Biography
Best known for his guitar work in the Doobie Brothers, Tom Johnston was born August 15, 1948, in Visalia, CA. Johnston fell in love with RB music at a young age and learned to play the songs of Little Richard, Bo Diddley, and James Brown when he received his first guitar at the age of 12. He played in soul, blues, and even a Mexican wedding band in his teens and continued playing in a blues group while attending college in San Jose. It was there he met the legendary lead singer of Moby Grape, Skip Spence, who was drumming for the Jefferson Airplane at the time. Spence introduced Johnston to John Hartman and the two would play together in numerous bands, finally finding success when they formed the Doobie Brothers.

Despite Johnston's disappointment that the first Doobies album went "Teflon" instead of gold or platinum, he stuck with the band and wrote Listen to the Music and Rockin' Down the Highway -- two songs that would be key to the band's massive success. A stomach ailment kept Johnston off the band's 1975 tour and his replacement -- Michael McDonald -- would eventually change the band's sound. Johnston didn't like where the band was going and decided to leave in 1977 for a solo career. His solo albums Everything You've Heard Is True from 1979 and Still Feels Good from 1981 failed to make much of an impact. In 1988, he rejoined the McDonald-less Doobies and wrote their minor 1989 hit, The Doctor. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi




 
Videos
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Listen to the Music feat. Tom Johnston (The Doobie Brothers) | Playing For Change
Tom Johnston talks about Michael McDonald replacing him as frontman
JOIN FORCES with The Doobie Brothers' Tom Johnston | Another Park, Another Sunday
Tom Johnston Leaves Doobie Brothers Tour Over Back Injury
The Doobie Brothers - China Grove (ft. Tom Johnston) [Live at the Greek Theater, 1982]
Lara & Tom Johnston (Doobie Brothers) | Live From Marin County, CA | May 2, 2020 | #stayhomewithPFC
Doobie Brothers - Listen To The Music • TopPop
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