If Tom Sawyer had grown up to be Woody Guthrie, the result would be Chuck Johnson, "the Charlyhorse." His upbringing in a small Southern town and the roads he traveled from there inspired vivid soundscape stories populated by trailer-park queens, hellfire preachers, shuttered cotton mills and down-home philosophers.
Firmly anchored in the American roots tradition, Chuck's songwriting draws on the legacy of his musical heroes, including John Prine, Bob Dylan, Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, and Johnny Cash. but his background in rock, country, R&B and funk gives each tune its own unique feel. Onstage, the result is humorous, high-energy performances paced by wistful ballads of lost love, life and death.
With a voice like smooth Tennessee whiskey, simple lyrics of surprising sophistication and a passion for his work, Chuck draws his audiences into musical movies they'll be talking about long after the show's over. His creative approach to the enduring Southern roots genre places him in the front ranks of emerging singer/songwriters.
