Alice Johnson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Johnson's early career began with an offer to join Split the Dark, prompting his move to Birmingham, Alabama in 1987. Split the Dark had won the MTV "Basement Tapes" competition in 1986 but failed to secure a record deal. He later got his first taste of "bands with record deals" as guitarist for Witness in 1988 and Delta Rebels in 1989. During this time he also performed with Chinatown and Chyld. It was with Chyld that Johnson garnered the attention of A&R at Virgin Records. After a developmental deal in November 1990, the label persuaded Johnson to take over lead vocal and change the band's name to Brother Cane. Brother Cane released three albums on Virgin Records, selling 300,000 copies of their debut, and yielding three #1 singles on rock radio: "Got No Shame", "And Fools Shine On", and "I Lie in the Bed I Make". "And Fools Shine On" was featured in the horror film Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Brother Cane toured as a headliner and supported Van Halen, Aerosmith, Robert Plant, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Candlebox. The band amicably disbanded in 1999 after changes at Virgin Records and a shift in rock radio.

In Their Own Story

Shortly before Brother Cane split, Johnson contributed songwriting and guitar to Sammy Hagar's Marching to Mars album in 1997. In 2000, he recorded an all-acoustic solo album titled Dust. He released albums with two side projects: Slave to the System in 2001 and Red Halo in 2003. He played guitar on Faith Hill's smash hit single "Cry" in 2002. Johnson briefly collaborated with Damn Yankees and recorded an unreleased album. He performed as lead guitarist for John Waite from 2001 to 2004. In 2007, he joined Whiskey Falls. In 2009, he was confirmed as a collaborator for Queensrÿche's American Soldier. Johnson co-wrote "Every Day", recorded by Stevie Nicks as the first single from Trouble in Shangri-La in 2001. He co-wrote Carlos Santana's "Just Feel Better" with Jamie Houston and Buck Johnson, featuring Steven Tyler. In 2010, he recorded his own versions of both songs on his second acoustic solo album, Release, which also features a duet with his daughter Sarah Marlo Johnson and a guest appearance by Alice Cooper. Johnson was recruited for Alice Cooper's band in 2004, co-wrote and recorded on Dirty Diamonds, and toured from 2004 to 2006. He returned in spring 2009 and was featured in Cooper's 2010 live DVD & CD, Theatre of Death – Live at Hammersmith. He worked his fifth tour with Alice Cooper in 2011, departing in September to become a full member of Thin Lizzy. Cooper is credited with assisting greatly in Johnson's golf game, as the two played hundreds of rounds touring together. In 2011, Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham invited Johnson to replace Richard Fortus. With Cooper's blessing, Johnson accepted and toured worldwide with Thin Lizzy until early 2013. The line-up included original drummer Brian Downey and keyboardist Darren Wharton. Johnson stated, "Thin Lizzy has colored my career musically and in every aspect – as a performer, as a guitarist, as a songwriter." Gorham said, "Everybody loves him to death. It's like a big happy family traveling all over the world again." By 2012, the band had doubts about recording new songs under the Thin Lizzy name without Phil Lynott. Johnson said he would not have been happy to see new recordings released without Lynott, so the group decided to record under a different name. In December 2012, Johnson co-founded Black Star Riders. Their first album All Hell Breaks Loose was released in May 2013. Johnson developed a songwriting partnership with Ricky Warwick, co-writing all songs on the album. Johnson said, "I joined Thin Lizzy because I wanted to play those great songs with Scott Gorham and Brian Downey. But let me be clear about this – I'm in the Black Star Riders because of Ricky Warwick." After touring in 2013 and 2014, Black Star Riders recorded their second album, The Killer Instinct, released in February 2015, reaching № 13 in the UK. Johnson stated, "The days of me hopscotching back to Alice Cooper or a Slave to the System album are past. This is the best band I've ever been in. We’re firing on all cylinders." Their third album, Heavy Fire, was released on February 3, 2017, reaching № 6 in the UK album charts. After a US tour, Johnson announced he would leave the band at the end of 2018 to concentrate on his solo career and session work. He stated, "Three excellent albums in six years with this great band is one of the proudest achievements of my career, and it has been glorious." Johnson played his first solo show in the UK at The Iron Road in Evesham on October 14, 2014. In November 2014, he debuted his own hard rock trio with bassist Tony Nagy and ex-Whiskey Falls drummer Jarred Pope. In May and June 2015, he performed an acoustic UK tour with Ricky Warwick. In August, he performed with The Dead Daisies supporting Whitesnake, temporarily filling in for David Lowy. His five-track solo EP "Echo" was released on March 18, 2016, recorded by The Killer Instinct producer Nick Raskulinecz. A live album, Birmingham Tonight, featuring Johnson, Nagy, Pope, and second guitarist Tony Higbee, was recorded in Birmingham, Alabama on March 15, 2016, and released on September 22, 2017. Johnson said, "One of my friends described it as a musical anthology for the different paths my career has taken; that is a fairly accurate assessment." His next solo album, Memoirs of an Uprising, was recorded during breaks in Black Star Riders' tour schedule over 2017 and early 2018.

Reader's Guide

Damon Johnson is currently a solo artist, a member of Brother Cane, and guitarist in Lynyrd Skynyrd. He co-founded Brother Cane in the 1990s, releasing three albums on Virgin Records that sold 300,000 copies of the debut and produced three #1 rock radio singles. He joined Alice Cooper's band as lead guitarist in 2004, co-wrote and recorded on Dirty Diamonds, and toured with Cooper from 2004 to 2006 and again from 2009 to 2011. He joined Thin Lizzy in 2011, touring worldwide until early 2013. He co-founded Black Star Riders in December 2012, releasing three albums: All Hell Breaks Loose (May 2013), The Killer Instinct (February 2015, № 13 UK), and Heavy Fire (February 3, 2017, № 6 UK). He left Black Star Riders at the end of 2018. His solo work includes the acoustic albums Dust (2000) and Release (2010), the electric EP "Echo" (March 18, 2016), and the live album Birmingham Tonight (September 22, 2017). His next solo album, Memoirs of an Uprising, was recorded over 2017 and early 2018. He co-wrote songs recorded by Stevie Nicks ("Every Day") and Carlos Santana ("Just Feel Better"). He also contributed to albums by Sammy Hagar, Faith Hill, and Queensrÿche.

Did You Know?

• Johnson's song 'And Fools Shine On' was featured in the horror film Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.
• He co-wrote the Carlos Santana song 'Just Feel Better', which featured Steven Tyler of Aerosmith on vocals.
• Johnson played electric and acoustic guitars on Faith Hill's smash hit single 'Cry' in 2002.
• He was recruited for Alice Cooper's band in 2004 and later credited Cooper with assisting greatly in his golf game, as they played hundreds of rounds together.
• Johnson's five-track solo EP 'Echo' was recorded and mixed by Nick Raskulinecz, the producer of Black Star Riders' album The Killer Instinct.