Description

In a crossover worthy of soap star-turned-rocker Rick Springfield, professional surfer Jack Johnson emerged as one of the hottest pop stars of the early '00s. The interesting thing is that, amid hordes of teen-poppers and nu-metallists, he came to fame with a spare, mellow, acoustic-oriented singer-songwriter sound influenced by Nick Drake and James Taylor. In a way, he can be seen as a successor to the easygoing beach-culture popster Jimmy Buffett, in both his music and his eschewing of media hype for grass-roots appeal in his rise to the top.

Biography

b. Oahu, Hawaii, USA. Over the years, the music usually associated with surfing has been either Beach Boys-styled pop (circa the 60s), or hardcore punk (beginning in the 80s and through to the new millennium). Surfer turned musician Jack Johnson proves to be an exception to the rule, as his relaxed, spacious, and largely acoustic-based music has earned steady comparisons to Ben Harper. Johnson was born on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, which naturally led to an interest in surfing at a young age. Just as he entered his teenage years, Johnson began competing in the renowned Masters Tournament, but a near fatal wipe out and subsequent recovery put his surfing career on hold. During the interim, Johnson studied at UCSB and became interested in film making, as well as music. Johnson's musical break came when friend/recording artist Garrett Dutton III of G Love And Special Sauce recorded one of Johnson's original compositions, "Rodeo Clowns', for his 1999 release, Philadelphonic. It was also around this time that a pair of surf documentaries that Johnson was involved in came out a year apart from each other, 1999's Thicker Than Water and 2000"s The September Sessions. Working with Ben Harper's long-time producer, J.P. Plunier, Johnson issued his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales, in early 2001, with Harper making a guest appearance. For the album's subsequent tour, Adam Topol (drums) and Merlo Podlewski (bass) joined Johnson on stage.
DISCOGRAPHY: Brushfire Fairytales (Enjoy 2001)***, On And On (Moonshine Conspiracy/Universal 2003)***.
VIDEOGRAPHY: The September Sessions (Universal Pictures 2003), Thicker Than Water (Brushfire 2003).
FILMOGRAPHY: Thicker Than Water (2000).

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