WILKO JOHNSON - IN MEMORIAM
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Wilko Johnson était un homme érudit et intelligent.
En 1970, après des études à l'université de Newcastle, il prit une année sabbatique pour traverser le Népal et l'Inde.
À son retour, il fonde Dr Feelgood avec Lee Brilleaux, Big Figure et Sparko. En 1976, l'album Live Stupidity sera n°1 en Angleterre !
Aussi bien passionné par la littérature Viking d'Islande que celle du 17ème siècle en Angleterre.
Sur le toit de sa maison à Westcliff on Sea il avait fait construire un observatoire et installé un téléscope pour observer l'Univers.
Un grand guitariste et compositeur de superbes chansons qui marqueront le Rock pendant encore des années à venir : Roxette, She does it Right, Going back Home avec Dr Feelgood, mais également avec les Solid Senders Too Bad, Keep both Eyes on the Road et avec Ian Dury & the Blockheads.
Sa vie l'a aussi vu être acteur. Il joua le rôle de Ser Illyn Payne, le bourreau dans la série 'Game of Thrones'.
Je ne l'ai rencontré qu'une fois en 1990 à Londres, je lui avais remis des photos de concerts parisiens et il me donna un T-shirt. Quelques années plus tard, j'étais agréablement surpris de trouver une de mes photos, prise au Plan, en page 203 de sa biographie 'Looking back at Me'.
En 2012, il avait été condamné par un cancer, mais lors une opération de 8 heures, on lui retire une tumeur de 3 kg du pancréas, ce qui lui donnera 10 années de plus.
Lundi 21 novembre 2022 il est parti rejoindre Lee Brilleaux, Lew Lewis, Lemmy, Buzz Barwell parmi d'autres, pour un jam céleste.
Paix à ton Âme Wilko 🕊️
Patrick Higgins
Paul Hildreth nous a également écrit un message :
<<Thank you, Patrick, for your warm and detailed tribute to Wilko.
I only met Wilko a couple of times but I have been in the audience on many occasions since 1975 and seen him with Feelgood, with Solid Senders and then with his awesome Wilko Johnson band.
The first time I encountered Wilko was on the TV programme Geordie Scene. I turned it on and there was a manic, wild-eyed guitarist dominating the stage. Being a novice guitarist myself I was transfixed as he covered rythm and lead with no plectrum. I'd found the music I had been searching for. I ordered the LP next day. As a 16 year old I managed to get tickets to see Feelgood at Leeds University. Later after he had parted company with Feelgood I saw him with Solid Senders. Life, marriage, career and parenthood got in the way for a while but in the mid 90s I managed to start going to gigs again and saw Wilko almost every time he appeared in York. I took friends along and converted them. It was like being part of an elite club - it was the same crowd every time.
Then along came Oil City Confidential and the rest of the country discovered our well-kept secret. Wilko was mainstream! The crowds were bigger, younger and mixed! And the performances were every bit as good as ever.
We were all shocked at the news of his cancer. We were all delighted and amazed when he unexpectedly got a reprieve. We were as amazed and delighted when he recovered enough to perform again. The collaboration with Roger Daltrey was genius - and then we even got new material - but my favourite track is still the autobiographical Paradise.
The news this week was a shock. I can't help but smile at the thought of the gig that's going on up there now, though, that my all-time guitar hero has joined the celestial rock band.
Thank you Wilko, for the performances, for the music and the enjoyment. We'll never stop listening>>
Paul Hildreth
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