The Annie Johnson Band Bio

Thom's been a key member of the Annie Johnson Band since September 1999. He puts 100% into every note he plays because he lives and breathes rock and roll. He has been a major contributor to the song arrangements, both originals & covers, and has also inadvertantly contributed lyrical ideas because sometimes he just says the darndest things!

Thom has been a musician in Hampton Roads for quite a while now. You might remember the band Grande Slam, which was voted Best Local Band by listeners of a local rock station.

He spent a good part of his musical career working on original music with Pro Music & Sound's Gordon Price. This focus on original material made him the perfect guitarist for the AJB.

Thom most likely inherited his love of music from his father, who was a professional jazz musician and worked with many of the top big bands of his day, including Buddy Rich.

Thom's easy-going personality has landed him in the company of a bunch of celebrities over the years, particularly at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in the year 2000 and in a recording studio in New York City in the 80's. Ask him to tell you some of his stories.

Thom continues to grow as a guitarist. This is largely due to his endless search for new music. He loves bands who fall outside the norm, and he can't help but be inspired by it all.

On any given day, you might find Thom listening to The Mars Volta, Sparta, the Roots, the Notorious B.I.G., Muse or Neil Young. The bands that ignited his love for music and inspired him to pick up a guitar in the first place were The Beatles, the Who, Led Zeppelin, the James Gang and Grand Funk.

Jack is the calm in the middle of the craziest storm. He has brought a high level of professionalism to the AJB, and he's the one responsible for our sound. Most of the time, it's his PA equipment we're using, and he hauls it in and out of the clubs without ever uttering a single complaint.

Jack is a major factor in the smooth functioning of this band. During breaks between sets while Annie's off hiding in some corner grabbing some oxygen and Tommy's off to sneak a cigarette, Jack's keeping an eye on the time and letting the band know when the "five minutes" to show time have arrived.

One of the first musicians Annie met when she first started playing music in Hampton Roads in 1994, Jack was running sound for Tidewater Original Night at Mitty's in Newport News.

For several years Jack played bass in the band Category 5, and he still runs sound for bands all over Hampton Roads.

Jack's got a great feel for the original tunes as well as the covers, loves all kinds of music, is an excellent bassist, and can sing too!

You might be surprised to learn that in high school Jack played in a jazz trio. He, along with George & Annie, got lots of musical training in high school bands, which is another reason why the AJB has recently been able to tackle much more challenging music than ever before!

After school, he toured the east coast with a band on what he now calls The Bologna Sandwich Tour (minus the bologna) for about a year, playing 4 to 5 nights a week, sleeping in the truck.

The dude there on the right in the crazy pants is Jack, playing bass in the band Odds Bodkins, way back in 1994 at one of the Pro Music & Sound sponsored shows at Mitty's.

This black & white photo is from the 70's when Jack was in the band Rough Road Home.