"Johnny's got it all... the voice, great songs, musicianship, stage presence & he's so young; I hate him. If there's any justice at all in this crazy music industry, Johnny has a place waiting for him on a major record label."
-John Platania, producer, guitarist
Johnny Marnell first fell in love with the guitar in second grade and has been faithful ever since. Music has been his best friend and number one passion for as long as he can remember, and his work's quality demonstrates his love of the art form. Johnny sees music, namely, the live performance, as a two-way street; if the audience isn't having fun, neither is he. His goal is to make music to nod heads to, whether from appreciation or involuntarily grooving with the supplied funk. He is an energetic performer, with hips and legs moving almost as much as hands and mouth --playing and singing is second nature fun to him, and the effect is downright contagious.
Musically, Marnell successfully blends a variety of many forms, from pop, soul, funk, blues, to jazz. He believes music should come from the soul, and thus is his sound complex, yet familiar, and never, ever boring. A boy who watched too many romantic comedies as a kid, Johnny writes songs about his core value set including the likes of love, family, and sensuality. His lyrics are witty and thought provoking; his music melodic and emotionally stirring. Johnny's dynamic voice, ranging from a raspy blue-eyed soul to a peaceful, almost nostalgic fullness, compliments his tunes which are rarely neither completely happy nor sad, but usually somewhere between.
His influences are as eclectic as his style, including greats like Steely Dan, Jeff Buckley, and James Taylor.
Hey! Schedule a show when I'm back in NY will you please? March 17th-31st. Make that happen :) Hope you had a wonderful birthday the first time around!
I KNOW, RIGHT? super crazy!! you know what else is crazy? dancing 90's style with Val for her b-day!! Whoop Whoop!! Save Salt-n-Pepa's "none of your business" for me, okay? I think I might smuggle my boob-juice flask. It will be it's first outting. Aw...heartwarming. Literally.
Hey! Happy New Year to you too! So glad to hear that you're performing but it makes me sad that I'm not around to see you play... I'm touring with Jesus Christ Superstar right now. I'll be back in the city at the end of this month. Hopefully you'll have a gig then :)
How have you been?? Here's hoping you're well and happy. Let me know if you're gonna be singing anywhere next time I'm in NYC and I'll definitely come and see you.
Clean shirt, new shoes And I dont know where I am goin to. Silk suit, black tie, I dont need a reason why. They come runnin just as fast as they can Coz every girl crazy bout a sharp dressed man.
sorry i missed the hang the other night... i was playing cover tunes in Hoboken to drunk Jersey kids. awesome. let's hang SOON. any shows worth checkin out?
dude, it was fantastic. feist came out and sang happy birthday and then sat in all night. it was great. not really, but that would have been cool. missed ya.
Johnny Its your bassist chiming in. Just got your message and looking forward to the Rockwood gig when I return from Istanbul. Keep my chair warm I will be back and ready to rock before you know it :) Ricardo