Johnny in Nashville: Gibson.com's Gabriel Hernandez delivers a complete recap, including Johnny's performance with Slash and Larry Carlton. And be sure to check out this photo gallery from the Chicago Blues Festival.
Slash and burn: For a few lucky invited guests, the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville will be the place to be Friday night (June 20) as Johnny headlines the first night of Gibson Summer Jam '08 -- and he'll be joined by none other than Slash himself! Johnny is scheduled to take the stage at 9:45 p.m.
The 2008 Chicago Blues Festival: Johnny tore it up with James Cotton in a well-received set that closed the event's first night. Johnny even managed a shout-out in Newsweek magazine before things got rolling. A great photo gallery can be found here.
On the road: After Johnny's appearance in Tennessee, he'll be off the road until Saturday (June 28), when he plays the Blues From the Top festival in Winter Park, Colorado. In early July, a trio of Canadian dates are on the schedule: the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto (Thursday, July 3); Johnny B's in Whitby, Ontario (Friday, July 4), and the Tremblant International Blues Festival in Mont Tremblant, Quebec (Saturday, July 5). To see a full listing of Johnny's tour dates, click here.
Around the Web: Click here for a good write-up on Johnny in the Prague (Czech Republic) Post... Last month, Johnny's "Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down," which was recorded with Muddy Waters and James Cotton, received a 2008 Blues Music Award in the Historical Album category... Edgar Winter's Rebel Road is due out July 8 and includes guest shots from Johnny and Slash... And some kind words for Live Bootleg Series, Vol. II... Visit Wolfgang's Vault to listen to some incredible recordings from the 1960s and '70s, including this classic 1974 performance by Johnny. It's definitely worth your time! ... And last but not least, here's a photo that's a real blast from the past.
Johnny headlines opening night: After spending much of this spring in Europe, Johnny's summer gets into full swing tonight with his opening-night appearance at the Chicago Blues Festival. His performance will find him joined by harp master James Cotton, and together the bluesmen will celebrate the legacy of Muddy Waters. Johnny's appearance tonight at beautiful Grant Park will mark the first time he's played the storied festival since since its inception in 1984, according to the Mayor's Office of Special Events.
On the road: After a fun weekend swing with shows in Pennsylvania -- where Johnny played to a capacity crowd at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville (made famous by Steve McQueen in the 1958 film classic "The Blob") -- and northern Virginia, Johnny will play Toad's Place of Richmond this Thursday night (3/27) before tuning it up Friday (3/28) at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pa., followed by a Saturday show at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Conn. (3/29). (Click here for more on the Ridgefield gig.) Johnny will then enjoy some time off before he shares a bill with Robben Ford at the Space Coast Convention Center in Cocoa, Florida. For a complete list of Johnny's current tour dates, click here.
What's that guitar? Johnny's long-standing association with the Gibson Firebird is well known (keep an eye out for a signature model later this year), but one of the most frequent questions he gets on the road is about his other axe -- the he uses for the lion's share of each night's show. It's an Erlewine Lazer, and Johnny calls it "The closest thing I've found to sounding like a Strat and feeling like a Gibson." Click here to learn more.
Around the Web: A fan weighs in some great memories from "The Original Texas Guitar Hero," and Edgar Winter says he's not retiring anytime soon... The Black Crowes are including a great cover of Johnny's "Mean Town Blues" on the band's current sold-out run of theaters. And check out this review of Johnny's gig from earlier this month at the Oriental Theater in Denver. Writes the Denver Post's Jason Blevins: "And when Johnny Winter played the blues, church was in session."
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