Johnny Williamson is a guitar player, composer, and instructor based in Nashville, Tennessee. Well versed in a multitude of styles, he has recorded and toured with a variety of independent and major-label artists such as Katie Pruitt, Emma Hern, Corey Leiter, Chris August, The Muddy Magnolias, Emily Hackett, and is a full-time member of the Nashville-based funk/groove band LUTHI.
Growing up in Hartwell, Georgia, he was influenced early on by his father’s eclectic taste in music. Hearing The Grateful Dead, Little Feat, and The Beach Boys on car rides were some of Johnny’s earliest musical memories. He would soon discover another main influence, another band who hailed from his home state of Georgia, The Allman Brothers Band.
After moving to Nashville to study music at Belmont University, Johnny would discover his love for fingerstlye guitar, being influenced by Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, and Tommy Emmanuel. He also worked as an intern for Tommy Emmanuel, running the merch stand at shows and trying to learn as much as he could about the style he loved so much from one of his greatest influences. Not stopping there, Johnny’s interest’s kept growing as he found a deep appreciation for improvisational music through artists like Wayne Krantz, John Scofield, and Jimmy Herring.
Currently, you can catch Johnny in Nashville or on the road with LUTHI and powerhouse singer/songwriter Katie Pruitt.