Slow-Blues.com — Global Blues Encyclopedia
Back to artists
Johnny "Guitar" Augland
Photo: Svein Teigen
Modern

Johnny "Guitar" Augland

Also known as: Johnny Guitar

• Norway• Active: 1988–present
Nordic BluesRhythm and BluesElectric Blues

Kristiansand's blues "crown jewel" — guitarist, pianist and producer who shaped Good Time Charlie's 1990s sound, produced Vidar Busk's Spellemannspris-winning run, and released his own one-man blues album in 2005 with a young Kid Andersen guesting.

Some musicians are known for one thing. Johnny "Guitar" Augland from Kristiansand built a career on being the person other blues records couldn't have been made without — the guitarist, pianist, organist, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer working just off to the side of the spotlight, shaping the sound of Norwegian blues from inside the control room as much as from the stage (Kilde: Oslo Bluesklubb). Augland's foundational years belonged to Good Time Charlie, the Kristiansand rhythm-and-blues band that became, in the words of its own label Grappa, a "blues school" for a generation of Norwegian musicians and clubs. He was part of the lineup on the band's first single, "Davy Crockett" / "Come On" (1988), and central to their landmark debut album, "Comin' Down With the Blues" (1995) — regarded by Bluesnews as one of the finest Norwegian blues records ever made. Augland co-wrote "Why Don't You Stop Babe" with singer Arle Hjelmeland, played piano on "Broke and Lonely" (of which Hjelmeland said, in Bluesnews: "Johnny er Blues-Norges kronjuvel!" — "Johnny is Norwegian blues's crown jewel"), and delivered guitar work on "I Ain't Gonna Be Your Monkey Man" that Bluesnews described as full of raw, Willie Johnson-like bebop runs. Through Good Time Charlie he shared stages with visiting American blues legends including Lowell Fulson, Hubert Sumlin, James Cotton, Pinetop Perkins and Jimmy Dawkins (Kilde: Bluesnews; Grappa; Notodden Blues Festival). Around 1998, after roughly a decade with Good Time Charlie, Augland moved into Vidar Busk & His True Believers — not primarily as a sideman, but as producer. He produced Busk's debut album "Stompin' Our Feet With Joy" (1997), recorded at Cross Studio in Kristiansand, playing piano and guitar; then "I Came Here To Rock" (1998), on which he produced, arranged the horns, played piano, guitar, bass and slide guitar, sang backing vocals, and co-wrote several songs — an album that went on to win the Spellemannsprisen for Artist of the Year; and "Atomic Swing" (1999), again as producer, with one reviewer noting how Augland "hammers the piano" on the title track. The album received a Spellemannspris nomination. Discogs independently confirms Augland's producer, arranger and backing-vocal credits across the "I Came Here To Rock" release (Kilde: Discogs; Bluesnews; Puls). In 2005 Augland stepped fully into the spotlight with his own album, "My Kind of Blues" (Ponca Jazz Records, 12 August 2005), on which — per Discogs' own credits — he wrote the music and lyrics, produced, and played vocals, guitar, organ, piano, bass and drums, essentially a one-man blues record across ten original tracks including "A Hundred Years...," "Colorblind" and "The Last T-Bone." A young Kid Andersen, later one of Norway's most internationally recognized blues musicians, guested on the album — a connection that continued years later when the two played together at Andersen's Greaseland studio in California alongside harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite (Kilde: Discogs; Grappa). Augland's more recent work has moved into sharper social commentary: "Refleksjoner" (2021), eight songs blending blues and R&B traditions with contemporary themes and humor, and "Christmas Here (The Paradiso Session)" (2023) with singer Adam Douglas, a track addressing the commercialization of Christmas, released on Blue Mood Records/Grappa. He has also led his own named projects, including Johnny Augland & The Gylne Snitt, who played the Notodden Blues Festival in 2006, and currently fronts Johnnys Etat, a band built around his piano, organ, guitar and vocals. In 2019, Augland was among the Norwegian blues musicians who performed at London's Royal Albert Hall in a major showcase of Norwegian blues before an audience of over 2,000 (Kilde: Oslo Bluesklubb; Notodden Blues Festival; Blå Kors Kristiansand). Kristiansand's blues community runs through families as much as bands, and Augland sits at its center: he has performed alongside both Tor Einar "Daumann" Jacobsen and Jacobsen's son Ronnie Jacobsen, the 2018 Spellemannspris-winning bluesman, in various combinations over the decades. In 2025 all three, together with bassist Per Fredriksen, formed the Blue Masters All Star Band — a lineup Buen Kulturhus described as bringing together some of Norwegian blues's greatest heroes on a single stage (Kilde: Buen Kulturhus).

