Born in Ft. Worth TX in 1948, he now lives in Ithaka in beautifully rugged Upstate New York. (The Toscana it ain’t.) Broadly explained, he’s an alternative country musician but was previously occupied with beeing a Vietnam Vet (actually, he still is), and he also moved furniture for a living owning his business, The Zolar Moving Company. This is notable because his office also served as his recording studio early on. Besides, he’d do a moving job to some other town and then play a gig there that night. And Johnny loves his whisky. At one point, he also gave as a sincere shot at matrimony as he could and that lasted all of two weeks. And Johnny loves his whisky.
Equally experimental, as parts of his life have been, is the content of the song book titled Johnny Dowd. His guitar play still shatters sonic boundaries and it’s usually supported by a funky organ and a set of rattling drums. Visions of gloomy gothic dark, elements of black humor and love of the absurd prevail and are easily discernable plus a shot of anarchy all go straight to spirit and soul. His concotions are shaken and stirred into an amalgamation and reflection of Johnny’s universe, in both words and sound. You be the expert and the judge of what his voice sounds but like we said, Johnny loves his whisky.
You can tell a lot about a man by what he likes, he calls James Brown’s «Live at the Apollo» his all-time favorite album.
Johnny’s not an el Lokal Hall of Famer for nothing. This master of the merging of country, soul, blues and rock’n’roll has issued 14 albums, so far. His first album he titled «Wrong Side Side of Memphis» and that was followed by more gems like «The Pawnbroker’s Wife», «Cemetery Shoes», «A Drunkard’s Masterpiece», «Wake Up The Snakes» – «…an album I always wanted to make». And get this: his brandnewest with a release date of March 9, that’s last month you juiceheads, has already been hailed as the Americana album of that month by Uncut. And the title of it, now hold on to your Stetson’s, is: «That’s your Wife on the Back of My Horse».
Burgher’s of Zurich, lock up your women. The Casanova Cowboy’s riding into town.
Johnny's Got the Mic 