Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

The Hank Show

'He made me a replica of Hank's suit, the white suit with black musical notes.'

'I've been the Singing Cowboy of Rawhide Ranch for eight years now," says Cowboy Jack Johnson. "That's a dude ranch in Bonsall -- it's been there since the '60s, with Old West facades and stages...kids learn how to take care of and ride horses and stuff. Then, at the big campfire, I sing a bunch of cowboy standards and tell stories about the Old West. I do that most every Saturday night, whenever I'm not booked with one of my band projects."

The longtime San Diegan (since 1968) is also the originator and lead performer of "The Hank Show," which he calls "a re-creation, not a tribute, of the music of Hank Williams, Sr. We've been doing it about six years now, with hits from the width of his career. He recorded from '47 to '53 and we play the songs in chronological order. The band wears vintage smile-pocket Western shirts with hats and ties and we all play instruments accurate to that era." Johnson strums guitar while his bandmates use the same style hollow-body electric guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, and upright bass used by their Sr. inspirations. "My 'Hank suit' was made for me by one of the same guys who tailored Hank's clothes. He's, like, 78 now; he was one of the guys at Nudies Rodeo Tailors [who dressed ZZ Top, among others] and he made me a replica of Hank's suit...the white suit with black musical notes."

Johnson formed another "re-creation" last year called "Band in Black," featuring the music of Johnny Cash. "That band does the same thing -- we dress in black and play vintage gear like an upright bass, the lead guitarist uses a Telecaster, and I have my Martin guitar [Cash owned several Martins]. We cover the late '50s through early '60s, all presented based on research and authentic down to the last detail." The Hank Show appears Saturday, December 11, at Pine Hills Lodge in Julian. Band in Black next performs December 30 at the YMCA Firehouse in La Jolla.

FAVORITE CARTOON CHARACTERS?

Sponsored
Sponsored

1. Road Runner ("I always root for the underdog and the coyote is the ultimate.")

2. Bugs Bunny ("He's debonair and those cartoons have sophistication and wit.")

3. Donald Duck ("You can't understand him -- it's like trying to watch the news, which is the only other TV I watch.")

4. The Three Stooges ("I guess that's a live action cartoon.")

5. Popeye ("That was a modern family. There was Popeye and Olive Oyl and he worked on the docks to support their illegitimate kid, Sweetpea")

BEST LOCAL ACTS?

1. Hot Rod Lincoln ("They do a great job capturing a vintage sound.")

2. Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash ("Of course I appreciate them.")

3. Eve Selis ("She has originality and a great rock and roll presentation.")

4. Nova Menco ("They do a really different flamenco jazz thing.")

5. Tim Flannery ("He's not a super-polished musician, but his music is honest.")

DESERT ISLAND DISCS?

1. Jazz 98.1 CD Sampler 2005 ("I get that every year -- they always have terrific selections and proceeds go to charities.")

2. Diana Krall, Live in Paris ("I love jazz more than anything.")

3. Norah Jones, Come Away with Me ("She does a Hank Williams, Sr. song on there, 'Cold Cold Heart.'")

4. Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company ("I like what he did with Willie Nelson, 'It Was A Very Good Year.'")

ALL-TIME BEST COWBOY SONGS?

1. "Cool Water" ("By Sons of the Pioneers with Roy Rogers. You don't get more classic than that.")

2. "Happy Trails" ("Roy Rogers's theme -- a great sendoff song I use to end my Cowboy Jack shows.")

3. "Ghost Riders in the Sky" ("The cowboys used to look up at the sky at night and imagine the cloud formations as riding horsemen.")

4. "Home on the Range" ("It captures how peaceful the range can be.")

5. "Ring of Fire" ("It's not really an old classic cowboy song, but it fits perfectly to do around a campfire.")

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Taco Taco Poway still has 99-cent fish tacos

Tacotopia prizewinner is well known among Powegians

'He made me a replica of Hank's suit, the white suit with black musical notes.'

