THE BLUES CONNECTION CD IS AVAILABLE!!!!! THE BLUES CONNECTION IS JOHNNY'S BLUES BAND WITH LONGTIME FRIEND, RONNIE LUTRICK. THIS CD FEATURES RONNIE ON LEAD VOCALS AND JOHNNY IS PLAYING EVERY INSTRUMENT ON THE CD AND ADDING IN BACKGROUND VOCALS AS WELL. PLEASE VISIT THE LINK BELOW TO ORDER YOUR CD TODAY!!!!!
I'd like to thank all my fans and friends of the Johnny Hiland Band for visiting my myspace page and for leaving all the kind messages. As most of you may know, I am legally blind and with my busy schedule I may not be able to respond to all messages. Kimmie my wife keeps me updated so please know that I hear every message. I appreciate you all very much. - Johnny Hiland
"I think Johnny Hiland is the most versatile guitar player I've ever heard. From Bill Monroe to Eddie Van Halen, he can play it all." - RICKY SKAGGS
If you tried, you couldn't make up a story this good: legally blind kid grows up in a trailer home in rural Maine. A guitar prodigy, he tours with the family band starting at age 8, wins local and regional competitions, moves to Nashville, ends up dropping jaws all over town, doing sessions with Ricky Skaggs, Toby Keith, Randy Travis, Janie Fricke and many more, and gets signed by Steve Vai when his manager leaves a demo snippet on Steve's voicemail box. But indeed, this is true the story of Johnny Hiland. He made his solo debut on August 10th 2004 with his self-titled album on Vai's Favored Nations label, and now (November 2007) releases his second album “Loud and Proud," featuring his road band.
While talent ran in his family from past generations, he felt a ferocious devotion to his instrument, often practicing long hours into the night before being ordered into bed. By the time he was seven years old, he had already performed on local tv, and formed a family band, with his brother and sister, called “The Three J's”. As youngsters, they toured extensively throughout New England winning the “Talent America” competition and joining the “Downeast Country Music Association”. They won numerous awards and had a lot of fun as Johnny flourished into a young entertainer and multi-instrumentalist.
After attending a Ricky Skaggs concert in Bangor; the experience stimulated him to start exploring beyond bluegrass into mainstream country music. Seeing Ricky Skaggs that night was the turning point in determining Hilands future. He started listening to an ever widening range of players: Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, Steve Wariner, Chet Atkins, Brent Mason, Albert Lee, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Eddie Van Halen. After three years in college at the University of Southern Maine, Johnny realized his heart was somewhere else -- specifically, his heart was set on pursuing a career in Nashville, TN as a instrumental guitar artist, session player, and instructor. He then decided to follow his dream and move to Nashville.
On his first night in Nashville, Johnny made his way to Lower Broadway, where a cluster of honky-tonks booked some of the hottest players in town. Wandering into the World-Famous Turf, told he'd have to wait until midnight to sit in with the band, Johnny sat patiently, and then took to the stage. It took only a few seconds for the bartender to pick up the phone and start spreading the word that a tornado, with a Telecaster in his hands, had just blown into town. Following this, Johnny began pickin' all over Nashville and dropping jaws every place he played. A few years later, he started playing lead guitar for the Don Kelley Band at Robert's Western World and had a blast cutting his teeth on some traditional country music with a new age sound. From Robert's stage, Johnny's reputation grew. He played the Ryman Auditorium, the Mother Church of Country Music, with Gary Chapman, received a standing ovation, and found himself on TNNs "Prime Time Country!" He then went on the stage of "The Grand Ole Opry!"
Johnny also gained proper management with Mac Wilson, of Harmony Hollow Entertainment. Wilson worked with Johnny to build a strong foundation for his career. He placed Johnny with Fender Musical Instruments as the first unsigned artist to ever receive a full endorsement without a record, placed him in all the major guitar magazines, got Johnny teaching Master Classes all over the world, helped to establish a huge fan base for Johnny and his career, placed Johnny on stage with high profile opportunities, and made the phone call to Steve Vai, while Johnny was jamming with his band, that got him signed to his record deal with Steve's label, Favored Nations.
