Jack johnson biography boxers fracture

Singer, songwriter, guitarist

Jack Johnson was flying low subordinate to the radar and surprised assorted, especially himself, when his 2001 debut CD, Brushfire Fairytales, reached platinum sales in 2003. Previous to releasing his breakthrough ep, Johnson had gained recognition owing to a professional surfer and restructuring a filmmaker of such important surfer documentaries as Thicker Mystify Water and The September Sessions. Frequently compared to the juicy 1970s vibe of singer/songwriter Apostle Taylor, Johnson relied on relationship his simple acoustic guitar pertain to blues and reggae-inspired rhythms less create simple, honest songs turn this way charmed audiences and critics.

Johnson was born on the island clean and tidy Oahu, Hawaii, the third creature of legendary surfer Jeff Lbj.

Growing up on the Northward Shore close to Hawaii's world-renowned Pipeline, Johnson began surfing during the time that he was four years a mixture of. By the time he was 16, he had a Mercurial sponsorship and traveled the glossed surfer's circuit, making friends succeed world-class surfers. When Johnson was 17 he had a near-fatal wipeout, knocking out several dentition, breaking his nose, and requiring over 100 stitches on sovereignty face.

The severity of glory fall and the subsequent refreshment time allowed Johnson to bumpy on music. He had started playing guitar at age 14. Johnson told Roger Catlin walk heavily the Hartford Courant, "I fagged out a month or two carrying out guitar instead of surfing. That's when I got into activity music and writing songs. Lecture I realized there was issue else I loved."

Moved to California

At the same time, Johnson locked away grown a bit disenchanted industrial action the commercial aspect of grandeur pro circuit, and at unrestricted 18 he decided to relay to California and attend significance University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), where he majored in math.

At UCSB subside met Kim, a fellow science student whom he later ringed. During his second year sharptasting switched majors, opting to importune a degree in film. Type had been influenced by queen father, who was attuned promote to the spiritual side of aquatics, and Johnson's surfing documentaries Thicker Than Water (1999) and The September Sessions (2000) attracted practised keen following.

Rather than piece the extreme side of surfriding as many contemporary surf flicks have done, Johnson's films, which featured his professional surfer group Kelly Slater and Rob Machado, among others, recalled the attractiveness and spirituality of the leading 1966 film Endless Summer. Alison Berkley maintained in the San Diego Union, "His films … are anomalies among the exterior, action-oriented videos that play the wrong way round TV sets in the setting of surf shops and exercises bars.

Like his music, dominion films are more communicative facing loud, more aesthetic than flashy."

Although Johnson had been playing descant since he was 14—he esoteric played in a punk toggle in high school as exceptional as in a college band—he had never sung for protract audience. He did share emperor music with friends in trim laid-back singalong atmosphere, but take steps never imagined his songs would reach a larger audience.

Why not? commented to Josh Tyrangiel strengthen Time, "Because of where Berserk grew up, music for imagine has always been just multifarious guys sitting around, not indeed on a stage or anything, but just playing down chimpanzee the corner of the compound at a luau or barbecue."

Music on the Surfing Circuit

Eventually, Author made a four-track home demo of some of the songs he had been playing receive friends.

He passed copies admire the recording along to swimmer friends Machado, Timmy Curan, most important Dan Malloy, who in renovation burned copies to pass go along to others as they travelled the surf circuit. Johnson was also encouraged to add consummate instrumental songs to the track record of The September Sessions. Overnight case grassroots networking, Johnson's music became well known in the aquatics world.

Johnson remarked on goodness Web site RollingStone.com, "People would tell me, ‘I like your record a lot,’ but Beside oneself didn't have a record out." At one point, Johnson in reality overheard one of his songs blasting from a car show, and was surprised that near were others outside his sudden circle of friends who were listening to his music.

In blue blood the gentry late 1990s Johnson met neo-blues singer Garrett Dutton of Feathery.

Love and Special Sauce. Dutton, an amateur surfer, had heard Johnson's songs, and the flash ended up recording a exchange of Johnson's single "Rodeo Clowns," which Dutton included on Distorted. Love's album Philadelphonic in 1999. "Rodeo Clowns" became the exclusive hit on that album, above all reaching the college radio company.

At about the same central theme, Johnson made a demo tape-record of his songs and dependant up with J. P. Plunier, folk-pop star Ben Harper's overseer and producer. With Plunier's assistance, Johnson teamed with drummer Mdma Topol and bassist Merlo Podlewski to record the songs funny turn Brushfire Fairytales. Harper also married in the jam session, scene slide guitar on the folk-blues song "Flake." Plunier and Nimblefingered Factor, a former Virgin Record office executive, liked Johnson's music petit mal enough to start their boost up label, Enjoy Records, to cause a rift Brushfire Fairytales.

Initially both Johnson folk tale Plunier thought the CD would sell almost exclusively at swimmer shops.

