Brian Johnson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Johnson in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1947-10-05)5 October 1947 (age 78) Dunston, County Durham, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active |
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| Member of | AC/DC |
| Formerly of | Geordie |
| Website | brianjohnsonracing |
Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. He is the third lead singer of the Australian rock bandAC/DC, taking over the role in 1980 after the death ofBon Scott.
Johnson is one of the founding members of the rock bandGeordie, which was formed inNewcastle upon Tyne in 1971. After several hit singles, including the UK Top 10 hit "All Because of You" (1973), the band split in 1978. Following the death of Bon Scott on 19 February 1980, Johnson was asked to audition for AC/DC, whose guitarists and founders Angus and Malcolm Young remembered when Scott had been impressed with Johnson as Geordie's frontman. Johnson's first album with AC/DC,Back in Black, becamethe second-best-selling album of all time, according to most estimates.The Guardian ranked the successful transition to Johnson at No. 36 on their list of 50 key events in rock-music history.[1]
Johnson and the rest of the band were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. In March 2016, he temporarily left the band during theRock or Bust World Tour because of hearing problems. In September 2020, AC/DC confirmed that Johnson, along with bandmatesPhil Rudd andCliff Williams, had rejoined the group in August 2018 to record the albumPower Up.
Johnson is known for his distinctive singing voice and strongGeordie accent.[2] In July 2014, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Music byNorthumbria University in Newcastle in recognition of his significant contribution to the music industry.[3]
Johnson was born on 5 October 1947 inDunston, County Durham.[4] He is the oldest of four siblings. His English father, Alan, was a coal miner andsergeant major in theBritish Army'sDurham Light Infantry[5] who died in 1996. His Italian mother, Esther (née De Luca), was fromFrascati.[6] When he was young, Johnson performed in various shows with theScouts, appeared in a play which aired on television, and joined a local church choir.[7] He served in theTerritorial Army with the17th Parachute Battalion in Germany for two years.[8][9]
Johnson's first band was the Gobi Desert Canoe Club.[10] He was also in a band called Fresh.[11] From 1970, Johnson played with cabaret/club band the Jasper Hart Band,[12] performing songs from the musicalHair as well as soft-rock/pop songs of the time. He and other members of the band formedGeordie.[citation needed]
Johnson released his first and only solo single, "I Can't Forget You Now", as a member of Geordie in January 1976 on the Red Bus label. In 1982, a compilation including ten of Geordie's 1973–1976 songs, was issued as Brian Johnson's solo albumStrange Man on theMCA label. The U.S. 1989 CDKeep On Rocking, with re-recorded versions of the band's twelve known songs, was released under the name of Brian Johnson and Geordie as well as the Australian 1991 compilation CDRockin' With The Boys 1972–1976.[citation needed]
FollowingBon Scott's death, the remaining members of the band briefly considered quitting, before concluding that Scott would have wanted AC/DC to continue. Various candidates were considered for his successor, including ex-Back Street Crawler vocalistTerry Slesser andSlade'sNoddy Holder, who declined, before selecting Johnson.[13] AC/DC guitarist and co-founderAngus Young later recalled, "I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian's name was from Bon".[14]
"Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said 'Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style ofLittle Richard.' And that was Bon's big idol, Little Richard. I think when he saw Brian at that time, to Bon it was 'Well he's a guy that knows what rock and roll is all about.' He mentioned that to us inAustralia. I suppose when we decided to continue, Brian was the first name thatMalcolm and myself came up with, so we said we should see if we can find him."[14]
The band agreed immediately that Johnson's performing style fit AC/DC's music. In March 1980 Johnson received a phone call inviting him to London to audition as the new vocalist for AC/DC. As a big AC/DC fan, he was happy to oblige. Malcolm remembers the day: "We were all sitting there going, Where's this guy Brian? He should have been here an hour ago. 'Oh him? He's downstairs playing pool with the roadies' – so we thought, well, at least he plays pool."[14]
When someone fetched him to meet them, Malcolm recalls that Johnson, "had tears in his eyes. He was as sad about Bon as we were. Anyway, we said, Do you want to give it a go? And he said, 'I do "Whole Lotta Rosie" with Geordie,' and off he went. We went, this guy is cutting the mustard. Anything else you know? "Nutbush City Limits"? OK, we can knock that out, and he sang that great too. It put a little smile on our faces – for the first time since Bon. So we just started working with him then."[14]
Within days, Johnson was in the band, the news being made official on 1 April. A week after that he was sent a plane ticket to theBahamas, their management's idea, partly for tax purposes and partly because there were no vacant studios in the UK,[15] where he joined the Youngs, bassistCliff Williams, drummerPhil Rudd andHighway to Hell producerMutt Lange inCompass Point Studios.[14]
The result was the albumBack in Black, which was released in July that year. It was a worldwide success and went on to become the second-best-selling album of all time. In 1986, Johnson returned to Tyneside and appeared in the music video for "You Shook Me All Night Long", and the video received significant airplay on MTV.[16]
The 1988 albumBlow Up Your Video was the last AC/DC album to feature lyrics from Johnson. Starting withThe Razors Edge in 1990, guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young have written all of AC/DC's material. When asked by a fan during a radio interview why he stopped contributing lyrics, he laughed, "I ran out of words" and went on to explain that during recording he did not always enjoy the pressure of having to come up with an album's worth of lyrics and was relieved when the Young brothers filled in duringThe Razors Edge. The band has since continued in that tradition for every album since.[citation needed]
A symbol of the working class in the north of England, Johnson customarily wears anewsboy cap on stage and frequently off.[17][18] Johnson has occasionally wornbaseball caps as well. His brother suggested that the singer wear the cap onstage to prevent sweat rolling off his thick, curly hair into his eyes while singing. "He said, 'Put it on, at least you'll be able to see what the bloody freak you're doing!' So I put it on and after three songs in the second set, I looked at him, put my thumbs up – 'This is brilliant!' He never did get that hat back."[19]
On 19 April 2010, AC/DC'sIron Man 2 (soundtrack) compilation was released, featuring songs sung by both Johnson and Bon Scott, similar to the 1986 soundtrack compilationWho Made Who, forStephen King filmMaximum Overdrive.
