Eldon Johnson (2009)
Eldon Johnson was born and raised in the small town of Williston, in the northwest corner of North Dakota. At an early age, he exhibited a talent and penchant for writing poetry, as well as an insatiable love of music. These two fascinations naturally meshed, and Eldon began writing songs at the age of 17. In addition to this, since grade school he had been a first-chair drummer and percussionist--winning multiple all-state awards and honors along the way. He continued his musical endeavors while attending college at the University of North Dakota, where he obtained his Masters degree in Physical Therapy in 1995, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Since then, he has continued playing music throughout the upper Midwest, as well as multiple trips to Nashville and Austin, garnering a tremendous following of loyal and devoted fans. He formed the band, True North, with Jim Ed Hodges, which obtained immediate success and notoriety. On their first attempt, the duo became the North Dakota and South Dakota State Champions in the 2003 Colgate Country Showdown. This early success prompted the release of Eldon and True North's debut CD, "Down The Road," which was released in April, 2006. Being a multi-faceted artist, Eldon's wide-ranging contributions to the album include lead and harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, and all of the drums and percussion—as well as self-producing the album and writing 12 of the 14 songs. His sophomore album, "Ride," will be released in mid-2009.
Eldon entered the Colgate Country Showdown as a solo artist in 2007, winning the ND State Finals, and this time also won the Midwest Regional-advancing him to the 2008 National Finals at the world-famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN on January 24, 2008, which was hosted by LeAnn Rimes. He was one of only five finalists out of over 50,000 across the nation that entered the contest, and competed for $100,000 on the grandest of stages. Eldon also recently auditioned for the blockbuster USA/NBC network program, "Nashville Star," and advanced to the National Finals for this, as well. All of this success and notoriety has certainly legitimized Eldon's place among the elite "up-and-comers" in the country music industry.
Currently residing in Fargo, ND, Johnson continues to hone his skills as a singer/songwriter and performer, and also works as the Contemporary Music Coordinator at Faith Lutheran Church in West Fargo. Eldon's local, regional, and national popularity and loyal fan base continue to grow with each well-crafted show. His style has been described as a "unique concoction of contemporary country, rock, americana, bluegrass, and folk," and his intricate and carefully-crafted lyrics blend seamlessly with the warm, smooth texture of his voice. Eldon's soulful songwriting and captivating performances are rich with universally-relevant themes, pulling the listener in and not letting go until the last note has been sung.
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