Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page recently paid tribute to Dr. Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson, who passed away recently.
Jimmy Page pays tribute
Page took to his Instagram account and posted a picture of Johnson. His caption read:
“I’m sad to hear today of the passing of Wilko Johnson, the Dr Feelgood guitarist and singer/songwriter.
I saw Wilko perform at Koko in Camden in May 2013 and the atmosphere was electric. This show was originally billed as his farewell tour (followed by his album Going Back Home with Roger Daltry) but, thankfully, he continued performing and thrilling crowds until recently.
I really admired him and we’ll all miss him. RIP Wilko.”
Singer-songwriter Billy Bragg also wrote on Twitter: “Wilko Johnson was a precursor of punk. His guitar playing was angry and angular, but his presence – twitchy, confrontational, out of control – was something we’d never beheld before in UK pop.”
Wilko Johnson was known for his stage presence and his guitar playing – a left-hander who played right-handed, picking and strumming to create a simultaneous staccato lead and rhythm.
Johnson passed away aged 75. A statement on Johnson’s Twitter page said the musician had passed away at home on Monday. No further details were given. Wilko Johnson was diagnosed with late stage pancreatic cancer in early 2013 and said he was embarking on a farewell tour. A year later, he underwent major surgery and was declared cancer-free. Wilko Johnson was also an actor, portraying mute executioner Ilyn Payne in hit fantasy drama Game of Thrones.
