Johnny A.

Johnny A.
Johnny A. playing at the Twilight Festival on June 14, 2007.
Background information
Born	1952 Malden, Massachusetts, United States
Genres	Instrumental rock, jazz, blues
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1975–present
Labels	Aglaophone Records, Favored Nations
Website	www.johnnya.com
Notable instruments
Gibson Johnny A. Signature Edition

Johnny A. is an American guitarist/songwriter, born November 14, 1952 in Malden, Massachusetts.^[1]

Growing up in Boston, he became interested in music, starting with drums at age six. Upon being exposed to The Beatles in 1964 (age 12), Johnny bought a $49 Lafayette Electronics guitar. In the late 1970s, he formed a band called The Streets, performing mostly in the Boston area. In 1986 his band, Hearts On Fire, placed second in the WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble only to be edged out by Gang Green. ^{[citation needed]}

As a sideman, Johnny played with Santana percussionist Mingo Lewis as well as brief stint with Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford and then with Delaney & Bonnie, Derek & the Dominos keyboardist Bobby Whitlock. He then began a seven-year stint as guitarist and musical director with The J. Geils Band front man Peter Wolf. He played on Wolf's albums, and co-produced one of them, Long Line 1996, as well as joining him on world tours.

In 1999 Johnny A. launched his solo career and independently released his debut CD Sometime Tuesday Morning. The album was re-released in 2001 on Steve Vai's Favored Nations Entertainment label. The album spawned the #1 single "Oh Yeah" across the USA on the AAA radio format. It marked the first time in over a decade that an instrumental had achieved the top spot on radio. "STM" went on to sell over 90,000 copies. The album was then picked up for distribution by Danny Goldberg at Artemus Records. In 2004, "Get Inside" was released on the Favored Nations Label, yielding two radio singles, "I Had To Laugh," and a radio edit of the title track "Get Inside." In 2006 Warner Bros./Alfred Publishing released a Johnny A. instructional DVD entitled "Taste, Tone, Space." Johnny A.'s recent release (2010 Aglaophone Records) is One November Night, a live DVD/CD set recorded at Sculler's Jazz in his hometown of Boston. Johnny A. is the recipient of The Boston Music Award's Blues Artist of the Year 2010

Gibson's Custom Shop designed a Johnny A. Signature Edition guitar per his specifications.^[2]

Name

Johnny says his last name, Antonopoulos^[3] (of Greek origin), was always getting mispronounced. "It's always been Johnny A. since age eight," he says.^[4]

Style

Johnny's style often recalls Danny Gatton as well as some aspects of Jeff Beck and Pat Martino.^[5] His encompasses elements of rock, jazz, and blues, and he often uses a whammy bar.^[6] Among his musical influences, he cites The Beatles, Everly Brothers, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Jeff Beck, Steve Howe, Jimi Hendrix, and Les Paul.^[7]

Discography

Sometime Tuesday Morning

Release 1999 (Aglaophone Records) - international re-release 2001 (Favored Nations)
Tracks:
1. "Sometime Tuesday Morning"
2. "Oh Yeah"
3. "Wichita Lineman"
4. "Two Wheel Horse"
5. "In The Wind"
6. "Yes It Is"
7. "You Don't Love Me"
8. "Up In The Attic"
9. "Walk Don't Run"
10. "Tex Critter"
11. "Lullabye For Nicole"
12. "Walkin' West Ave."

"Sleigh Ride"

2002 radio promo single (Favored Nations/Aglaophone Records)
Tracks:
1. "Sleigh Ride"
2. "Oh Yeah"

Get Inside

2004 (Favored Nations)
Tracks:
1. "Hip Bone"
2. "I Had To Laugh"
3. "Poor Side of Town"
4. "Sing Singin'"
5. "Get Inside"
6. "Bundle Of Joy"
7. "Krea Gata"
8. "The Wind Cries Mary"
9. "Ignorance Is Bliss"
10."Sway A Little"
11."Stimulation"
12."Another Life"

Taste • Tone • Space

2006 (Alfred Publishing)
Instructional guitar DVD

One November Night

2010 - Live DVD/CD 2-disc set (Aglaophone Records)
Tracks:
1. "I Had To Laugh"
2. "Sing Singin'"
3. "The Wind Cries Mary"
4. "Tex Critter"
5. "Lullabye For Nicole"
6. "Two Wheel Horse"
7. "Get Inside"
8. "The Night Before"
9. "Krea Gata"
10."Ignorance Is Bliss"
11."Wichita Lineman"
12."Memphis, Tennessee"
13."Jimi Jam"
14."Walk Away Renée"

Other contributions

• Bobby Whitlock Live at The Bottom Line - NYC -10/92 (1992)
• For The Love Of Harry, Peter Wolf & The Houseparty 5 (1995), guitar "You're Breakin' My Heart"
• Long Line, Peter Wolf (1996), guitar/co-producer
• Fool's Parade, Peter Wolf (1998), guitar on "Ride Lonesome, Ride Hard"
• Beloved Few, Beloved Few (1998) bajo sexto on the song "The Beloved Few"
• Sometime Tuesday Morning songbook Warner Bros./Alfred Publishing (2001)
• WYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 - On Air Performances (2002) "Tex Critter"
• Get Inside songbook Alfred Publishing (2004)
• One Last Wish, Stu Kimball (2006) featured guitarist on the songs "Little One" and "Elation"
• Counting Down, The Brooks Young Band (2010) featured guitarist on the title song "Counting Down"
• Just Across The River, Jimmy Webb (2010) featured guitarist on the song "Galveston"
• Jim McCarty and Friends Live from Callahan's, Jim McCarty (2011) Johnny A. wrote with and is featured with Jim McCarty on the songs "J&A Jump" and "South Boulevard Blues"
• Thank You Les, CD and documentary tribute to Les Paul (2012). Johnny A. is featured on the song "Sweet Georgia Brown"
• Beautiful, Jerad Finck featuring Johnny A. (2012) featured guitarist on the song "Beautiful"
• Deja Blues, Gary Hoey - Due early 2013. lead/rhythm and slide guitars on the song "She's Walking"

References

External links

• Official Web Site
• Johnny A. Interview - by Brian D. Holland, Modern Guitars Magazine 2006
• "Johnny A. On the fast track By Ann Wickstrom", Vintage Guitar Magazine
• ’59 Les Paul takes Johnny A. beyond screamin' rock'n' roll
• The Birth of a Great Gibson: Johnny A. Tells His Signature Model’s Story