Johnson's last gig was Planet Rock's Rocktober show at London's Shepherd Bush Empire on Tuesday 18th October 2022, Planet radio Report
The short post on Johnson's social media channels, states: "This is the announcement we never wanted to make, & we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died.
Roger Daltrey and Jimmy Page lead tributes to Dr Feelgood’s Wilko Johnson
This is the announcement we never wanted to make, & we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died. He passed away at home on Monday 21st November. Thank you for respecting the family's privacy at this very sad time. RIP Wilko Johnson.
(Image: Leif Laaksonen) pic.twitter.com/1cRqyi9b9X— Wilko Johnson (@wilkojohnson) November 23, 2022
"He passed away at home on Monday 21st November. Thank you for respecting the family's privacy at this very sad time. RIP Wilko Johnson."
Johnson was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in 2013, saying via a statement from his manager at the time that he did not want to receive treatment or chemotherapy.
The following year however, Johnson underwent an operation and declared himself cancer free, revealing later that he was told he only had 10 months to live and remarking: “I shouldn’t be here at all.”
Wilko Johnson was born John Peter Wilkinson in Canvey Island, Essex on 12th July 1947. He studied English Language and Literature at university and after graduating travelled overland to Goa, India. He returned to England and worked for a short time as an English teacher.
After his return he joined the band that would eventually become Dr. Feelgood, who became a staple of the 1970s pub rock scene.
Johnson's unique finger picking playing style and highly eccentric live persona, which saw him jerk across the stage staring straight ahead like a gimlet-eyed musical robot, occasionally "machine-gunning" the audience with his guitar helped make Dr. Feelgood one of the pub rock scene's most successful bands.
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 pic.twitter.com/M1sQIEe4mm
— Jimmy Page (@JimmyPage) November 23, 2022