Johnny then moved on from his lower Broadway days in the honky tonks and began to expand his artistry as a solo guitarist in today's music world by working on his first album. The next two years exposed Johnny to a different pace, one that involved working on his songwriting, sending ideas back to Vai, getting feedback that was consistently positive yet kept pushing Johnny further toward finding a writing style that was as personal as his playing had been for years. While working on his album, Johnny met Peter Collins, whose production credits include Rush, Bon Jovi, the Indigo Girls, Queensryche, Jewel, and LeAnn Rimes. Collins just happened to hear Johnny tear it up one night, and made it known at once that he wanted to produce the young guitarist's debut. Their collaboration would be volatile, but more often it was a matter of each finding inspiration from the other. Combined with a killer band that kept up with light-speed picking, moved with him through Western swing, screaming, razor-toned rock, and introspective ballads, and illuminated his soaring melodies on ballads. Johnny Hiland achieved something few new artists achieve in their first outing: a blend of taste and flash, in which emotional, solid composition and hair-raising performance complement rather than compete with each other.
Life for Hiland then, in a sense, was like the accelerando he unleashes in his cover of "Orange Blossom Special." He's playing bigger sessions than ever, has appeared on two tribute albums, shared the stage with Living Colour's Vernon Reed, funk master George Clinton, and Vai, Satriani, and Yngwie Malmsteen on their G3 tour, Les Paul, and Sammy Hagar!!! He cut "Blues Newburg" and "Red Label," two devilishly difficult Danny Gatton songs, both of which he learned note-for-note in eight hours. Nashville Predators hockey games now feature the team theme song, "Stick It To 'Em Boys," with Johnny on guitar. He's even scored and played on the soundtrack for a proposed cartoon show. Kids can and will figure in Johnny's ambitions beyond music. He is a talented artist and has written and illustrated a book called, "Tuff and Friends," that is designed to give hope to disabled children.
Today, Johnny has matured both personally and musically. He is now married to his lovely wife, Kim. He has a new band, new sound, new management, and a different view on life. Johnny lost his father, Tom Hiland(57), in a boating accident in 2005. In December 2007, he faced the loss of his mother, Grace Hiland(50), as well. He now realizes and shares that he will live his life in a free and fun manner. "You just never know when you'll be called and so you better enjoy it while you can. Get rid of all the negative in your life and you will find a peace within yourself." he explains. Johnny now has a new JH signature model PRS, Peavey is going to release a JH amplifier, and also be looking for Johnny's new signature Martin real soon!!!! He also is proud to bring you his new second album featuring his hot new road band, some special guests, and 13 new studio cuts. The album is titled, "The Johnny Hiland Band--Loud and Proud!" Along with the new CD, you can also purchase a behind the scenes look into the making of the new album and get to now the band in a cool new DVD as well.
Johnny has also teamed up with his long time friend, Ron Lutrick, to form a smoking blues project called, “The Blues Connection!” Johnny has not only been friends with Ron, he has always been a fan of Ron’s blues and R&B vocals. Johnny has wanted this union for quite some time now and strongly feels that their combined sound will definitely turn some heads!! “The Blues Connection” will release their debut CD in the fall of 2008!!!!
Johnny's goal is to continue making guitar records with his PRS and touring the world with the JHB!!! You can also catch him out rocking with “The Blues Connection!” He will always continue to teach via private lessons, perform master classes at all the major universities, teach via video and audio lessons, and clinics. You will also see his name pop up on other artists records as Johnny still loves doing sessions. Finally, Johnny will always find the time to help inspire our young kids today. He feels that we need to keep live music alive in our next generation of pickers! He will show all children, handicapped or not, that you CAN follow your dreams, and through the grace of God, watch them come true in many ways through His blessings!!!
Buy Johnny's Intructional Books From Mel Bay Here
Read Johnny's Article in Musicians Hotline
Click Here
Click Here Check out Johnny's July 10th appearance on the Low Down Hoe Down Radio Show live from Bowling Green Kentucky hosted by Greg Martin
House Of Blues Hollywood
(Paul Gilbert, Johnny Hiland, Joe Satriani, Steve Lukather and Steve Vai)
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