in 2010. The performance of "Cliffs of Dover" from the concert was distributed in a flexi-disc soundpage in the May 1986 issue of ''[[Guitar Player Magazine|Guitar Player]]'' magazine.

===''Tones'' and ''Ah Via Musicom''===

In May 1986, ''Guitar Player'' magazine ran a cover story about Johnson. The article helped promote the release of ''[[Tones (album)|Tones]]'' and brought Johnson critical praise, as well as elevating his profile in the guitar and music community.<ref>Blackett, Matt. [http://www.musicplayer.com/article/editors-note/Sep-05/13498 "Editor's Note"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120310185142/http://www.musicplayer.com/article/editors-note/Sep-05/13498 |date=March 10, 2012 }} – ''MusicPlayer''.</ref> The album's track "Zap" was nominated for the 1987 [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance]], but as a whole, the album did not sell well, and [[Warner Records|Warner Bros.]] let Johnson's contract expire. He signed on with [[indie label]] Cinema Records, distributed by [[Capitol Records]].<ref>Hernandez, Raoul. {{cite web|url=http://www.ericjohnson.com/flash/skiesarticle.html |title=Up from the Skies: Eric Johnson's Lifelong Quest |access-date=2017-04-22 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041211101230/http://www.ericjohnson.com/flash/skiesarticle.html |archive-date=December 11, 2004 }} – The ''Austin Chronicle''.</ref>

By the time Johnson released his 1990 Capitol Records debut album, ''[[Ah Via Musicom]]'', he was regularly winning awards for his musicianship in the guitar press. During this period, Johnson also drew recognition for the rich, [[violin]]-like lead sound he coaxed from his beloved 1954 [[Fender Stratocaster]], which he named Virginia. The album's second track, "[[Cliffs of Dover (composition)|Cliffs of Dover]]", exemplified his unique sound and won Johnson a 1991 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.<ref name="guitarhoo"/> ''Ah Via Musicom'' was a [[crossover (music)|crossover]] hit and was certified [[platinum album|platinum]].

===''Venus Isle''===
Johnson is an admitted perfectionist, and those traits seemed to work against the ''Ah Via Musicom'' follow-up release. Unhappy with his recordings, Johnson mastered, then later scrapped several completed tracks for the new album and delayed its release for three years, on top of the three years he had spent touring in support of ''Ah Via Musicom''. He also had setbacks involving musical growth and personal issues while recording his next album ''[[Venus Isle]]''.<ref>Hernandez, Raoul. [http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/1996-09-27/524641/ "Austin Chronicle Interview – Part 1"] – The ''Austin Chronicle''.</ref><ref>Hernandez, Raoul. [http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/1996-09-27/524643/ "Austin Chronicle Interview – Part 2"] – The ''Austin Chronicle''.</ref>

''Venus Isle'' was released on September 3, 1996. It was an album with [[world music|world influences]] that demonstrated Johnson's growth as a guitarist, songwriter, producer, musical arranger, and vocalist, but the album received mixed reviews and did not match the success of its predecessor. As a result, Johnson was dropped from Capitol Records. He rebounded with a successful tour from October to November 1996 with fellow guitarists [[Joe Satriani]] and [[Steve Vai]]. Named the [[G3 (tour)|"G3" tour]], it resulted in a platinum-selling compact disc and DVD titled ''[[G3: Live in Concert]]''.

===Solo albums in the 2000s===
Johnson eventually returned to the recording studio, releasing ''[[Souvenir (Eric Johnson album)|Souvenir]]'' in January 2003 on his own Vortexan Records label. The album, released on the Internet, received nearly 65,000 plays in the first seven weeks after it was made available on mp3.com.<ref>Griswold, Susan. [http://fishman.com/artists/bio.asp?id=3 "Eric Johnson – Official Biography"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030223024/http://www.fishman.com/artists/bio.asp?id=3 |date=October 30, 2007 }} -''Fishman''.</ref> Johnson promoted ''Souvenir'' with an electric tour in 2003 and an acoustic tour in 2004.<ref>Baker, Brian.{{cite web|url=http://www.citybeat.com/2003-07-02/music.shtml |title=Magic Johnson |access-date=2009-11-01 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030918033424/http://www.citybeat.com/2003-07-02/music.shtml |archive-date=September 18, 2003 }} ''CityBeat.com'', July 2, 2003.</ref><ref>Love, Jianda. [https://archive.org/details/Jianda-Sugarmamapr.comInterviewWericJohnson "Jianda interview with Eric Johnson"] ''SugarMamaPR.com'', 2003.</ref>