Musical Influence

Augland's real influence runs through the control room, not just the stage: as producer he was directly responsible for Vidar Busk's Spellemannspris-winning breakthrough, and as a member of Good Time Charlie he helped build what Grappa itself calls a "blues school" that shaped a generation of Norwegian musicians (Kilde: Grappa; Bluesnews).

Influences

Willie JohnsonChicago electric bluesRhythm and blues

Formative experiences

  • •1988: Plays on Good Time Charlie's debut single, "Davy Crockett" / "Come On." (Kilde: Grappa)
  • •1995: Central contributor to "Comin' Down With the Blues," regarded as a landmark Norwegian blues album. (Kilde: Bluesnews)
  • •c. 1998: Leaves Good Time Charlie to join Vidar Busk & His True Believers as producer. (Kilde: Oslo Bluesklubb)
  • •1998: Produces "I Came Here To Rock," which wins Spellemannsprisen for Artist of the Year. (Kilde: Discogs; Bluesnews)
  • •2005: Releases his own album, "My Kind of Blues," playing nearly every instrument himself. (Kilde: Discogs)
  • •2019: Performs at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in a major Norwegian blues showcase. (Kilde: Blå Kors Kristiansand)
  • •2025: Forms the Blue Masters All Star Band with Tor Einar Jacobsen, Ronnie Jacobsen and Per Fredriksen. (Kilde: Buen Kulturhus)

Instruments & Equipment

Guitar

Electric guitar & slide guitar

Core instrument across Good Time Charlie, Vidar Busk & His True Believers, and his own recordings.

Other

Piano & Hammond organ

Central to his role as producer/arranger on Vidar Busk's albums; described reviewing "hammering the piano" on "Atomic Swing."

Vocals

Vocals

Lead and backing vocals across his own albums and Vidar Busk's recordings.

Stories & Anecdotes

"Good Time Charlie bandmate Arle Hjelmeland once called Augland, in Bluesnews, "Blues-Norges kronjuvel" — "Norwegian blues's crown jewel" — after his piano work on "Broke and Lonely." (Kilde: Bluesnews)"
"On "My Kind of Blues" (2005), Discogs' own credits show Augland singlehandedly playing vocals, guitar, organ, piano, bass and drums, in addition to writing and producing the whole record. (Kilde: Discogs)"
"A young Kid Andersen — later one of Norway's most internationally recognized blues musicians — guested on Augland's 2005 album, years before Andersen's own career took him to California's Greaseland studio, where the two later reunited alongside harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite. (Kilde: Grappa)"
"Through Good Time Charlie, Augland shared stages with genuine American blues legends including Hubert Sumlin (Howlin' Wolf's longtime guitarist), James Cotton and Pinetop Perkins. (Kilde: Grappa; Notodden Blues Festival)"

Collaborators

Arle Hjelmeland

Good Time Charlie bandleader; co-wrote "Why Don't You Stop Babe" with Augland.

Vidar Busk

Augland produced his first three key albums, 1997-1999.

Kid Andersen

Guested on Augland's "My Kind of Blues" (2005); later reunited with him at Greaseland studio, California.

Charlie Musselwhite

Played alongside Augland and Kid Andersen at Greaseland studio.

Tor Einar "Daumann" Jacobsen

Fellow Kristiansand blues pioneer; co-member of the Blue Masters All Star Band, 2025.

Ronnie Jacobsen

2018 Spellemannspris-winning bluesman; performed together in various combinations, including a joint concert in 2019 ahead of the Royal Albert Hall show, and in the Blue Masters All Star Band.

Per Fredriksen

Bassist; fellow member of the Blue Masters All Star Band.

Adam Douglas

Featured vocalist on "Christmas Here (The Paradiso Session)," 2023.

Johnnys Etat

Current band: Kenneth Silden (organ/piano), Kristoffer Tokle (drums), Morten Martens (bass), Trygve Rypestøl (saxophone), with Ole Jørgen Bardal and Eivind Kristensen on saxophone as needed.

