Mercury Blues - by Johnny Hiland at the 2016 Dallas International Guitar Show

Mercury Blues - performed by Johnny Hiland at the Dallas International Guitar Show

Johnny Hiland (guitar & vocals), Mike Barrow (guitar), T.J. Armstrong (bass), Bruce Guthrie (Drums)
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Johnny Hiland

Johnny Hiland’s breathtaking guitar skill is made that much more impressive when you realize he was born with a condition called Nystagmus, an eye disease which renders him legally blind. Though this certainly must have been a hindrance to initially learning to play, he took up the guitar at the very young age of 2. He won the “Talent America Contest” in New York City when he was only 10. Until he turned 15 he played in a band bluegrass with his sister, Jodi, and brother, Jerry. They called themselves “The 3 J’s.”

In high school his taste in music broadened as he became interested in the great rock guitarists, among them Eddie Van Halen and Joe Satriani. He then attended the University of Southern Maine while studying history. The pull of performing music professionally turned out to be too strong to resist and he dropped out after 3 years to move to Nashville. Soon after arriving there he attracted attention while playing local clubs. He was the first Nashville musician to be offered an endorsement deal from Fender without being signed to a label.

In addition to his love of performing, Hiland has found a passion for teaching others to play. In 2014 teamed up with Truefire to release a series of instructional videos titled “Ten Gallon Guitar”. He owns a studio that he uses to produce other musicians as well as record session guitar tracks for various artists.

Thanks to his manager calling Steve Vai and leaving one of Hiland’s demos on Via’s voicemail, Hiland earned a record deal on Vai’s Favored Nations record label. He became a successful session guitarists for well-known artists such as Ricky Skaggs, Toby Keith, and Randy Travis. He worked for two years preparing his self-titled debut album, which was comprised of country and rock instrumentals and released in 2004.

You’re sure to see in these performances from the Dallas International Guitar Festival in 2016, that Hiland is on a level all his own. He is the modern king of chicken pickin’ guitar playing.

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