Johnson's album ''[[Bloom (Eric Johnson album)|Bloom]]'' was released in June 2005, on Vai's Favored Nations label. The album was divided into three sections with different musical styles, intended to showcase Johnson's versatility.<ref name="guitarhoo"/><ref>Leslie, Jimmy. {{cite web|url=http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/obsessive-perfectionist-eric/aug-05/12234 |title=Obsessive Perfectionist Eric Johnson Is Trying Go With the Flow |access-date=2008-01-03 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103154551/http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/obsessive-perfectionist-eric/aug-05/12234 |archive-date=January 3, 2008 }} – ''[[Guitar Player Magazine]]'' – September 2005.</ref> His December 1988 ''[[Austin City Limits]]'' performance was released on both DVD and compact disc on [[New West Records]] in November 2005. His instructional guitar DVD, ''The Art of Guitar'' ([[Hal Leonard Corporation]]), was also released at the end of 2005.

On June 24, 2014, Provogue Records released ''Europe Live'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ericjohnson.com/europe-live|title=EUROPE LIVE|author=|website=Ericjohnson.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006075646/http://ericjohnson.com/europe-live|archive-date=October 6, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> a retrospective of Johnson's work that features two new compositions. One of the new compositions is entitled "Evinrude Fever" and draws inspiration from water skiing and boating.<ref>GuitarInternational.com [http://www.guitaraficionado.com/eric-johnson-conquers-europe-returns-with-live-album.html "Eric Johnson Conquers Europe, Returns With Live Album"]</ref>

===Other projects===
[[File:Eric Johnson cropped.jpg|thumb|Johnson in 2007]]In 1991, Johnson contributed guitar for two tracks on [[Stuart Hamm]]'s album, ''[[The Urge (album)|The Urge]]''. 
In 1994, he formed a side project called Alien Love Child and played shows sporadically while recording ''Venus Isle''. The positive fan feedback from the shows made Alien Love Child a permanent gig. A live performance recording, ''[[Live and Beyond]]'', was released in 2000 on [[Steve Vai]]'s [[Favored Nations]] label.<ref>Levy, Adam. {{cite web|url=http://www.guitarplayer.com/archive/artists/ejohnson.shtml |title=Eric Johnson Cuts Loose on a Rockin' Live Album |access-date=2017-04-22 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010123225100/http://www.guitarplayer.com/archive/artists/ejohnson.shtml |archive-date=January 23, 2001 }}, ''[[Guitar Player]]'', December 2000.</ref><ref>Vance, Brian. {{cite web|url=http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrelease/2001/jun28a.html |title=Eric Johnson: Chasing The Tone Carrot |access-date=2007-11-26 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011217111802/http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrelease/2001/jun28a.html |archive-date=December 17, 2001 }}, ''Gibson Guitars Online'', June 28, 2001.</ref><ref>St. James, Adam. {{cite web|url=http://www.guitar.com/features/viewfeature.asp?featureID=177&page=1 |title=Eric Johnson: Moving Beyond Perfection |access-date=2017-04-22 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010727041858/http://www.guitar.com/features/viewfeature.asp?featureID=177&page=1 |archive-date=July 27, 2001 }}, ''Guitar.com'', October 26, 2000.</ref>  Alien Love Child featured the vocal prowess of [[Malford Milligan]], an Austin-area musician who fronted the local band [[Storyville (band)|Storyville]], made up of members of [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]]'s [[Double Trouble (band)|Double Trouble]].

In 1998, Johnson was among the judges in ''[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]'' magazine's "Best Unsigned Bands" competition, along with [[Ani DiFranco]], [[Moby]], [[Art Alexakis]] of [[Everclear (band)|Everclear]], [[Keb' Mo']], and [[Joe Perry (musician)|Joe Perry]] of [[Aerosmith]].<ref>Weeks, Lisa. [http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tw/11-06-97/sbites.htm "Soundbites"], ''Tucson Weekly'', November 6, 1997.</ref>

In 2003, he contributed a guitar solo on [[Mike Tramp]]'s solo album, ''[[More to Life than This]]''. The solo was featured on the track "The Good, the Sad and the Ugly".<ref name="seaoftranquility.org">{{Cite web|url=https://www.seaoftranquility.org/article.php?sid=2835/|title=Interviews: A Candid Interview with Mike Tramp - Sea of Tranquility - The Web Destination for Progressive Music!|website=Seaoftranquility.org}}</ref>

