Daniel Johnston is an influential music artist whose early style served as a prototype to the anti-folk music scene. Johnston is another one of my favorite artists due to his truthful, blunt, and sometimes childish style.
Johnston, born in 1961, was inspired by the Beatles at an early age. He began to play the piano and compose music while in high school. A manic depressant and schizophrenic, Johnston’s unabashedly embeds his problems on wax and leaves behind a carbon footprint of his twisted and beautiful mind.
Johnston began recording music on a simple tape player in his room at home. He made hundreds of tapes, created simple packaging, and passed the tapes out on the street. He eventually caught the ears of MTV. In 1985 he was featured on MTV as an artist to watch. Prompted for success, Johnstons mental issues prevented him from having a successful career, as he was often convienced that Satan was inside of his brain and would stop concerts to spread the word of Jesus. Although Johnston was never a commercial success, his style of music influenced a variety of artists, including Nirvana. I think it's so sad that at the height of his "career", he was so mentally unstable that he did not know what was going on.
One of the things I love about Johnston is the sound of his voice. Johnston is not an amazing singer to say the least, and his musical talent on the piano and guitar is sub-par, but Johnston has the amazing ability to convey joy, pain, sorrow, and any other emotion he is experiencing into a song. Melding the rawness of his voice into beautiful lyrics, listening to Johnston is an experience that is unbearable to many, but enthralling to me.
Johnston is also an artist. His drawings, just like his music, are simple, child like and honest. If you'd like more info about him, there is a great documentary about Daniel Johnston called The Devil and Daniel Johnston. I'm posting two of my favorite songs. Enjoy his madness, he is one of my favorites. Listen to the lyrics, they are amazing.
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