28 Facts About Wilko Johnson

John Andrew Wilkinson, better known by the stage name Wilko Johnson, was an English guitarist, singer, songwriter and occasional actor.

Wilko Johnson later played a vintage 1962 Fender Telecaster with rosewood fingerboard which he bought in 1974, shortly after Dr Feelgood signed their first record deal.

Wilko Johnson developed his own image, coupling jerky movements on stage, his so-called "duck walk", with a choppy guitar style, occasionally raising his guitar to his shoulder like a gun, and a novel dress sense: he favoured a black suit and a pudding bowl haircut.

Wilko Johnson achieved his playing style by not using a pick but instead relying on fingerstyle.

Wilko Johnson left the band in April 1977, following disagreements over the tracks to be included in the Sneakin' Suspicion album.

The remaining band members claimed that Wilko Johnson had left voluntarily.

Around 1984 he then re-formed The Wilko Johnson Band, joined by Blockhead bassist Norman Watt-Roy and Italian born drummer Salvatore Ramundo.

In 1992, Wilko Johnson appeared at the Eurockeennes music festival, and the following year at GuilFest.

Wilko Johnson began to cut back on his concert appearances in 1999, and released the album Don't Let Your Daddy Know the following year.

Wilko Johnson appeared in the Julien Temple-directed documentary film Oil City Confidential, where he related his memories of Canvey Island and Dr Feelgood.

Wilko Johnson published his autobiography, co-authored with Zoe Howe and titled Looking Back at Me, at the end of May 2012.

Wilko Johnson stated in early 2013 that he had terminal cancer, and announced he was going on a farewell tour.

Wilko Johnson played a set on the final night at Wickham Festival in Hampshire on Sunday 4 August 2013, where he was invited by the Blockheads on stage to play a song.

Wilko Johnson announced a further tour with Howe and Watt-Roy during the spring of 2014.

Wilko Johnson was forced to cancel a show in November 2012 when he was rushed to hospital with an undisclosed ailment.

Wilko Johnson was diagnosed in January 2013 with late stage pancreatic cancer, and elected not to receive any chemotherapy.

Wilko Johnson discussed his cancer and said doctors had told him he had nine or ten months to live.

However, Wilko Johnson did not have the more common adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.

Wilko Johnson underwent radical surgery to treat his illness, and the doctors were hopeful that his prognosis would be good.

Wilko Johnson added that he was still recovering from the operation and when asked what he would do next replied: "I don't know really".

In 2015, Julien Temple released his second documentary about Johnson, The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson, which featured Johnson's tour of Japan and his album with Roger Daltrey.

Wilko Johnson died on 21 November 2022, at his home in Westcliff-on-Sea, at the age of 75.

Wilko Johnson married his childhood sweetheart Irene Knight when they were teenagers, and the couple had two sons, Matthew and Simon.

Wilko Johnson was widowed in 2004 after his wife's death from cancer.

Wilko Johnson's son Simon is a guitarist, playing in Southend-based band Eight Rounds Rapid.

Wilko Johnson was involved in politics as a student at Newcastle University, and had been a member of the Young Communist League before university.

Wilko Johnson's style has been cited as one of the founding influences of the British punk movement.

Wilko Johnson recalls his childhood on Canvey Island and how he followed the '60s hippy trail to Goa.