In September 2006, Johnson took part in a theatrical production titled ''Primal Twang: The Legacy of the Guitar'' – the first definitive theatrical journey through the guitar's colorful and controversial 3,500-year history. In September 2007, Johnson participated in a second theatrical production by the same company titled ''Love In: A Musical Celebration'' in which he performed a [[Jimi Hendrix]] set, a tribute to the year 1967, often called "The [[Summer of Love]]".<ref>Kirby, Dave {{cite web|url=http://www.boulderweekly.com/?site_id=619&page_id=10192&id_sub=10192 |title=The perfectionist Eric Johnson finds artistry in the details |access-date=2007-12-30 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080108004815/http://www.boulderweekly.com/?site_id=619&page_id=10192&id_sub=10192 |archive-date=January 8, 2008 }} – September 27 – October 3, 2007.</ref>

In late 2006, he participated in a second G3 tour in South America with [[Joe Satriani]] and [[John Petrucci]].

Johnson appeared as part of ''[[Guitar Player]]'' magazine's Ultimate Musician's Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas in February 2014, with guitarists [[Joe Perry (musician)|Joe Perry]], [[Steve Vai]], [[Elliot Easton]], [[Michael Anthony (musician)|Michael Anthony]], and others.<ref>[http://www.rockcamp.com/guitar-player.php rockcamp.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227064222/http://www.rockcamp.com/guitar-player.php |date=December 27, 2013 }}; "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp" – February 17, 2014</ref> He appeared with [[Zakk Wylde]], [[Buddy Guy]], [[Jonny Lang]], [[Kenny Wayne Shepherd]], [[Dweezil Zappa]], and [[Doyle Bramhall II]] as part of the eighth edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour highlighting the music of Jimi Hendrix, in March 2014.<ref>EricJohnson.com [https://web.archive.org/web/20081216015400/http://www.ericjohnson.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=2 "Tour"] – April 7, 2014</ref> Johnson returned to the Experience Hendrix Tour in September and October 2014.<ref name="Tour">ericjohnson.com [http://ericjohnson.com/tour "Tour"]</ref> Johnson and fellow guitarist [[Mike Stern]] kicked off their Eclectic Guitar Tour on November 6, 2014,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ericjohnson.com/tour|title=Tour Dates |website=Ericjohnson.com}}</ref> and released an album supporting it on October 27, 2014.<ref name="guitarworld.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/eric-johnson-and-mike-stern-discuss-their-eclectic-new-album|title=Eric Johnson and Mike Stern Discuss Their 'Eclectic' New Album|website=Guitarworld.com}}</ref> In August 2015, he participated in the "Vai Academy" along with guitarists [[Steve Vai]] and [[Sonny Landreth]], and also kicked off an acoustic tour of the Southwest.<ref name="Tour" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vaiacademy.com/|title=4 Days and Nights of Non-Stop, Next Gen Guitar|website=Vaiacademy.com|access-date=November 5, 2023}}</ref>

In 2016, he released ''EJ: Explorations on Guitar and Piano'', which was his first entirely acoustic album. He toured the album in early 2017.

In 2017, Johnson released ''Collage'', which also coincided with the announcement of a tour revisiting his hit album ''[[Ah Via Musicom]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/319600|title=Eric Johnson to Revisit 'Ah Via Musicom' on 2018 American Tour|first=Jackson|last=Maxwell 2017-10-23T18:01:20Z|website=Guitarworld.com|date=October 23, 2017 }}</ref>

In the fall of 2018, he was invited to promote the [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]] and [[Nissan]] collaboration for car stereo systems designed by Fender Audio.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://usa.nissannews.com/en-US/photos/photo-6e8b1a9cf3cb4dc0bb2a6c240b956d56-2019-nissan-titan-unveiling-at-state-fair-of-texas-8|title=2019 Nissan TITAN unveiling at State Fair of Texas|date=September 27, 2018|website=Nissan News USA}}</ref>

In January 2020, Johnson released ''EJ: Volume II'', which was a follow-up to his first acoustic album.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web|url=https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/29823-eric-johnson-announces-ej-vol-ii|title = Eric Johnson Announces 'EJ Vol. II'|date = January 8, 2020}}</ref>

On September 12, 2023, Johnson was announced as a part of the G3 2024 Tour along with [[Steve Vai]] and [[Joe Satriani]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vai.com - The Official Steve Vai Website |url=https://www.vai.com/g3-reunion-tour/ |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=www.vai.com}}</ref>