Ep 25: Country Artist Johnny Young: Finding Success Outside Nashville's Hit Factory.

The final episode of "Across the DinerVerse's" first season. Already working on diner locations for season two which will premiere in the coming weeks from: New York City, Long Island, San Francisco, and a swing through the Midwest and south.  In the meantime, please enjoy this podcast with amazing country artist, Johnny Young.

A singer, songwriter and accomplished guitarist, Johnny shares his breakthrough journey into the world of country music. From the age of five, Johnny was a natural performer, putting on a show for his kindergarten classmates as Gene Simmons of KISS--to the ecstatic delight of his friends, and the absolute shock of their parents. From there he went on to learn how to play drums, then guitar, which put him on the path to a career in music.

Forming and playing in a number of different bands, Johnny has performed on twenty different record albums as a musician and vocalist. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, the alternative/grunge rock movement was part of his musical development, but country music was naturally in his blood because his parents always had it on the radio in the house.

Just after his father died, Johnny broke-up with a long-time girlfriend, and the Covid pandemic killed the music touring business. He was lost, homeless and unsure of what to do--in his mind he was living a real-life country song. So, he decided to write about those difficult experiences and went to Nashville to record them with Country Music Hall of Fame guitarist and producer, Smith Curry. The resulting self-titled album is a phenomenal debut featuring a dozen tracks of both riff-layered country rockers and moving musical explorations of loss and heartbreak. Johnny was also able to corral Georgette Jones, the daughter of country music's royal power couple, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, for his break-up ballad, "So Long."

Johnny also pulls back the curtain on the current state of the recording industry and highlights the insidious business model of music streaming--which is great for fans, streamers and record companies, but bad for songwriters and artists.

It's a full hour of honest conversation, stories, memories and plenty of great music with Johnny Young from Bogart's Bar inside Club Calpella in Ukiah, California.

For music, videos, tour schedule, merch and all things Johnn Young, please visit:
www.johnnyyoungcountry.com

Club Calpella
6175 N. State Street
Ukiah, CA. 954482
[phone]
(Facebook) Club-Calpella-Restaurant

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