Southend-On-Sea, UK (CelebrityAccess) — Wilko Johnson, the British musician and actor best known as a founding member of the British blues-rock band Dr. Feelgood, has died. He was 75.
News of his passing was shared on his social media with a post on his Facebook page stating: “This is the announcement we never wanted to make, & we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died. He passed away at home on Monday 21st November. Thank you for respecting the family’s privacy at this very sad time. RIP Wilko Johnson.”
A cause of death for Johnson was not provided.
Known for his distinctive ‘choppy’ guitar style, Johnson drew inspiration from diverse influences such as blues rock legend Bo Diddley, and English rocker Mick Green and eschewed the use of a pick, instead, relying on fingerstyle for his guitar work.
Johnson, along with Lee Brilleaux and John Sparks, founded the Pigboy Charlie Band that would become Dr. Feelgood in 1971.
After adding drummer John Martin, the group quickly established itself as a popular pub act on the London circuit and recorded their debut album, Down by the Jetty, for United Artists in 1974.
While they were best known for their live performances, Dr. Feelgood broke through to the charts in 1977 with their third album, Sneakin’ Suspicion, but Johnson left the group during the recording of the album amid creative differences. Johnson maintained that he was fired from the group but other members stated that he left of his own accord.
“This animosity had grown up between myself and (singer) Lee Brilleaux. We’d been touring America hard and we couldn’t stand to be in the same room together. I don’t know what it was all about. We were great friends,” Johnson told the BBC in a 2012 interview. “It seems ridiculous now. You’re doing really good, making great music, selling records and travelling all over the world and then, suddenly, you have a hissy fit and that’s it.”
Following his exit from Dr. Feelgood, Johnson performed with numerous groups, including f Solid Senders, with keyboardist John Potter, bassist Steve Lewins, and drummer Alan Platt, and Alan Drury’s Blockheads
He also launched his own band, The Wilko Johnson Band, and recorded multiple albums and EPs, most recently in 2018 with the release of “Blow Your Mind.”
In addition to music, Johnson was an actor as well, appearing in the long-running HBO drama “Game of Thrones” as the sinister executioner, Ser Ilyn Payne.
Johnson married his childhood sweetheart, Irene Knight and the couple had two sons together. His wife died in 2004 from cancer.
