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If you look up the definition of "chill", as in a state of being, you're very likely to come across a picture of the acoustic guitar wielding singer/songwriter Jack Johnson. Johnson has earned himself a legion of devoted fans with his comforting, simple songwriting and a typical Jack Johnson song consists of big-question musings sung gently over a clean chord progression. It's easy to compare Jack Johnson's music to waves lapping up against the shore at dawn and, when you consider Johnson's history as a semi-pro surfer, which makes perfect sense. On his debut album, 2001's Brushfire Fairytales, Jack Johnson provided a breath of fresh air on modern rock and folk radio. Johnson was born on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Growing up in paradise, Johnson naturally gravitated towards surfing. Although he took an interest in the guitar at the age of 14, Jack Johnson originally wanted to be a pro-surfer. It wasn't until an injury sustained while surfing the legendary Banzai Pipeline left him with 150 stitches and short a few front teeth that Johnson began considering a career change. While he was recovering, Johnson practiced on the guitar and began writing his own songs. Jack Johnson played in some local party bands while getting his film degree at University of California, Santa Barbara, but it wasn't until friends began passing around bootleg live recordings of his solo gigs that he seriously considered a career in music. To this day, Johnson goes on record stating that he is perfectly happy if fans tape his shows, just so long as no one makes money off of it. Today, Jack Johnson accomplishes what few musicians are able to, hiding deep and powerful concepts in light, easygoing songs. Jack Johnson's mix of folk and blues sounds as good playing in the background as it does on headphones, and his live shows are life-affirming, joyful experiences.

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