Damon Johnson recently sat down with TBPC Podcast and shared the rock frontman with a perfect performance history.
Speaking of Alice Cooper’s impact on him, the guitarist said:
“He’s [Cooper] the big brother that I never had. He’s taught me so much. He’s the greatest role model any of us in rock and roll could ever have. Look, man, we’ve all been through the ups and downs, and we’ve made things hard on ourselves and whatever it is, man. Drugs and booze and women and money…”
A Legacy Of Flawless Performances From Alice
Johnson went on to praise Alice for consistently delivering great performances:
“Alice Cooper has been doing it right for certainly since he got sober in the ’80s. He’s been just moving through life and just winning and killing it and rocking, and he’s never done a bad show. He loves rock and roll as much right now as he did in the late ’60s when he walked into Frank Zappa’s house. So again, man, an experience I never saw coming.”
Damon’s Departure From Cooper’s Band
The musician joined Alice Cooper’s band in 2004, contributed to the ‘Dirty Diamonds’ album, and toured with them until 2007. He left to focus on his band, Whiskey Falls. Johnson rejoined Cooper in 2009, appeared in the ‘Theatre of Death’ live DVD & CD, and did a fifth tour in 2011. He left later that year to join Thin Lizzy full-time. Speaking to Phoenix New Times in 2014, he shared how Cooper responded when he told him about his decision to leave:
“When I got the call to join Thin Lizzy, Alice was my next phone call. And the instant he heard, he told me, ‘Damon, you have to do this! You’ve been in my band for six years, and all you ever talk about besides Lynyrd Skynyrd is Thin Lizzy!’ [Laughs] He could not have been more supportive and gracious and more amazing. I don’t think I would’ve been prepared for an opportunity like Thin Lizzy if I hadn’t had the experience of playing with Alice.”
Previously, in a 2021 chat with AL.com, Johnson described his Wacken metal festival show with Alice as one of his favorite gigs. They played to an audience of 85,000 people, and it was a unique experience for him, as he had never played for such a large crowd before. The moment they started their show with the song ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy,’ it felt incredibly exciting for the rocker.
You can watch his full interview below.