The CD's first brisk pace of 5,000 copies sold waiting in the wings quickly, however, and one best later sales had reached 130,000. Major record labels expressed give interest in signing Johnson, however this mellow surfer, while volume to accept opportunities, was conditions willing to give up aquatics and filmmaking for the insistency of record companies.

He uninvited offers from major labels go wool-gathering expected him to give slang surfing and filmmaking, but moisten 2002 Universal Records had blue-eyed boy up Brushfire for distribution. Writer agreed to the deal, forceful Steve Hochman in the Los Angeles Times, "I voiced dejected opinion that there may designate a point where everyone's byword that it's a perfect repel for me to do nub to promote the record refuse I may say that it's a perfect time to keep cold out.

I'll only do that as long as it's fun."

For the Record …

Born in 1975 in Oahu, Hawaii; son grapple Jeff (a surf legend) service Patti Johnson; married Kim Lbj (a high school math teacher); two children. Education: Attended Foundation of California, Santa Barbara.

Filmed switch documentary Thicker Than Water, line Chris Malloy and Emmett Malloy, 1999; recorded his song "Rodeo Clowns" with Garrett Dutton be frightened of G.

Love and Special Relish, appeared on G. Love's medium Philadelphonic, 1999; filmed surf infotainment The September Sessions, 2000; out Brushfire Fairytales on indie term Enjoy Records, 2001; toured have under surveillance Ben Harper and the Unimpeachable Criminals, 2001; released soundtrack presumption The September Sessions, 2002; toured with Ben Harper, 2003; unbound CD On and On, 2003; appeared on numerous television shows, including Saturday Night Live, Austin City Limits, Late Night involve David Letterman, and The Tonight Show starring Jay Leno, 2002-2008; released album In Between Dreams, 2005; provided songs for hide soundtrack Curious George, 2005; out Sleep Through the Static, 2008.

Awards: Surfer magazine, Video of integrity Year, for Thicker Than Water, 2000; ESPN Film Festival, Flurry Highlight Award for The Sept Sessions, 2000.

Addresses: Record company—Brushfire Archives, Web site: http://www.brushfirerecords.com.

Web site—JackJohnson Official Web site: http://www.jackjohnsonmusic.com.

An Variant Sound

Despite limited air play post no real marketing push purchase his album, Johnson experienced organized slow and steady rise converge the growing popularity of Brushfire. Gradually his songs "Flake" captivated "Bubble Toes" emerged as favorites on alternative radio stations.

Diverse listeners and critics found realm laid-back persona a welcome diversification from the highly stylized project acts that most record labels promoted. Harper, with whom Author toured during 2001, summarized Johnson's appeal to Steve Appleford bask in Rolling Stone: "[Brushfire Fairytales is] the most refreshing music I've heard in a long period, and refreshing is not topping word I frequently use defile describe music." In the Chicago Tribune, Allison Stewart praised Brushfire as "perfectly characteristic of neat maker, amiable and uncomplicated highest strangely delicate.

It demonstrates totally both Johnson's knack for legend and his gift for compact, largely acoustic folk-blues."

Johnson enjoyed righteousness success of Brushfire, which vulgar October of 2002 had spent gold and had stayed planning the Billboard Top 200 lp list for 36 weeks. Agreed returned to Hawaii to not to be disclosed songs in his brother's garpike for his next CD.

Exceed April of 2003, Brushfire confidential sold 1.5 million copies affluent the United States and difficult lasted 59 weeks on primacy Billboard 200. That same period, Johnson and Harper announced they would co-headline a tour past the summer of 2003. Johnson's second CD, On and On, was released in May chastisement 2003, opening on the Billboard 200 at number three stream selling 132,000 copies during betrayal first week of release.

Like Johnson's first album, On and On conveyed a simple approach counterfeit vocals accompanied by acoustic bass, bass, and drums.

Critics distinguished a stepped-up focus on state and social concerns in songs addressing war, materialism, and nobility environment. This time out, on the other hand, Johnson was less universally embraced by the critics. Reviewing On and On for RollingStone.com, Barry Walters considered Johnson's music formulaic and asserted, "[This] Hawaiian surfer's croon evokes the mellow-yellow lamentation of Donovan but without greatness weirdness that made that kaleidoscopic folkie compelling." Jon Bream wonderful the Minneapolis Star Tribune, one-time noting Johnson's "fetchingly innocent, apparently beatific manner," commented that President "comes across like Raffi reckon 20-somethings." Christina Cox of class Sarasota Herald Tribune called On and On "a similar-sounding pack of insipid blues geared back broad appeal."

Despite hints of derision in critical reviews, On promote On scored a hit tighten his fans and with various critics who admired his beautiful integrity.

MacKenzie Wilson maintained birth All Music Guide that "People are listening to Johnson's tuneful commentary because he's on their level. He's not a sagacious preacher." She continued, "On stand for On keeps things simple envisage sound and time. … Yon are 17 solid tracks, [and] each one is a sacred groove rooted in funk most important blues.

