Jack Johnson is well known as a singer, songwriter and solo performer. His music is in the soft rock/acoustic folk genre and he is a bestselling artist throughout the world. He plays the guitar, ukulele, piano and drums.
Jack Johnson was born in 1975 in North Shore, Oahu Hawaii. His father was the notable surfer Jeff Johnson, and Jack Johnson took up surfing when he was only five years old, becoming the youngest to make the surfing finals at the Pipeline Masters competition when he was just 17. He wanted to become a pro surfer, but his career was cut short after an accident left him with 150 stitches in his head.
Jack Johnson attended the University of California to study for a degree in film and as a means to go into film making. He became interested in music at college and played rhythm guitar for a fun band called Soil. He also spent time song writing and singing, influenced by Bob Dylan, Radiohead and Ben Harper.
Jack Johnson met G Love – front man for the G Love and the Special Sauce – while surfing and the two formed a friendship. G Love used Jack Johnson’s song “Rodeo Clowns” for his 1999 album Philadelphonic and Jack Johnson also sang and played on the recording.
Jack Johnson’s’ real big break came after he had met Ben Harper by chance and passed him a demo recording of his songs. Ben Harper passed it on to his record producer JP Plunier who liked it and he produced Jack Johnson’s debut album “Brushfire Fairytales” in 2001. Ben Harper made a guest appearance on the album playing the Weissenborn lap steel guitar.
Jack Johnson’s ambitions really lay in filmmaking but his music has given him almost instant success. He has recorded five solo albums, all on the Universal label, and all have gone to platinum and gold status throughout the world. His most recent album “To the Sea” was released in 2010 and has reached the number one position in album charts in five countries, including the UK and USA.
He has also been successful with a film soundtrack album “Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies” for the film; “Curious George”, released in 2006 and was the first animated film soundtrack to top the billboard chart since Pocahontas.
Jack Johnson lives and works in Hawaii. Happily married with three children, he works on charity causes and environmental issues and in 2003 created the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation to help children in Hawaii.