Person · Male

Wilko Johnson

From: Canvey Island, United Kingdom
Active: 1947–2022
Rating: ★ 4 (1 votes)
Releases: 21

pub rock
singer-songwriter

About

John Andrew Wilkinson (12 July 1947 – 21 November 2022), better known by the stage name Wilko Johnson, was an English guitarist, singer, songwriter and occasional actor. He was a member of the pub rock/rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s. Johnson was known for his distinctive guitar playing style, which he achieved by not using a plectrum but playing fingerstyle. This enabled him to play rhythm guitar and riffs or solos at the same time creating a highly percussive guitar sound.

Johnson and Dr. Feelgood were an influence on the English punk movement. Paul Weller said of Johnson: "Wilko may not be as famous as some other guitarists, but he's right up there. And there are a lot of people who'll say the same. I can hear Wilko in lots of places. It's some legacy."
In 2011 and 2012 he appeared in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, as the mute executioner Ser Ilyn Payne.

From Wilko Johnson on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.