Freedy Johnston (born 1961) is a New York City-based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas. Johnston’s first album, “The Trouble Tree” was released in 1990, and features the guitar playing of the roots musician and author, David Hamburger. Johnston sold some of his family’s farmland to finance the recording of his second album, Can You Fly (an event he wrote about in a song on that album, “Trying to Tell You I Don’t Know”). Johnston followed up with his 1994 major label debut This Perfect World, which received rave reviews and led to Rolling Stone Magazine naming him “songwriter of the year”. That album also spawned a minor alternative hit with the song “Bad Reputation”.
Johnston’s songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation and disappointment. Known for the craftsmanship of his songs, he has sometimes been called a “songwriter’s songwriter”.
He has contributed songs to the soundtracks for movies including Kingpin and Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead. Johnston and fellow musicians Jay Moran, James “Pie” Cowan, Duke Erikson, and Butch Vig perform occasional shows as a covers band called “The Know-It-All Boyfriends.”
Johnston latest release is a covers album titled “Rain on the City”, It includes selections from Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, Matthew Sweet and The Hollies. |
