Fanlisting

Michael Johns

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Biography

Michael John Lee was born in Perth, Western Australia, to William (Bill) Lee and Janet Burke (married to John Burke). He is the youngest of three and has half- and step-siblings. He moved to the United States from Australia in 1998 and lived in Atlanta, Georgia for six years, performing at local venues including CJ's Landing and Tin Roof in Buckhead. He now lives in Los Angeles, California with his Texan wife, Stacey Vuduris, where he performs at venues such as Genghis Cohen and the Viper Room.

Michael apparently changed his name from Michael Lee to Michael Johns after a falling out with his father as a teenager. He chose the name Johns as his middle name is John and it's also the first name of his step father, who he gets along very well with.

At 6'3", Johns is a keen sportsman and this was his focus prior to his singing career. He won a tennis scholarship at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia. He also played Australian rules football for the USAFL club, Atlanta Kookaburras.

Career

Prior to pursuing a solo career, Michael Johns performed in Atlanta with Jeff Bramwell and Hank Barbee and released an EP with local band Film. After traveling to Los Angeles to showcase for a number of labels in 2001, he signed with Maverick Records. He then found guitarists Robb Torres and Kevin Haaland, bassist Ari Gorman and drummer Kirke Blankenship and formed a rock band called The Rising[4]. The band toured nationally[5], performed on the Rock Boat, The Sharon Osbourne Show[6] and at the opening of a Los Angeles Apple Store in 2003. The latter performance resulted in the release of the Live at the Apple Store EP.

Their debut album Future Unknown was co-produced by Johns and Rick Beato and scheduled for release on September 16, 2003. Although a number of the tracks received airplay on national radio at that time[7], the album was not actually released until appearing on iTunes while Johns was a finalist on American Idol.

Johns also co-wrote and recorded a rendition of River of Life featuring Lebo Kgasapane of Soweto, South Africa (who died of AIDS at 22 after singing about her school to filmmakers but prior to Johns' release) which was used as a promotional track for the multi-award winning Ithuteng documentary.