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John Andrew Wilkinson

(12 July 1947 – 21 November 2022)

aka. Wilco Johnson

Born on Canvey Island, Essex. One of his earliest
memories was of the 1953 floods, which hit low-lying
Canvey badly and caused many deaths. Canvey became a
romantic place in Johnson’s mind, with its lonely views of
the Thames estuary overshadowed by the towers and
blazing fires of the nearby Shell Haven oil refinery.
spawned the blues musicians they came to admire.

Wilco was, naturally left handed and when he came
under the influence of the likes of Hank Marvin of the
Shadows and Mick Green of Johnny Kidd and the
Pirates. Wilco wanted to play right handed and he
adapted Green’s style after he found playing right-
handed meant he could not hold a plectrum, He
perfected a way of flicking his fingernails across the
strings, which helped him to play the speedy, slashing
rhythms that became his stock-in-trade.

After his time at Newcastle University, he went off on a
slow tour of India, inspired in part by his father’s tales
of army life in the northwest frontier during WWII.

On return he formed a jug band with his brother and on
meeting (in 1971) Lee Brilleaux (also in a jug band) the
first steps toward the development of Dr .

Feelgood were taken.

Dr Feelgood went on to become one of the front
runners in the development of British punk rock , a
position they retained with ease.

The Solid Senders, a period with Ian Dury’s
Blockheads and the development of the Wilco
Johnson Band followed.

In 2013 Wilco was diagnosed with terminal
pancreatic cancer. Far from beaten, Wilco recorded
with Roger Daltry of The Who and later took a role
in the TV show, Game of Thrones.

in 2018 he released the solo album “Blow Your
Mind”. He was still performing regularly with his
band until September this year.

Ian K McKenzie