Jack Hody Johnson (born on May 18, 1975) is an American folk singer-singwriter, best known for his laid-back image.
Since debuting in 2001 with Brushfire Fairytales, Jack has become a favorite among many for his simple, catchy songs, his friendly manner with fans, and his relaxed, fun live performances. Many of his songs get significant radio airplay, and almost his whole catalog gets at least some.
Discography:
- Brushfire Fairytales (2001)
- On and On (2003)
- In Between Dreams (2005)
- Sing Alongs and Lullabies from the Film Curious George (2006)*
- Sleep Through The Static (2008)
- En Concert (2009) (live album)
- To The Sea (2010)
- From Here to Now to You (2013)
- All the Light Above It Too (2017)
- Meet the Moonlight (2022)
Tropes:
- Adam Westing: Both he and Andy Samberg (who frequently parodied Jack on Saturday Night Live) get a turn at this in the video for "At or With Me," with Samberg as a jerkass heckler version of himself and Johnson, who recognizes him, defying his "mellow" image by leaping off the stage and besting Samberg in a violent braw.
- Album Title Drop: His first three albums:
- "Inaudible Melodies":
brushfire fairytales, itsy bitsy diamond whales- "Times like These":
and it always goes on and on and on and on, on and on and on and on it goes- "Better Together":
but if my dreams might find their way into my day-to-day scene, I'd be under the impression I was somewhere in between - Beware the Nice Ones: Parodied in the afore-mentioned video for "At or With Me." Andy Samberg learns the hard way that Jack does not appreciate hecklers.
- Green Aesop: "The Horizon Has Been Defeated."
- Pop-Star Composer: Sing Alongs and Lullabies from the Film Curious George. Arguably, the album (particularly "Upside Down," which became a minor radio hit) is
better remembered than the movie it was tied in to. - Prefers Going Barefoot: Is known to appear barefoot in concerts, photoshoots, albums, music videos, etc. Saturday Night Live had fun with this with fake commercials where he (played by Andy Samberg) hawks JJ Casuals, shoes that look like bare feet.
- Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: Both his image and music are defined by being upbeat, mellow and carefree.
- Three Chords and the Truth: His songs are famously very simple and are mostly comprised of basic guitar chords and sparse accompaniment. He's said that this is because he's not that technically skilled as a guitarist and what you hear is the best he can do.