Watch & Listen

Stilling ledig — Johnny Augland

Stilling ledig — Johnny Augland

Watch & Listen

Henter videoer fra YouTube…

Press & quotes

"Johnny er Blues-Norges kronjuvel!"
Arle Hjelmeland · Good Time Charlie bandleader — Bluesnews
"Er det en utøver man kan si har hatt stor betydning for bluesmusikkens fremvekst i Norge, så er det komponist, produsent og multiinstrumentalist Johnny Augland."
Oslo Bluesklubb · Concert announcement — Oslo Bluesklubb

Discography

YearTitleProducerStudioLabelChartSalesMusiciansYouTubeNotes
1988"Davy Crockett" / "Come On" (with Good Time Charlie)—————Arle Hjelmeland (Vocals, harmonica), Øivind Lunde (Bass), Jarle Olsen (Drums)Good Time Charlie's debut single (the band itself formed in 1982). Lineup: Arle Hjelmeland (vocals, harmonica), Johnny Augland (guitar, piano), Øivind Lunde (bass), Jarle Olsen (drums).
1995Comin' Down With the Blues (with Good Time Charlie)—————Arle Hjelmeland (Vocals), Per Fredriksen (Bass), Leif "Dixon" Korsnes (Drums)Landmark Norwegian blues album per Bluesnews. Augland co-wrote "Why Don't You Stop Babe," played piano on "Broke and Lonely," and guitar on "I Ain't Gonna Be Your Monkey Man."
1997Stompin' Our Feet With Joy (Vidar Busk & His True Believers)Johnny Augland————Vidar Busk (Vocals, guitar)Vidar Busk's debut album, recorded at Cross Studio, Kristiansand. Augland produced and played piano and guitar.
1998I Came Here To Rock (Vidar Busk & His True Believers)Johnny Augland—WEA / Blue Mood Records——Vidar Busk (Vocals, guitar, co-producer)Won Spellemannsprisen for Artist of the Year. Augland produced, arranged horns, played piano, guitar, bass and slide guitar, sang backing vocals, and co-wrote several songs. Producer/arranger/vocal credits independently confirmed on Discogs.
1999Atomic Swing (Vidar Busk & His True Believers)Johnny Augland————Vidar Busk (Vocals, guitar)Received a Spellemannspris nomination in rock. Augland played piano and organ and co-wrote several tracks; a Puls review noted his piano-"hammering" on the title track.
1999Oochie-Coochie! (with Good Time Charlie)——Blue Mood Records / Amigo———Fourteen-track album; per Rockipedia, Augland contributed as composer and lyricist alongside his instrumental role in the band.
2005My Kind of BluesJohnny Augland—Ponca Jazz Records——Kid Andersen (Guitar (guest)), Bernhard Seland (Saxophone), Trond Augland (Percussion)Released 12 August 2005. Augland wrote the music and lyrics and played vocals, guitar, organ, piano, bass and drums. Kid Andersen guests. Ten original tracks: "A Hundred Years...," "Colorblind," "One Hell of a Man," "The Power of the Cigarette," "Taxicab," "Same Old Boogie," "The Grocery Store," "Braggin'," "Chainsaw Blues," "The Last T-Bone."
2013In Sugartown (with Good Time Charlie)——Grappa———Career-spanning compilation drawing on "Comin' Down With the Blues" and "Oochie-Coochie!" Augland credited on Discogs for piano and guitar.
2021RefleksjonerJohnny Augland—Egen utgivelse (self-released)——Lene Tønnesen (Duet vocals on "Friends"), Endre Kirkesola (Vocal harmonies on "Stilling ledig"), Trygve Rypestøl (Saxophone), Øyvind Nypan (Guitar)Eight songs blending blues and R&B traditions with social commentary and humor: "Stilling Ledig," "H2O2 Hydrogenperoksid," "Friends," "Fastsjaman," "Refleksjoner," "Svart Hav," "Egg og Bacon," "Liten Flyktning." Reviewed by Øyvind Pharo in Bluesnews (BN119, April 2021), who highlighted "Liten flyktning" (a protest blues benefiting refugee organizations on Lesvos, with Gatemouth Brown-influenced guitar), "Stilling ledig" (a boogie critique of corporate culture with vocal harmonies from Endre Kirkesola) and "Friends" (an English-language duet with Lene Tønnesen). Guest musicians include saxophonist Trygve Rypestøl and guitarist Øyvind Nypan.
2023Christmas Here (The Paradiso Session)Johnny Augland—Blue Mood Records / Grappa——Adam Douglas (Vocals)Released 1 December 2023, featuring vocalist Adam Douglas. Addresses the commercialization of Christmas.

Famous songs

01I Came Here To Rock
02A Hundred Years...
03Broke and Lonely

External links

YouTube Music Discogs

Booking / Contact

Are you the artist, or do you represent the band or booking agency? We want the booking information here to always be accurate and current. Please send us the correct details via our contact form, and we'll update the profile as soon as possible. Go to the contact form

Sources

Keep SlowBlues independent. Official merch — wear the blues.

Shop merch