Johnny Marnell

www.myspace.com/johnnymarnell



Johnny Marnell first fell in love with the guitar in second grade and has been faithful ever since. Music has been his best friend and number one passion for as long as he can remember, and his work's quality demonstrates his love of the art form. Johnny sees music, namely, the live performance, as a two-way street; if the audience isn't having fun, neither is he. His goal is to make music to nod heads to, whether from appreciation or involuntarily grooving with the supplied funk. He is an energetic performer, with hips and legs moving almost as much as hands and mouth --playing and singing is second nature fun to him, and the effect is downright contagious.

Musically, Marnell successfully blends a variety of many forms, from pop, soul, funk, blues, to jazz. He believes music should come from the soul, and thus is his sound complex, yet familiar, and never, ever boring. A boy who watched too many romantic comedies as a kid, Johnny writes songs about his core value set including the likes of love, family, and sensuality. His lyrics are witty and thought provoking; his music melodic and emotionally stirring. Johnny's dynamic voice, ranging from a raspy blue-eyed soul to a peaceful, almost nostalgic fullness, compliments his tunes which are rarely neither completely happy nor sad, but usually somewhere between.

His influences are as eclectic as his style, including greats like Steely Dan, Jeff Buckley, and James Taylor.