Wilko Johnson was a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and occasional actor from England. In the 1970s, he was a member of the pub rock/rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood. Johnson was known for his distinct guitar playing style, which he achieved by foregoing the use of a pick in favor of fingerstyle.
This allowed him to play rhythm guitar while also riffing or soloing, resulting in a highly percussive guitar sound.
Dr. Feelgood guitarist and punk pioneer Wilko Johnson passes away at age 75
In November 2012, Johnson was rushed to the hospital with an undisclosed illness, forcing him to postpone a performance. He received no chemotherapy after receiving a late-stage pancreatic cancer diagnosis in January 2013. He spoke with John Wilson on the BBC Radio 4 arts program Front Row on January 25, 2013.
He talked about his cancer and claimed that his doctors had given him nine to ten months to live. Along with discussing his upcoming “farewell tour” of the UK in March, he also discussed how his diagnosis had made him feel “vividly alive.” After the tour was over, he made the announcement that he would spend his final days working on a farewell album with Roger Daltrey of the Who.
Going Back Home, the album was made available in March 2014. Later, in October 2014, he told BBC News entertainment correspondent Colin Paterson, Johnson did not, however, have the more typical pancreatic adenocarcinoma. He was later found to have a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PanNET), which is a less dangerous and easier-to-treat variant of the disease.
Icon Award
Johnson underwent a radical procedure to treat his condition, and the medical professionals believed that his prognosis would be favorable. In accepting the “Icon Award” at the Q Awards on October 22, 2014, Johnson stated that he had undergone “removal of his pancreas, spleen, part of his stomach, small and large intestines, and the removal and reconstruction of blood vessels relating to the liver” and was “cancer-free.” Johnson remarked: “It took 11 hours to complete.
This tumor was the size of a baby and weighed 3 kg. Well, they got everything. They got me well. It’s so bizarre and strange that it’s a little difficult for me to process it in my mind. I now spend my time gradually accepting the notion that I won’t die soon and will continue to live “. When asked what he would do next, he responded, “I don’t know really,” adding that he was still recovering from the operation. On November 21, 2022, Johnson passed away at the age of 75.
Wilko Johnson attended Westcliff High School for Boys and played in a number of local groups before enrolling at Newcastle University to pursue a BA in English Language and Literature. Anglo-Saxon and ancient Icelandic sagas were part of his undergraduate studies.
Pigboy Charlie Band
After receiving his degree, he took a land route to India before coming back to Essex to join the Pigboy Charlie Band. The group developed into Dr. Feelgood, a pioneer of the pub rock movement in the 1970s. Johnson worked as an English teacher for less than a year in 1972 after his return from Goa.
Johnson created his own persona by fusing his jerky stage movements—the “duck walk”—with a choppy guitar playing style, occasionally holding his guitar up like a gun, and wearing unconventional clothing (he favored a black suit and a pudding bowl haircut).
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He didn’t use a pick; instead, he relied on fingerstyle to achieve his playing style. This allowed him to simultaneously play riffs or solos and rhythm guitar, which resulted in a very percussive guitar sound. It developed out of Johnson’s unsuccessful attempt to imitate Johnny Kidd and the Pirates guitarist Mick Green.
Black & Blue
His Bo Diddley-inspired style served as the primary inspiration for Dr. Feelgood’s first four albums, which were all released between 1975 and 1977 and are titled Down by the Jetty, Malpractice, Stupidity, and Sneakin’ Suspicion.
It was announced on October 2, 2010, that Johnson would accompany The Stranglers on their “Black & Blue” UK tour, which would begin in March 2011. He performed at a number of sold-out events as part of the Irish Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots Festival in April 2011.
After the producers saw Johnson in Oil City Confidential, they decided to give him his acting debut and cast him as the mute executioner Ser Ilyn Payne in both the first and second seasons of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones.
He mentioned that “They said they wanted someone really sinister who stalked the streets looking people in the eye with a dagger before killing them,” This made it simple. I always stare people down with a dagger in my eye; it comes naturally to me.” He appeared in four episodes, including “The Kingsroad,” “Baelor,” “Fire and Blood,” and “Blackwater” (all from season one, 2011). (season two, 2012).
About his Early Life and Net worth
Wilko Johnson was born on Canvey Island, Essex, England on July 12, 1947. He holds British nationality and he belongs to the white race. His Zodiac sign is Cancer.
Among the richest and most well-known guitarists, Wilko Johnson’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million.
About his Personal Life and Social Media
Wilko Johnson married Irene Knight, his childhood sweetheart when they were teenagers, and the couple had two sons, Matthew and Simon. Johnson was widowed in 2004 following the death of his wife from cancer.
Wilko Johnson is active on Facebook and Twitter. He has 80K+ followers on Facebook and 19.5K+ followers on Twitter.
