Mike Johnson on AirPlay Direct

Mike Johnson is Country Music's No.1 Black Yodeler. His Yodel Song Archives, [114 yodeling songs written & composed by him] their lyrics, two other CDs, two DVDs, and a 46 page biography, are now officially part of the permanent collection of the Recorded Sound Reference Center at the Library of Congress.

Born in 1946 Mike was first influenced by the singing Movie Cowboys. He began performing during the mid-1960s and became serioulsy involved in songwriting the mid-1970s. He has since penned over 1200 songs, including more than 100 yodeling songs. During the 1980s he created his own publishing company and record label and sold a lot of his music in Union 76 Truck Stops around the country. On 1 September 2002, singer-songwriter-long distant trucker, Mike Johnson was inducted into America's Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame by the National Traditional Country Music Association.

In November 2003, Mike's trucking career came to a halt when 3 of his neck vertebrae collapsed on his spinal cord. Laid up for nearly two years, he made his first official appearance on 5 May 2005 at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City, where he participated in Bart Plantenga's yodel-book lecture with Yodelers Randy Erwin and Lynn Book. Plantenga authored the 2004 best seller, "Yodel-Ay-Eee-Ooo, The Secret History Of Yodeling Around The World." Mike is also one of the 18 world famous Yodeler's on Plantenga's "Rough Guide To Yodel" CD, that was produced by the World Music Network in London. His song "Yeah I'm A Cowboy" is on Track No.14.

Mike will quickly tell you that he first learned to yodel by imitating Johnny Weissmueller's Tarzan. A live performance of his tribute song "Tarzan Did" is currently available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WA_9Ic7yGA

Mike inherited his artistic abilities from both of his parents. in grade school he began writing stories and drawing illustrations for them. His recently released book "El Latigo, A Little Known Legend of the Tijuana Jail" follows a young Mike on some of his early exploits. It is currently available at http://Amazon.com/El-Latigo-Little-Known-Tijuana-Stories/dp/1424133793

View some of Mike's artwork at;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AIw-gFJkHo
Mike has about 40 YouTube music videos posted.

"Mike Johnson Yodeling 40 Years" a 2-disc CD released in Januray 2007, features 50 yodeling songs written and composed by him. "Guitar Songs Vol.3" and a CD Single "The Wall" A Tribute To Vietnam Veterans, released around August 2007.

There have been other famous Black Yodelers, like Charles Anderson, Monroe Tabor, Beulah Henderson during the Minstrel & Stringband era between 1888 and 1925, and Korean War Veteran McDonald Craig who is still residing on his Linden, Tennesse farm. However, it is Mike's unique and versatile combinations of the Jimmie Rodgers and Swiss yodelings styles, along with his large catalog of self-penned yodeling songs that earned him his postition as Country Music's No.1 Black Yodeler.

Roughshod Records
P.O. Box 100933, Arlington, Va. 22210
www.hometown.aol.com/blackyodelno1/roughshodrecordstore.html