Whether he is wearing a Sevendust shirt or strutting around flaunting
the "Man in Black"…whether he is wearing leather wristbands or his
patchwork leather pants…whether he is wailing away on his trusty Les
Paul or cranking it out on acoustic, Damon Johnson is the epitome of a
rock star. He has done it all, in fact, he deserves the patent to the
"Been there, done that" slogan. He has opened for his idols and been the
main attraction. He has been the backup and been the frontman. If the
Rock & Roll gods ever made a person in their likeness, Damon is it.
Damon made his worldly debut in Macon, GA on July 13, 1964. From the get go, Damon's musical life was set. His father was a guitarist and taught Damon his first chords. He would first brandish a Fender Jazzmaster which was given to him by his uncle. Then came the influences. Country music had always been a part of Damon's life because of his father's music taste. However, bands like KISS, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aerosmith, and such would creep into his listening rotation and spark the flame of music creativity.
Damon had already played in a couple bands during his high school
years, but it was after seeing concerts of the likes of Thin Lizzy,
Sammy Hagar, and Van Halen that he felt the ever universal urgings
of "I've got to be a musician!" Damon eventually moved to Geraldine,
Alabama where the bands he joined started playing clubs. Music was still
not the sole career option at that point. Damon was attending college to
attain his electrical engineering degree.
That all changed in the mid 80s. Damon began playing in serious bands with "famous people" as he worded it, such as Headline and Split the Dark. Damon finished the pre-engineering studies and was ready to head to Auburn to complete his studies when he decided to instead, play full time. With children becoming a big factor in his life, Damon became determined to make it in the music business.
Damon would go on to join a couple signed bands that would help him grow as a musician and songwriter. All of this would lead to the journey known as Brother Cane. That era led to many opportunities for him from opening up for his childhood music idols, to writing with contemporary musicians. The band launched into a worldwide crusade for "good music." However, as the story goes, Virgin Records had different interests and parted ways with the band after three albums. The bandmembers were beginning to have different musical goals and decided to take a break from the band to do their own things.
Enter the present. Damon has gone on to do his solo act of playing acoustic tunes across the United States letting the fans know he still has some tricks up his sleeve. Sharing the stage with him often is Mike Farris of the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies. Damon continues to write his own songs and songs for other international acts such as Stevie Nicks. Furthermore, he has regrouped Brother Cane for touring purposes. To top it off, Damon continues to work on various group projects including Slaves to the System, taking the reigns of bass playing for Red Halo, and more. But the thing that transcends all the rock and roll stuff, past and present, is Damon's relationship with the fans. I do not know of many musicians who would make it a top priority to stay grounded with the fans even after so much success.
If your vision hasn't been impaired by reading this epic, then realize that this man's rock & roll journey is far from over. A musician with all that talent is destined for ongoing success and with the fans by his side, it will be a long road. Can I get a "HELL YEAH"?