Johnny Williams
Johnny Williams is a bluegrass singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter from Virginia who grew up near Fries, in Grayson County. He founded the band Clearwater in 1989 and that year hired singer Jeanette Finney as its tenor singer. The two married in 1991. The band was renamed Jeanette Williams and Clearwater around 1996, as Jeanette's vocals became its focus, and later became the Jeanette Williams Band. Johnny remained its guitarist, manager and main songwriter. He won first place in the bluegrass division of MerleFest's Chris Austin Songwriting Contest in 1998 and 1999. His songs have been recorded by Doyle Lawson, Larry Cordle, Larry Stephenson, Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice and Special Consensus, among others. He and Jeanette later performed with guitarist Jay Shelton as Shelton & Williams and with the Larry McPeak Tribute Band. He served as an artist in residence for the Crooked Road, Virginia's heritage music trail, through June 2023.
In the newsletter
- No. 20 Summer 1999