In April 2016, during theRock or Bust World Tour, AC/DC announced the departure of Johnson, citing hearing issues. As the band explained it, Johnson risked total hearing loss if he continued. Johnson stated that his hearing issues hadn't come from performing for 36 years with AC/DC, but from having forgotten to put ear plugs in during a race that left him with a punctured leftear drum.Guns N' Roses singerAxl Rose was recruited to complete the remaining ten shows in North America and twelve shows in Europe.[20]
Johnson's last show with AC/DC was on 28 February 2016, at theSprint Center inKansas City, Missouri.[21] He stated in an interview that he "had a pretty good run" in AC/DC and implied that he might not be returning.[22] After departingAC/DC, he recorded a new song with comedianJim Breuer called "Mr. Rock 'n' Roll". Johnson made a cameo appearance with rock bandMuse on 31 August 2017, performing a rendition of "Back in Black" with the group.[23]
In August 2018, rumours began circulating that Johnson and drummer Phil Rudd had rejoined AC/DC.[24] According to members of the bandTerrorizer, in January 2019 Johnson confirmed to them that he was back in AC/DC after getting "sick of denying it" and that he was working on a new album.[25]
On 30 September 2020, AC/DC posted a photo on social media listing the band's new line-up, including Johnson on vocals, as well as a photo featuring, him, Angus, Cliff Williams, Phil Rudd andStevie Young reunited.[26]
In November 2020, AC/DC released a new album,Power Up, with Johnson on vocals.[27]
On 7 October 2023, Johnson made a return to the stage with AC/DC at thePower Trip festival, the band's first show since 2016, when they concluded theRock or Bust World Tour withAxl Rose as their singer. Johnson subsequently toured with the band on theirPower Up Tour.[28]
Since April 2003, Johnson, who says "I love musical theatre, especially the classic stuff, likeRodgers and Hammerstein",[29] has been working on a musical version ofHelen of Troy withSarasota Ballet choreographer,Robert de Warren. The musical is aLes Misérables-style musical with rousing anthems, tender ballads and minimal dialogue. He conceived the project with writersIan La Frenais,Dick Clement, andBrendan Healy[30] after seeingAndrew Lloyd Webber's musicalCats and being underwhelmed at what he saw.[citation needed]
Malcolm McDowell, who made his recording debut singing one of the songs for the soundtrack in Brian's studio, agreed to playZeus.The Cranberries singerDolores O'Riordan andBruce Vilanch were also set to participate.[31] In 2004, Johnson travelled to Greece to film an episode of the television seriesGoddess Odyssey in which he researched theHelen of Troy myth. It was released on DVD in July 2005 and contains music from the theatre production.[32]Phil Carson, former chief executive ofAtlantic Records, supported the project but it was never staged.[33]
A car and racing enthusiast, Johnson currently enjoys racing his vintage race cars: aRoyale RP-4 and aPilbeam MP84, which he races in vintage and historic races throughout the United States. In 1997, Johnson recorded with the bandJackyl on their song "Locked and Loaded", and in 2002, wrote lyrics on the track "Kill the Sunshine" from their albumRelentless. In the video gameCall of Duty: Finest Hour, he voiced Sergeant Bob Starkey. He based his performance on his father.[34] He made a cameo appearance in the 2005 filmGoal![35] where he appears as aNewcastle United fan in a bar in California watching a Newcastle game.[35]
In 2006, he took part in car racing reality television seriesThe Race, broadcast onSky One in the UK. In 2007, Johnson and AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams took part in the Classic Rock Cares tour to raise funds for theJohn Entwistle Foundation, which is run by Entwistle's long-time friend and drummerSteve Luongo.[36] They performed AC/DC songs as well as songs written by Johnson for the filmTotally Baked.[citation needed]
On 26 July 2009, Johnson appeared as theStar in a Reasonably Priced Car on theBBC'sTop Gear. His time of 1:45.9 tied him withBritain's Got Talent judgeSimon Cowell andGrand Designs hostKevin McCloud for the second-fastest time in theChevrolet Lacetti, just 0.1 seconds behindJay Kay.[37] Johnson subsequently appeared in the premiere ofTop Gear series 20 and was the first star to record a time in their newVauxhall Astra test vehicle, recording a time of 1:45.1. In April 2015, Johnson stated it was a mistake for the BBC to sackJeremy Clarkson after theTop Gear presenter punched a colleague: "I know Jeremy and I know the lads [Richard Hammond and James May] and it's [the punch] just totally out of character."[38]
