After Collin Johnson was born eight weeks premature with a grade four brain hemorrhage, his parents were told he would likely never walk or run, and that there was a high chance he would have cerebral palsy. Johnson overcame those early life hurdles with the help of physical therapy and speech therapy. His mom bought him a toy piano when he was just 3, and he started taking piano and guitar lessons at age 6. When he was 5, Johnson taught himself how to play the drums, and later he learned bass and took vocal lessons.
His first band, Blatant Youth, was formed when he was in sixth grade; two original members currently play with Hippo Campus, a popular local Twin Cities band. Now 18 years old, Johnson has won several competitions for his vocal and guitar talents. In 2013, he took first place in the McNally Smith College of Music Class of the Teen Guitar Titans. He’ll attend college there in the fall, seeking a guitar major and auditioning for the vocal program, with a minor in music production.
Johnson has appeared locally on WCCO, KARE 11’s Saturday morning show and Land of 10,000 Stories and nationally on NBC’s Today Show in New York City. In September 2015, he released his debut EP, Save a Little Soul, and says the inspiration behind his work stems from his favorite artists: Foo Fighters, Weezer and Jimi Hendrix (his favorite guitarist). This is only the beginning for Johnson. “I want to take [my music career] as far as possible,” he says. “I’m not in it for the money; I’m really in it to inspire people.”
Collin Johnson’s music is available on iTunes, Spotify and his website.
