2006 is proving to be a milestone year in the life of Texas artist and musician Daniel Johnston.
After 23 years as a struggling musician and visual artist, things are finally falling into place for Johnston. March 31 marked the opening of The Devil and Daniel Johnston, a Sony Pictures Classics film about Johnston’s life story and his continuing struggle with manic depression. The film has received rave reviews thus far, Ebert & Roeper even gave it two thumbs up. Earlier this year, Johnston’s artwork was included in the Whitney Muesum’s Biennial exhibit in New York. The Clementine Gallery in New York curated its own Johnston retrospective titled The Story of an Artist: Daniel Johnston.
As you read this, Johnston is on a flight to London where he will attend and perform at a tribute concert in his honor at the Barbican Hall, featuring Teenage Fanclub, Vic Chesnutt, Jason Pierce of Spiritualized, James Yorkston and Howe Gelb.
On May 4, Johnston will perform in Los Angeles for the first time in over five years with a special intimate concert at Spaceland. While in LA he’ll also tape a performance for The Henry Rollins Show which airs on the IFC channel.
All of this activity is leading up to the release of Welcome To My World, the first greatest hits collection from Daniel Johnston, which is being released via the Johnston family’s own Eternal Yip Eye Music label on April 18. The release features tracks from Johnston’s vast catalogue of cassette, LP and CD releases and spans all eras of his career. Several of these songs have never been released on CD before.
Welcome To My World Track List:
1 Peek A Boo
2 Casper The Friendly Ghost
3 Some Things Last A Long Time
4 Walking The Cow
5 I’m Nervous
6 Man Obsessed
7 Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Your
Grievances
8 Never Before, Never Again
9 The Sun Shines Down On Me
10 Chord Organ Blues
11 Living Life
12 Speeding Motorcycle
13 True Love Will Find You In The End
14 Never Relaxed
15 Sorry Entertainer
16 Ain’t No Woman Gonna Make A
George Jones Outta Me
17 The Lennon Song
18 Devil Town
19 Laurie
20 Story Of An Artist
21 Funeral Home
for more info:
www.hihowareyou.com
www.barbican.org.uk
www.clubspaceland.com