Singer-songwriter and classical guitarist Michael Johnson makes his second appearance on Mountain Stage, recorded live on the shore of Lake Superior in Grand Marais, Minn. During his set, Johnson shares a heartfelt story about how his life was recently changed for the better when he reunited with his adult daughter — a story turned on its head later in the evening by born joker Cheryl Wheeler, creating a running gag that persisted throughout Mountain Stage's stay in Grand Marais.
Not to be outdone in the humor department, Johnson offers up a few laughs of his own, including the parody tune "Blew By You," a song he facetiously claims to have co-written with Roy Orbison — after his death, "because it's easier that way." With a musical resume that ranges from folk to pop to soft rock and country, Johnson earned recognition in the late '70s for his adult contemporary hit "Bluer Than Blue," and charted several more times as a country artist in the 1980s with songs like "Give Me Wings."
This show originally aired November 3, 2011.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.