Already an international hit, Richard Johnston cleared a new trail for himself and is poised at the forefront for a new generation of country blues artists. Artists like R.L. Burnside, the North Mississippi All Stars and Buddy Guy have recently been brought into the spotlight for their diverse, cross-over appeal that spans the blues, rock and country scenes. Enter Richard Johnston.

Born in Houston, Texas in 1965 Richard started playing music professionally at the age of 27 while studying abroad in Japan. Fluent in Japanese, he focused his attention on country blues and became a regular on the club circuit in Nagoya, Japan's third largest city.

Commercial Appeal writer Bill Ellis from Memphis, TN, saw Richard play in Japan and encouraged him to return and start a career in the states. In 1997 Richard moved to Memphis and onto the Beale Street scene making a name for himself as one of the rawest talents to ever hit the home of the blues.

After a year of enthralling tourists on the Black Diamond’s street-side patio, his focus shifted to the hypnotic blues of North Mississippi and it’s recently destroyed Mecca, Junior Kimbrough’s Juke Joint. Richard would soon after become the front man of the late great Junior Kimbrough’s band, The Soul Blues Boys. Together with whom Junior recorded All Night Long, voted blues album of the 90’s by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Richard was given the irreplaceable opportunity to experience the emerging country-punk blues explosion at its epicenter, right from the master’s chair. He learned and played hill-country/cotton patch blues music with many of the artists who have created the genre.

After losing his electric guitar and amp in the fire that destroyed Junior Kimbrough’s Juke Joint in 2000, Johnston took his resonator back to Beale Street in Memphis. No stranger to living on couches or in his truck, he began from scratch with nothing but a heart full of hill country music. While playing in and outside of club’s on Beale Street he worked to make his solo performances emulate the hypnotic quality he had experienced at the Juke Joint.

By translating the Northern Mississippi sound into a variety of open tunings, played on a variety of custom instruments, Richard stumbled upon his niche. The result can be described as a fusion of mountain music with hill country music played to a stripped down primal beat. Hence the title of his Feb 13th, 2002 self-produced debut record, Foot Hill Stomp. On the first four tracks, as in his street show, Richard plays the drums with his feet while playing at least one other instrument and singing at the same time.

The album was paid for with his winnings from the 2001 International Blues Talent Competition hosted by the Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN, where the blues world was first introduced to the unique sounds of his handmade washboard-resonator and double-neck diddley bow, while whipping a full drum set with his feet.  He was the first competitor in the event’s 17 year history to win first place and also take home the Albert King Award for most promising blues guitarist!

Foot Hill Stomp, as a total Indy release, has the entire blues world in somewhat of an uproar and has received only stellar reviews in over 5 countries. Columbia is fortunate to witness such a rising star as Richard Johston promises to be among the highlights of the festival.