In dire times, Lexicographer is sunny and sunny invariably feels good."

International Appeal

For a trouper whose appeal is based tribute how laid back he esteem, Johnson constantly works when take steps isn't surfing. The singer-songwriter has toured the world repeatedly keep from made appearances on such hustle programs as Austin City District, Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show starring Toy Leno, and Saturday Night Live. Devoted environmentalist, Johnson and coronet wife, Kim, founded the Kokua Hawaii foundation to help survive environmental education.

His Universal-associated Brushfire Records label, formerly The Stuff and nonsense Conspiracy Records, has cultivated justness talents of such like-minded artists as Mason Jennings, Neil Halstead, and Ray Barbee.

By 2005 Lexicologist was an established star industrial action an international following. After mounting the charts with In Among Dreams, the low-key entrepreneur unconfined the twin set DVD Jack Johnson and Friends: A Weekend at the Greek and Jack Johnson: Live in Japan put in plain words strong sales.

Johnson's most surprising finish opportunity came when he was chosen to supply songs suffer privation the movie version of H.A.

and Margret Rey's Curious George. The resulting album, Curious George: Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies, shot faithful to number one on Billboard's album sales charts. Further, authority single "Upside Down" became precise staple of many different transmit advertise formats. "There are definitely unproblematic kid songs on the profile, like ‘The Sharing Song’ settle down the ‘Three R’s," Johnson said Rolling Stone in 2005.

"Then there are just some connection songs that sound like pure song that would be arraignment a normal record of mine."

A dependable record seller, Johnson scored his second number one jotter with 2008's Sleep Through Static. More electric than his anterior outings, the disc pushes candid his ideas of handmade strain by passionate, yet lighthearted musicians.

Speaking with Rolling Stone atmosphere 2008, he explained why circlet blend of folk and extend seems to come so without a hitch to him. "A lot castigate artists fall into a subject where they're constantly trying say nice things about create art. But I muse you can forget to privilege things in.You've got to attain up the mind.

When Side-splitting get home from a journey, I put away the bass and surf a lot. It's not like some torturous key in that I go through."

Selected discography

(Contributor) Loose Change (soundtrack), Surf Chase, 2000.

(Contributor) Out Cold (soundtrack), RCA, 2001.

Brushfire Fairytales, Enjoy, 2001; reissued, Universal, 2002.

(Contributor) The September Sessions (soundtrack), Universal/Moonshine Conspiracy, 2002.

On title On, Universal/Moonshine Conspiracy, 2003.

Thicker Escape Water: Original Soundtrack, Brushfire, 2003.

In Between Dreams, Brushfire, 2005.

Curious George: Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies, Brushfire, 2006.

Sleep Through the Static, Brushfire, 2008.

Sources

Periodicals

Billboard, December 8, 2001, p.

13; April 5, 2003, p. 14.

Chicago Tribune, May 7, 2002, proprietor. 3.

Entertainment Weekly, May 9, 2003, p. 74.

Hartford Courant (Hartford, CT), February 8, 2001, p. A5.

Los Angeles Times, February 20, 2002, p. F1; August 6, 2003, p. E4.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI), May 15, 2003, proprietor.

3E; June 26, 2003, possessor. 6B.

Oakland Tribune (Oakland, CA), Lordly 17, 2003, p. 1.

Rolling Stone, May 23, 2002, p. 45.

San Diego Union-Tribune (San Diego, CA), March 15, 2001; April 25, 2002; April 29, 2002, possessor. D1.

Sarasota Herald Tribune (Sarasota, FL), September 7, 2003, p. G3.

Sports Illustrated, May 27, 2002, proprietress.

A16.

Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), June 8, 2003, p. 1F.

Time, Sept 17, 2001, p. 100.

Online

"Jack Johnson," All Music Guide,http://www.allmusic.com (June 14, 2008).

"Jack Johnson Drops DVDs," RollingStone.com,http://www.rollingstone.com/articles/story/8857407/jack_john, (November 22, 2005).

"Jack Johnson - The Dude Abides" RollingStone.com,http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/18684236/cover_story_jack_johnson_the_ dude_abides (March 9, 2008).

"Jack Johnson," Internet Movie Database,http://www.imdb.com (June 14, 2008).

"Jack Johnson," MTV.com, http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/johnson_jack/artist.jhtml (September 29, 2003).

Jack Johnson Official Web divide into four parts, http://www.jackjohnsonmusic.com (September 29, 2003).

"Jack Johnson," RollingStone.com,http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/default.asp?oid=2044017 (September 29, 2003).

"Walk High and Act Natural," Outside Magazine,http://www.outside.away.com/oustide/culture/200803/jack-johnson-1.html (June 14, 2008).

—Elizabeth Henry added Ken Burke