Biography
Eldon Johnson Biography 2009
Eldon Johnson was born and raised in the small town of Williston, in the northwest corner of North Dakota. He began his musical endeavors at the age of 5, and writing songs in his teens. In addition to this, since grade school he has been a first-chair drummer and percussionist--winning multiple all-state awards and honors along the way. He continued his musical endeavors while attending college at the University of North Dakota, where he obtained his Masters degree in Physical Therapy in 1995, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Since then, Eldon has replaced the drums with guitar as his primary instrument, and he has continued playing music throughout the upper Midwest--as well as multiple trips to Nashville and Austin, garnering a tremendous following of loyal and devoted fans. He formed the band, True North, with Jim Ed Hodges, which obtained immediate success and notoriety. Eldon and True North released their debut CD, "Down The Road," in April, 2006. Being a multi-faceted artist, Eldon's wide-ranging contributions to the album include lead and harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, and all of the drums and percussion—as well as self-producing the album and writing 12 of the 14 songs. His sophomore album, "The Other Side," was released in June, 2009, and is already generating significant buzz in the industry.
Eldon entered the Colgate Country Showdown as a solo artist in 2007, winning the ND State Finals, and also the Midwest Regional--advancing him to the 2008 National Finals at the world-famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN on January 24, 2008, which was hosted by LeAnn Rimes. He placed SECOND in the finals, out of over 50,000 across the nation that entered the contest, and competed for $100,000 on the grandest of stages. Eldon also recently auditioned for the blockbuster USA/NBC network program, "Nashville Star," and advanced to the National Finals for this, as well. All of this success and notoriety has certainly legitimized Eldon's place among the elite "up-and-comers" in the country music industry.
Currently residing in Fargo, ND, Johnson continues to hone his skills as a singer/songwriter and performer, and also works as a contemporary music coordinator at a congregation at home. Eldon's local, regional, and national popularity and loyal fan base continue to grow with each well-crafted show. His style has been described as a cross between the driving country-rock of Keith Urban, the infectious grooves of Dave Matthews, and the smooth rhythms of Jack Johnson. His intricate and carefully-crafted lyrics blend seamlessly with the warm, smooth texture of his voice. Eldon's soulful songwriting and captivating performances are rich with universally-relevant themes, pulling the listener in and not letting go until the last note has been sung.
Instrumentation
Eldon Johnson: Guitar, Lead Vocal
Darin Karnes: Drums/percussion, vocals
Dan Miller: Lead guitar, vocals
Craig Fluto: Bass, vocals
Discography
Down The Road (2006)
Stay (on Authentic Voice, volume 2, 2008)
Down The Road (on Goin' Back Home, volume 4, 2009)
The Other Side (2009)
Links
| http://www.eldonjohnson.net |
| Eldon's Official Facebook Fan Page |
| The Official Website for Eldon Johnson |
| Eldon's MySpace Page |