Joyce - Current Artist / Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson has been one of my favorite artists since first hearing his song Upside Down in the Curious George movie when I was about seven years old. His music is both calming and upbeat with gentle lyrics that resonate with many age groups. Born in May of 1975 in Hawaii, Johnson was the son of a world famous surfer and spent much of his early life in the water, which later contributed to the beachy vibes a lot of his songs give off. He got his early success by working with musician Ben Harper (definitely check out Steal My Kisses by Ben Harper! It's another one of my favorite songs!) and his management team. After releasing his first album, he began touring with Harper in February of 2001. Johnson has released seven full length albums thus far in his career, with the latest having been released in 2017.
In addition to his incredible musical talent and kind persona, Johnson is a huge supporter of charity. Jack and his wife Kim started a charity foundation to support the environment, art, and music education. Johnson is a huge believer in using his platform to make an impact in the world.


I feel that Jack Johnson is a perfect display of an amazing artist who is a perfect representation of what the music scene should be. He continues to create by producing new albums every few years, while also using his recognition to make an impact in society. His songs are very upbeat and happy with beautiful instrumentals layered behind the clever lyrics. Johnson claims a lot of the artists we have discussed during this class as his musical influences, including The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young.

Here are a few of my favorite Jack Johnson songs to give everyone a taste of his broad range of music!

Upside Down (2006) - From the animated Curious George movie!

Bubble Toes (2001) - One of his earliest songs!

Better Together (2005)