His autobiographyRockers and Rollers was published in 2000.[39] He raced in the 2012Rolex 24 at Daytona on 29 and 30 January 2012. He finished 12th in theDaytona Prototype class,[40] driving for 50+Predator/Alegra Racing, sharing the #50RileyTech/BMW[41] Daytona Prototype withElliott Forbes-Robinson, Byron DeFoor,Jim Pace, and Carlos de Quesada. He competed in the 2012Silverstone Classic Celebrity Challenge race. In 2013, Johnson appeared as a guest singer on two songs onSting's albumThe Last Ship which features artists with roots in the northeast of England.[42]
In May 2014,Quest broadcastCars That Rock with Brian Johnson, a documentary series fronted by Johnson where he explores his favourite iconic motor cars. The first episode looks at the history of theMini, with Johnson driving a big selection of the cars, including the car from the 1969 British caper filmThe Italian Job and the world's fastest Mini. It concludes with Johnson racing aMini Cooper atBrands Hatch, and finishes with him stating he has bought the car he raced. As of 2016, the show can now be seen on theVelocity channel.[citation needed]
In April 2017,Sky Arts broadcast the first episode ofBrian Johnson: A Life on the Road. Series 1 comprised six episodes, with Johnson meeting contemporaries in the music industry to talk about their musical upbringings and careers. Featured wereRoger Daltrey (The Who),Lars Ulrich (Metallica),Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Sting (The Police),Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), andRobert Plant (Led Zeppelin).[43] Series 2 was released in 2019 featuringDolly Parton,Billy Joel,Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits),Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac),Joe Walsh (James Gang,The Eagles), andPaul Rodgers (Free,Bad Company).
On 3 September 2022, Johnson took to the stage at theTaylor Hawkins Tribute Concert and performed "Back in Black" and "Let There Be Rock" with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and theFoo Fighters. Johnson's memoirs, entitledThe Lives of Brian, was published by HarperCollins and released on 25 October 2022.
Johnson married his first wife, Carol, in 1968,[44] and they have two daughters.[45] They divorced during the writing ofThe Razors Edge album. He is now married to Brenda,[46] and lives inSarasota, Florida, US.[47]
He is an avid supporter ofNewcastle United F.C. and was asked to invest in the club in the early 1980s after being invited to meet the board by club legendJackie Milburn.[48]
In September 2009, Johnson was diagnosed with Barrett's oesophagus,[49] causing AC/DC to cancel several shows on their 2010 tour in support ofBlack Ice. However, doctors were able to prevent the disease from developing intocancer.[49]
According to theSunday TimesRich List of British millionaires in music, Johnson was worth £65 million in 2016.[50]
On 9 July 2014, Johnson was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Music byNorthumbria University in recognition of his significant contribution to the music industry.[51] In October 2014, he became a supporter of the Yorkshire Dementia Charity based in the village ofTopcliffe.[52]
With Geordie
| Title | Release date | Label |
| Hope You Like It | 1973 | EMI |
| Don't Be Fooled by the Name | 1974 | |
| Save the World | 1976 | |
| No Good Woman | 1978 |
With AC/DC
| Title | Release date | Label | U.S. Album Sales | "Worldwide sales" |
| Back in Black | July 1980 | Atlantic | 27,000,000 | 50,000,000 |
| For Those About to Rock | November 1981 | 4,000,000 | 7,000,000 | |
| Flick of the Switch | September 1983 | 1,000,000 | 4,000,000 | |
| Fly on the Wall | June 1985 | 1,000,000 | 4,200,000 | |
| Who Made Who | May 1986 | 5,000,000 | 10,000,000 | |
| Blow Up Your Video | January 1988 | 2,000,000 | 4,000,000 | |
| The Razors Edge | September 1990 | Atco | 5,000,000 | 12,000,000 |
| Live | October 1992 | 5,000,000 | 8,000,000 | |
| Ballbreaker | September 1995 | Elektra | 2,000,000 | 6,000,000 |
| Stiff Upper Lip | February 2000 | 1,000,000 | 4,000,000 | |
| Black Ice | October 2008 | Columbia | 2,500,000[53] | 8,000,000 |
| Rock or Bust | November 2014 | 500,000[54] | 2,800,000 | |
| Power Up | November 2020 | TBA | 1,400,000 |
Solo
| Title | Release date |
| National Lampoon's Totally Baked: A Potumentary soundtrack | April 2007 |
| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 |  50+ Predator[55] | Byron DeFoorElliott Forbes-RobinsonJim Pace Carlos de Quesada | Riley Mk. XI | DP | 672 | 32nd | 12th |
