The multi-instrumentalist and musical legend David Eric Johnson has given a lot to the music industry and has influenced many guitarists and become their inspiration.
Having a phenomenal facility, the man has and will continue to rule hearts. But is there anyone who has been ruling Eric's heart? Let us help you to know everything that we know about Eric's personal and professional life.
Early Life- Parents And Siblings
Eric Johnson was born on 17th August 1954 in Austin, USA. Eric’s family is a musical family with his father (Stephen Johnson) being a whistling enthusiast and three sisters playing the piano.
At the age of 11 when Eric started playing the guitar, he started with blues songs and was heavily influenced by classical legends Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bob Dylan, etc. Eric studied at Chatsworth High School and attended the University of Texas.
Is Eric Johnson Married, Dating, Or Single?
Wiki sources claim that the musical genius has not been able to find his soulmate. Eric maintains a private life but since nothing really hides from the public, it is actually believed he is single and has no wife even at the age of 68.
Surprisingly, he has not been married before either and does not have any children.
We do find traces of his girlfriend of 1996, Anne but nothing apart from that is found.
Eric might be happy with the love he gets from his fans and viewers. Some guitar communities even follow his style like he is a god and fans appreciate the man being very humble, kind, and amazing.
Eric has an Instagram account where he posts about his concert dates, his guitar playing, and things he has been working on.
The man lives a simple life with music and a guitar. He is far from any kind of scandals and controversies; however, in 2006, a man named Brian Sparks was arrested for faking Eric and committing fraud of $18,000 worth of guitars and equipment.
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Career
In 1974, Eric joined a musical group called Electromagnet in Austin. The group toured their musical performances locally but was not able to grab the attention of a major label, but, Eric’s guitar did attract a good number of followers, and decades later Electromagnet’s two albums were given a compact disc release.
Eric’s Debut Album And Success
After dismantling things with Electromagnet, he formed a trio with drummer Bill Maddox and bassist Kyle Brock. The trio also performed sound Austin but Eric recorded his debut album from 1976 to 1978. The album was titled Seven Worlds and for some contact issues, it did not release until 1998 on Ark21 Records.
In 1984, Johnson's career jumped a big step when Warner Bros. Records signed him. This was made possible by the suggestions of Christopher Cross and David Tickle.
He had a memorable performance at Austin City Limits in July of that same year, which was captured and ultimately made available on CD/DVD in 2010.
The May 1986 issue of Guitar Player magazine included a flexi-disc soundpage that included a recording of that performance. Quite an achievement.
In May 1986, Guitar Player magazine featured Johnson in a cover story that helped bring critical acclaim and attention to his album Tones, although it did not sell well, and he eventually parted ways with Warner Bros.
He signed with indie label Cinema Records, distributed by Capitol Records, and by the time he released his 1990 debut album with them, Ah Via Musicom, he was already earning awards for his guitar playing.
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The album's Cliffs of Dover track, which showcased his distinctive sound, won him a Grammy award in 1991, and the album became a crossover hit, selling enough to achieve platinum certification.
Johnson's well-known obsession with perfection may have hindered him when he tried to release another album after the commercial success of Ah Via Musicom.
Being dissatisfied with the recordings, he dropped numerous tracks that he had already finished and put off the album's release for three years.
While creating his subsequent album, Venus Isle, which was released in 1996, he also dealt with personal challenges and obstacles to his creative development.
Although it got mixed reviews and demonstrated his musical development, it did not sell well as the previous album, and Johnson was dropped by Capitol Records.
The G3 tour, which he went on with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, was successful, and it led to the release of the platinum-selling CD and DVD G3: Live in Concert. In 2006 he again toured with them, but this time it was him, Joe Satriani, and John Petrucci.
In January 2003, Johnson released Souvenir on Vortexan Records, which earned approximately 65,000 plays on mp3.com in seven weeks.
He promoted the record with electric and acoustic tours in 2003 and 2004. In June 2005, Vai's Favored Nations label published Johnson's three-part Bloom CD, displaying his versatility.
New West Records released his 1988 Austin City Limits concert on DVD and CD in November 2005. In late 2005, he released The Art of Guitar, a guitar instructional DVD.
Provogue Records published Europe Live, a Johnson retrospective with two new songs, including "Evinrude Fever," inspired by water skiing and boating, in 2014.
In an interview with Rick Beato in March 2020, Eric talked about his career goals. For now, he wants to be more liquid with his own ideas and bring them out on guitar so that the guitar helps him to open more places to explore.
He also helped to develop and promote a car stereo system for Nissan in 2018 that was designed by Fender Audio. Johnson has had guitars made to his specifications and put on the market for sale.
In 2003, C. F. Martin & Company made a limited-edition Eric Johnson Signature MC-40 guitar. Five percent of the money made from sales went to the college where his father went to school.
Johnson also played the Martin D-45 before the Martin guitar with his name on it came out. In 2005, Fender made the Eric Johnson Signature Fender Stratocaster, and in 2009, they made the Eric Johnson Signature Stratocaster Rosewood model with unique features like a three-ply, eight-hole white pickguard and a bound rosewood laminated fingerboard with pearloid dot position markers.
In 2018, Fender released a semihollow Eric Johnson Signature Thinline Fender Stratocaster. In 2020, Fender announced the Eric Johnson Virginia Custom Shop Stratocaster, modeled after a 1954 Stratocaster he owned, which was made out of sassafras and featured extensively on his previous albums.
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Eric Johnson's Net Worth
The music enthusiast has an estimated net worth of $750,000. He has been able to assemble his net worth by selling his expensive signature guitars, his amazing music, and his concerts.
Physical Statistics
Eric’s exact height is unknown but he looks tall and has a slim body. So, he is believed to be somewhere around 5 feet 5 inches. His hair is white which could be due to his age and has light black eyes.
