Tom Johnson
Keyboards, Vocals, Guitar, Bass

Mom made my sister take piano lessons from about the age of 5 or so. She hated them with a passion, but mom made her practice every day. I guess out of boredom I would just sit and listen to her practice. Soon I was picking out the songs by ear.  My sister was not happy about that.  She would sit and practice the songs for hours and struggle to read the music and then I would sit down and figure out what the chords were ( I was also learning guitar at the time) and fake my way through the songs. 

In high school I had a great music history and theory teacher who encouraged me to keep playing. She would let me into the music room during lunch to play piano. I used to love to go in there and just play for a half hour or so in the middle of the day. 

Are you bored yet?

Meanwhile, I was also playing guitar with some high school buddies in a pop, rock, Christian band. We played a few shows a year at youth groups, summer camps, church picnics, and other special events. 

In college I played guitar and keyboards and fronted a couple of different rock bands. We played in the frats and bars to very little acclaim. 

After college I took a break from playing in bands. I got married and had a couple of kids. I started a business in 1999 and sold it in 2009.  I had always taught friends and neighbors to play guitar as a hobby.  Eventually my list of students grew to the point where my waiting list was longer than my student list.  So now I teach full time and play in a few different bands.  I usually play about 60 - 75 shows per year.  I love to play.  I am grateful for every opportunity.  

It is tough sometimes to balance work, having time with my wife and kids, and playing every weekend. My wife is the only reason that I am able to keep playing. She is very supportive, although I feel bad about all the time she is stuck at home. I truly appreciate everything she does for me.

I hope to see you out at a show sometime soon.  Thanks!

Influences:

Keyboards
I love Chuck Leavell. Chuck has played with The Stones, The Allman Brothers, Clapton (he played on Unplugged ), The Black Crowes, Blues Traveler and many more. Just listen to the piano solo on Jessica by The Allman Brothers.

I also love Billy Powel from Lynyrd Skynyrd. His style adds so much to that southern rock sound, I think that's what set them apart from other guitar heavy bands.

Billy Preston is one of my favorite musicians. You can hear him on a couple records called "Let It Be", "Abbey Road", and "The White Album". He toured with the great Ray Charles for many years. He was incredible with Clapton on the "One More Car..." tour a couple of years ago. 

I have recently been learning more about the legendary Floyd Cramer.  His "slip note" style has always been a natural part of the way I play.  His influence has been so broad that now as I go back and listen closer, I can hear where many other players got their style.  The most well known of his many, many recordings are "Last Date" and Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel".   Mr Cramer died on New Years Eve in 1997.  

I love to hear a good B-3 sound, or a Rhodes with just a touch of overdrive, or a Wurlitzer electric piano with a tremolo, but my favorite is a real grand piano. I am not much for synthesizer sounds or anything too electronic sounding, although that stuff does have it's place.

Guitar

My biggest guitar influences really comes down to tree things: 8tracks, television, and buddies.

My brothers are ten and thirteen years older than me.  In the early 80's  my brothers went to college.  I was in elementary school.  They left behind their collection of 8 track tapes.  I wore them out listening to them.  This collection was small, but very influential.  My favorites were Boston, Kansas, Chicago, Cheap Trick, SuperTramp, Saturday Night Live (The Blues Brothers),  and The Eagles.  The live tracks made me want to be on that stage.  I remember hearing Seven Bridges Road, and Cheap Trick live at Budokan.  The cheering crowd was so loud.   I had to learn how to play guitar.  

I didn't have a lot of opportunities to see live music when I was young so I always loved to see live bands on TV.  I always loved Saturday Night Live's and Johnny Carson's musical guests.  I still have VHS tapes of Stanley Jordanon Carson and SRV on Austin City Limits.  

I took lessons for a short time from Peter Sahadachney in Kokomo, Indiana.  I thought he was the coolest guy ever because he played in a band.  I think the band was called The Pink Torpedos.