Wilko Johnson: An Appreciation and Reminiscence
I met him the first time he was dying
Southend-on-Sea is not the most upmarket place in Britain, but it beats Canvey Island, the nearby land reclaimed from the mouth of the River Thames and scarred by the petrochemical industry.
That Wilko Johnson, who died on November 21, only moved from the latter, where he was born, to the former a few miles away says a lot about the man. Its slightly deprived, working-class mien appears to have suited him.
It helped spawn the music he made, first and foremost with the 1970s band Dr. Feelgood, a frenzied rhythm ’n blues outfit that heralded what became known as Punk.
While acts like David Bowie and Pink Floyd were lighting up the scene with flair, Dr. Feelgood hit the bars and clubs with some down-and-dirty rock.
Wilko was a major stage presence and an innovator with guitar licks.
With a geeky pudding-bowl haircut and a manic stare, he strutted across stages like a robot, banging out fabulous riffs on his trademark red and black guitar to compliment the brilliant lead singer Lee Brilleaux, who died in 1994.
