Brian Johnson
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| Brian Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 5, 1947 Dunston, Gateshead, England |
| Genre(s) | Hard rock, Blues-rock |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1972—present |
| Associated acts | AC/DC Geordie |
Brian Johnson (born October 5, 1947) is a British singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for the Australian hard rock band, AC/DC since April 1980. He currently lives in Sarasota, Florida.
In 1972, Johnson formed the glam rock band Geordie and became their lead singer. However, after a few hit singles, the band split up in 1978. Johnson reformed Geordie in 1980, however, just after a record deal had been signed, he was asked to audition for AC/DC. A few days after the audition, Johnson was told he would be replacing deceased Bon Scott as the lead vocalist of the band. Scott passed away after his last album Highway To Hell. Johnson's first album with AC/DC, Back in Black, is the band's best selling album and ranks among the top-selling albums of all time.
Johnson's sartorial trademark is his cap. Originally, he wore a flat cap, once regarded as a symbol of his native Tyneside, but in recent years, he has occasionally worn a baseball cap instead.
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[edit] Biography
Brian Johnson was born on October 5, 1947. Johnson's father, Allan, was a Sergeant Major of the British Army's Durham Light Infantry; his mother, Esther, came from Italy.[1] When he was young, Johnson performed in various shows with the Scouts, and appeared in a play which aired on television, and joined a local church choir.[2] Brian has a wife named Brenda.[3]
[edit] AC/DC
At the AC/DC audition, Johnson sang the songs; "Whole Lotta Rosie" and "Nutbush City Limits" (Ike & Tina Turner).[2] A few days later, the band told Johnson he would be the new vocalist of AC/DC.
Johnson's first album with AC/DC, Back in Black (1980), is now regarded as a hard rock landmark.
From 1980, Johnson had co-written all of AC/DC's songs, with Angus and Malcolm Young until personal matters diverted him in 1990, when The Razors Edge was being written. Since then, the Young brothers have written all of AC/DC's material. However, Johnson wrote the lyrics for the band's new album, due for release in late 2008.[4]
[edit] Helen of Troy musical
Since April 2003, Johnson has been working on a musical version of Helen of Troy with Sarasota Ballet choreographer, Robert de Warren. The musical is a Les Miserables-style musical with rousing anthems, tender ballads and minimal dialogue. He conceived the project with writers Ian La Frenais, Dick Clement and Brendan Healy after seeing Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Cats.
Malcolm McDowell, who made his recording debut singing one of the songs for the soundtrack in Brian's studio, has agreed to play Zeus. The Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan and Bruce Vilanch are also set to participate.[5]
A small public performance, that featured songs written for the musical, was given in New York on June 13, 2005.
Brian currently enjoys playing with his new toys, a 1970 Royale RP-4 & a Pilbean MP84 race cars which he races in Vintage and Historic races through out the US.
[edit] Discography
With Geordie
| Title | Release date | Label |
| Hope You Like It | 1973 | Repertoire |
| Don't Be Fooled By The Name | 1974 | Repertoire |
| Masters Of Rock | 1975 | Repertoire |
| Save the World | 1976 | Repertoire |
| No Good Woman | 1978 | Repertoire |
| The Best of Geordie | 1997 | Platinum |
With AC/DC
| Title | Release date | Label | U.S. Album Sales |
| Back in Black | July 1980 | Atlantic | 22,000,000 |
| For Those About to Rock | November 1981 | Atlantic | 4,000,000 |
| Flick of the Switch | September 1983 | Atlantic | 1,000,000 |
| Fly on the Wall | June 1985 | Atlantic | 1,000,000 |
| Who Made Who | May 1986 | Atlantic | 5,000,000 |
| Blow Up Your Video | January 1988 | Atlantic | 2,000,000 |
| The Razors Edge | September 1990 | Atco | 5,000,000 |
| Live (AC/DC album) | October 1992 | Atco | 5,000,000 |
| Ballbreaker | September 1995 | Elektra | 2,000,000 |
| Stiff Upper Lip | February 2000 | Elektra | 1,000,000 |
| TBA | 2008 | Epic |
[edit] References
- ^ Brian Johnson biography. IMDb.com.
- ^ a b Johnson bio. Bedlam in Belgium. Retrieved on 2006-12-21.
- ^ Helen of Troy (200?) Malcolm McDowell, Brian Johnson of AC/DC
- ^ Italian Rock Hard magazine, January 2004
- ^ Classic Rock magazine, October 2003
[edit] External links
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