Swampers guitarist visits RHS

By Staff
Kim West
George Crummie's arts survey class at Russellville High School received a special treat Thursday afternoon.
Award-winning rhythm guitarist and producer Jimmy Johnson, 65, spent over an hour speaking to the music students about the recording industry and telling vivid stories about working as a studio musician.
Johnson, a Sheffield native, is one of the original members of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which was famously mentioned as The Swampers in Lynyrd Skynyrd's rock song, "Sweet Home Alabama."
Russellville senior Jordan Burcham, an aspiring musician and songwriter, was impressed by Johnson's experience with a diverse group of artists, including the late Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt, Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, Bob Seger and the Rolling Stones.
"He was talking about all these famous artists, and he's on a first-name basis with them," said Burcham. "He called Ronnie Van Zandt 'Ronnie' and Art Garfunkel 'Art.'"
During his visit, Johnson stressed the importance of playing multiple instruments and collaborating with musicians.
"You have to be able to do more than one thing to make a living – don't just be a guitar player – write songs, play other instruments," Johnson said. "Collaborating with other musicians is how you learn. If you get the chance, play with people who are better than you because you will learn so much, and I think this (philosophy) would work in other businesses, too."
Johnson also lamented the struggles of the recording industry and said songwriting is the key of making a good living as a recording artist.
"Songwriting is what I've been trying to do," said Burcham, who plays guitar and drums for a local band. "But I was watching a documentary on Bob Dylan, who said, 'Don't start writing until you start living.' I think you have live a little before you can write a good song."
Crummie, who plays in the local band Rewind with several other teachers, described Johnson as a legend in the music field.
"I've studied his life over 20 years, and he was a pioneer in the infant field of recording sound and technique," said Crummie, choral director and former band director at RHS. "Jimmy and his band has either played or worked on 80 different cuts of albums. He doesn't like to refer to himself as one but he is a walking legend."
The Swampers, who have belonged to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame since 1995, will be inducted into Nashville's Musicians Hall of Fame in October, along with artists such as The Crickets, Buddy Holly's band, and producer Al Kooper, who produced the first three Lynyrd Skynyrd albums.