'I've been the Singing Cowboy of Rawhide Ranch for eight years now," says Cowboy Jack Johnson. "That's a dude ranch in Bonsall -- it's been there since the '60s, with Old West facades and stages...kids learn how to take care of and ride horses and stuff. Then, at the big campfire, I sing a bunch of cowboy standards and tell stories about the Old West. I do that most every Saturday night, whenever I'm not booked with one of my band projects."

The longtime San Diegan (since 1968) is also the originator and lead performer of "The Hank Show," which he calls "a re-creation, not a tribute, of the music of Hank Williams, Sr. We've been doing it about six years now, with hits from the width of his career. He recorded from '47 to '53 and we play the songs in chronological order. The band wears vintage smile-pocket Western shirts with hats and ties and we all play instruments accurate to that era." Johnson strums guitar while his bandmates use the same style hollow-body electric guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, and upright bass used by their Sr. inspirations. "My 'Hank suit' was made for me by one of the same guys who tailored Hank's clothes. He's, like, 78 now; he was one of the guys at Nudies Rodeo Tailors [who dressed ZZ Top, among others] and he made me a replica of Hank's suit...the white suit with black musical notes."

Johnson formed another "re-creation" last year called "Band in Black," featuring the music of Johnny Cash. "That band does the same thing -- we dress in black and play vintage gear like an upright bass, the lead guitarist uses a Telecaster, and I have my Martin guitar [Cash owned several Martins]. We cover the late '50s through early '60s, all presented based on research and authentic down to the last detail." The Hank Show appears Saturday, December 11, at Pine Hills Lodge in Julian. Band in Black next performs December 30 at the YMCA Firehouse in La Jolla.

FAVORITE CARTOON CHARACTERS?

Sponsored
Sponsored

1. Road Runner ("I always root for the underdog and the coyote is the ultimate.")

2. Bugs Bunny ("He's debonair and those cartoons have sophistication and wit.")

3. Donald Duck ("You can't understand him -- it's like trying to watch the news, which is the only other TV I watch.")

4. The Three Stooges ("I guess that's a live action cartoon.")

5. Popeye ("That was a modern family. There was Popeye and Olive Oyl and he worked on the docks to support their illegitimate kid, Sweetpea")

BEST LOCAL ACTS?

1. Hot Rod Lincoln ("They do a great job capturing a vintage sound.")

2. Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash ("Of course I appreciate them.")

3. Eve Selis ("She has originality and a great rock and roll presentation.")

4. Nova Menco ("They do a really different flamenco jazz thing.")

5. Tim Flannery ("He's not a super-polished musician, but his music is honest.")

DESERT ISLAND DISCS?

1. Jazz 98.1 CD Sampler 2005 ("I get that every year -- they always have terrific selections and proceeds go to charities.")

2. Diana Krall, Live in Paris ("I love jazz more than anything.")

3. Norah Jones, Come Away with Me ("She does a Hank Williams, Sr. song on there, 'Cold Cold Heart.'")

4. Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company ("I like what he did with Willie Nelson, 'It Was A Very Good Year.'")

ALL-TIME BEST COWBOY SONGS?

1. "Cool Water" ("By Sons of the Pioneers with Roy Rogers. You don't get more classic than that.")

2. "Happy Trails" ("Roy Rogers's theme -- a great sendoff song I use to end my Cowboy Jack shows.")

3. "Ghost Riders in the Sky" ("The cowboys used to look up at the sky at night and imagine the cloud formations as riding horsemen.")

4. "Home on the Range" ("It captures how peaceful the range can be.")

5. "Ring of Fire" ("It's not really an old classic cowboy song, but it fits perfectly to do around a campfire.")

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Celebrate Holi, Borrego Springs Music Festival

Events March 23-March 27, 2024
Next Article

Tiny Home Central isn’t solving the San Diego housing crisis

But it does hope to help fill in the gaps
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.