Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston(2007)

Subject: Obit: Shetland legend
From: GUEST,Guest effsee sans cookie
Date: 22 May 07 - 06:25 PM

Sad news from the Shetland Isles today of the passing of Peerie Willie Johnston. More of him here:- http://www.tradmusichall.com/PeerieWJohnson.htm

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 22 May 07 - 06:36 PM

Sad news indeed Frank, a real legend.
Schenectady Calling Peerie Willie Johnston, come in please.
Rest in peace Willie.
Giok

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: Howard Jones
Date: 22 May 07 - 06:57 PM

A sad loss.

I remember a wonderful weekend spent trailing Willie, Tom Anderson and Aly Bain around various pubs in the Peak District. They'd play all day in the pubs, do a gig in the evening, and then back to someone's house to play into the small hours. Unforgettable!

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: Declan
Date: 22 May 07 - 08:14 PM

Very sad news indeed.

'Peerie Willie' had a uniaque style of "Dum Chunk" guitar playing roooted in the tradition with a hint of jazz, which contributed to the styles of many guitar accompanists in Shetland, Scotland, Ireland and far beyond.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: Teribus
Date: 23 May 07 - 07:53 AM

Very, very sad to hear the news - a great loss.

I met him and heard him play in "The Lounge" in Lerwick about seven years ago during "Up-Helly-Ah". A truly wonderful person, one of the greats - Rest In Peace.

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 May 07 - 09:15 AM

Vastly wonderful backing guitarist. His style has gone out favour now, in favour of the strangely accented DADGAD "Celtic style", but his steady bass and damped chord style kept Shetland music powerfully rhythmic for years. He'd liked what he heard from the30's and 40's jazz boys, and he kept it that way. I think of him most days, because I try to play that way a lot of the time(not with his success)!
Last played with him very late in the festival club at Shetland festival, very late. He played piano, I was on guitar, and we played La Paloma as a change from the jigs and reels. Last saw him when I walked ashore after boating from Bergen to Lerwick, and there he was walking down the street. So we shot into a bar for a drink, as you do when you arrive in Lerwick from Bergen: the drink in SDhetland is half the price.
A fantastic man and musician. Perhaps the most impressive thing about him was his hair!
RIP

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 May 07 - 10:08 AM

he was a great guitarist,all those guitarists and bazooka players who just fill in the sound with out adding any rhythmic lift should give him a listen,
a sad day indeed.

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: MikeofNorthumbria
Date: 23 May 07 - 10:29 AM

Not just a great guitarist, but a great musician - and a whole rhythm section in himself. On one of the early "Fiddles on Fire" tours he backed several of the soloists, and also gave a very illuminating workshop on guitar accompaniment which I had the great privilege and pleasure of attending. He will be missed, but his work will live on.

Wassail!

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: GUEST
Date: 23 May 07 - 10:37 AM

An incredibly influential guitarist/accompanist. We'll miss him. I only met him once, briefly, in Sandy Bell's many years ago.

Giok, I don't quite get the "Schenectady calling..." reference.

One who lives there.
(well, actually I live here,,,I'll get my coat)

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: guitar
Date: 23 May 07 - 10:41 AM

I'm sad to hear that Peerie Willie Johnston is dead, I saw years ago in the 3 toons festival in Stevenston I just loved the way he played that guitar, I just felt like going home and setting my on fire, I mean the man was great no one could come anywhere close.

RIP PEERIE WILLIE

YOU'RE UP PLAYING GOD'S FOLK CLUB NOW ALONG WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: guitar
Date: 23 May 07 - 10:43 AM

Schenectady calling is a song by Michael Marra about Peerie Willie Johnston

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: Anglo
Date: 23 May 07 - 11:34 AM

Thanks, Guitar. Don't know the song.

Sorry about my anonymous guest posting - apparently I had tossed my cookie.

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: doncatterall
Date: 26 May 07 - 01:27 PM

Was at a Michael Marra concert in Stornoway last night and he sang "Schenectady Calling Peerie Willie Johnson" - very poignant as I had earlier picked up this thread.
From the way he introduced the song I don't think Michael was aware of Peerie Willie's passing - hope he got the message I sent back stage.
I only ever saw Peerie Willie on TV but almost every Shetland musician I've ever seen has mentioned him as an influence. RIP

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 May 07 - 04:03 PM

YouTube video - Michael Marra, "Schenectady calling Peerie Willie Johnson"

Subject: Obit: Shetland Legendary Guitarist PeerieWilli
From: GUEST,Baz Parkes
Date: 31 May 07 - 11:10 AM

From Rod Stradling's MusicalTraditions site

'Peerie' Willie Johnson
In the late afternoon of Tuesday 22 May 2007, Shetland lost a true musical legend with the quiet passing of 'Peerie' Willie Johnson at the age of 86.
Born in Yell, before moving to Lerwick, 'Peerie' Willie was our very own home-grown guitar genius, equally at home trading tunes, chords and licks in his 'local' with anyone who cared (or dared) to join in or modestly, even reluctantly, sharing the stage with some great musical names, occasionally in front of massive TV or radio audiences.

For what its worth IMO one of the finest guitar accompanists ever...and not too bad at the occasional solo

That celestial session just keeps growing...

Baz

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: greg stephens
Date: 01 Jun 07 - 11:34 AM

BBC Radio 4 has just run an appreciation of Peerie Willie on the obit programme "Last Words". Dave Richardson of Boys of the Lough gave the tribute. Perhaps this is available on the Listen Again option? I'm not too au fait with how you wqould find out that sort of thing?

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 01 Jun 07 - 11:40 AM

The replayer is still carrying last week's programme but I expect it will change by and by:

Last Word

and it's repeated on Sunday @ 20.30

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: greg stephens
Date: 01 Jun 07 - 11:42 AM

Thanks very much D E

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: GUEST,RJM
Date: 28 Sep 23 - 03:24 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHRfff93zok

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: GUEST,RJM
Date: 28 Sep 23 - 03:25 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMvqwl6N-s8

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston(2007)
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 11 Oct 23 - 07:25 PM

Guitar Legends
10th October 2023 - BBC Radio Scotland
Caroline Moyes explores the legacies of Peerie Willie Johnson and Ian Bairnson.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001rd9f

available for 4 weeks

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: GUEST,RJM
Date: 28 Sep 23 - 03:24 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHRfff93zok

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston
From: GUEST,RJM
Date: 28 Sep 23 - 03:25 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMvqwl6N-s8

Subject: RE: Obit: Shetland legend Peerie Willie Johnston(2007)
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 11 Oct 23 - 07:25 PM

Guitar Legends
10th October 2023 - BBC Radio Scotland
Caroline Moyes explores the legacies of Peerie Willie Johnson and Ian Bairnson.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001rd9f

available for 4 weeks