Damon Johnson may not be immediately top of mind when it comes to legendary guitarists, but he is rock royalty. A master player, singer, and songwriter. I first met Johnson in 1993, when he came into my midday show on WDHA with his guitar as the leader of Brother Cane to play live on the air.
The band’s incredible self-titled debut had just come out and launched multiple radio singles. These included Got No Shame, Hard Act To Follow, and That Don’t Satisfy Me. It was an organic, guitar-driven rock sound that dominated rock radio at a time when grunge ruled. Their second release, 1995’s Seeds, gave them another number one with And Fools Shine On,. Then a third #1 followed on their third album, Wishpool, with I Lie In The Bed I Make.
Brother Cane eventually disbanded, and Damon went on to play guitar with Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy, and John Waite. He was also in the band Black Star Riders, released solo material, and in 2021 joined Lynyrd Skynyrd as a temporary fill-in for legendary guitarist Gary Rossington. He has retained his role to this day following Gary’s death in 2023.
Both Johnny Van Zant and Rickey Medlocke credit Damon with being integral in keeping the classic Skynyrd guitar sound alive. So what does this super-busy guitar hero do to kick off 2026?
He decides to get the band back together and release the first new Brother Cane full album in 28 years, called Magnolia Medicine, which comes out April 17.
I recently caught up with Damon for my Carr Stereo podcast to discuss working again with writer, producer, and friend Marti Frederiksen. He was the one who worked on the first three Brother Cane records, capturing the band’s authentic sound.
We also talked about when he felt like he was truly a Lynyrd Skynyrd member, his first meeting with his idol Eddie Van Halen, and what Magnolia Medicine means.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
Terrie Carr – We spoke in 2023 and there was some new music, but not a full new record. What got the Brother Cane machine back on the trail?
Damon Johnson – When you and I spoke in 2023, myself and Glenn Maxey, and then Jared and Tony, and the guys that I’ve been making music with here in Nashville for over 10 years. We had just kind of dipped our toe back in the water of, hey, we wrote a couple of new songs, we put them up on the streaming sites. Let’s book a few shows, and that’s what we did.
We played probably 18-20 shows. We had a lot of fun and everybody went back to their other commitments. A lot of credit goes to my manager, Kevin Lee. He’s wonderful, and he called me out of the blue one day.
He said, ‘If you were to roll up your sleeves and make a full length new record. It would be the optimum thing to do to move the band forward.’
We were all really kind of blown away and very pleased with the reaction we got to those two songs back in 2023. If we were going to do it right and not mess around, Marti Frederiksen to be involved.
Marti was my main co-writer, collaborator on all the radio hits that Brother Cane had. Got No Shame, Hard Act To Follow, And Fools Shine On, Breadmaker, I Lie In The Bed I Make, Machete. All written by myself and the very talented Marti Frederiksen.
I took Marti to breakfast here in Nashville. I told him I want to do the work. Start swinging a hammer. I already had a bunch of ideas, some really good songs. I promised him I wasn’t going to waste his time, and I got a ton of great ideas to get started with.
He goes, ‘“’Damon, you’re my brother. I would love to be involved. Let’s do another Brother Cane record.’”’
It was like riding in a car, cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible at about 55 miles an hour. No traffic. Easy, easy. The songs just flowed like water. Proud of myself that I had a lot of stuff to say.
TC– The title has a very special meaning to you as well. Talk to me about the Magnolia Medicine that was in your life.
DJ– The Magnolia tree is very specific to the South. I’ve had Magnolia trees in my yard. Both ,y grandmothers had them and I had them at my home as a kid. My wife, Linda, and I moved to Nashville in 2013. We bought this single, small Magnolia tree. We planted it in our backyard. We don’t have a big yard, but it’s cool.
Last year, as we’re working on this Brother Cane record, I was working in my yard and I noticed that this little Magnolia tree looks completely dead. All the trees are starting to sprout, blooms, not that one though. I’m not Mr. Horticulture guy, but I was like, that tree looks dead.
So there’s a little mom-and-pop plant store down the street. I took a picture, snapped off a little twig of this thing, and took it to this old guy. I asked his thoughts on the tree, and asked if we were out of luck.
Then he picked up this little bottle about the size of my AirPod case here. He shook it and told me to pour a capful of this in a five-gallon bucket of water. Pour it on the root, and wished me luck.
I did exactly what he said once a week for like two or three weeks. I’m back outside. Linda’s in the front yard working on her flowers. I look out there at that tree, and there’s this one gorgeous white bloom that has sprouted on the top of it. I kind of trotted back up to the front yard and told Linda. You could see a couple of other small bulbs coming.
That old man, he sold me some Magnolia Medicine. Linda then took her gloves off, and dropped them on the ground and says, ‘That’s the name of your album.’
Brother Cane’s first single from Magnolia Medicine, If This Means War, is out streaming everywhere. It is a heavy guitar adventure combined with the band’s signature classic, driving bass sound and impactful lyrics. April 17th can’t come soon enough.
For the full interview, which also discusses Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Halen, and a possible Brother Cane tour, check out my Carr Stereo Podcast.
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