Johnson's Improbable History of Pop

KPBX 91.1, Saturday, 9pm-10pm

John Johnson conducts a tour of the
obscure world of early rock and pop music.

Program Listings:
September 4, 2010
From the Soundtrack
A diverse lot of rock music used in films, including "Zabriskie Point," "Easy Rider," "Steelyard Blues," and "Performance."

September 11, 2010
Ry Cooder
A career sampling from the versatile multi-instrumentalist including solo, soundtrack, and studio guest appearances.

September 18, 2010
Call Me Lightnin'
Guest host Frank Delaney has a retrospective of the post-war Texas blues legend Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins.

September 25, 2010
Nils Lofgren
A retrospective including his solo career, time as the leader of Grin, and his stints as guitarist in the bands of Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young.

About John:
Thanks to John Johnson, the 95 percent of records that rarely if ever got commercial airtime have a chance. The Saturday night show Johnson’s Improbable History of Pop features those artists who have fallen through the commercial cracks.

When the program began in February of 1995, Johnson said, “My mission is to provide that exposure, and give recognition to the fact that talent and hit records don’t have a lot to do with each other.” That still holds true today and way over 650 episodes later.

A few years ago, Johnson began some retrospectives on ‘80s and 90's bands. "I always seem to run a decade or two late", he said. Another recent area of focus has been the singer/ songwriter era of the early 1970's because "there were so many records being issued back then it took a real promotional push to get airtime. As a result, some of the artists had a real uphill climb. Too many talented people simply got lost in the shuffle at the time".

JIHOP was originally meant to be a blues or soul program, but
the idea expanded into other artists and styles that weren't getting a lot of exposure. He tries to include all the elements in pop music, including rock, soul, rockabilly, country, jazz, folk, and international rock.

Johnson is retired from Boeing where he worked as a manufacturing manager. He now spends his time with music, movies and movie history, golf, and with his family. He and his wife Melinda are lucky to have both daughters and all three grandchildren in town.