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Mike Johnson learned early on, the value of images. Over the years he's used them to his advantage to help enchance and promote his literary, artist, and musical endeavors. In 1973 he became a freelance photographer and set up his own darkroom. He's had a wide array of still cameras; Insta-matics, Brownie, Polaroids, and finally sometime in 1971 he purchased his first 35mm camera, a BEIRETTE, made in East Germany. Mike credits this manual camera with developing his skills. Over they years he would have many cameras, some of which are pictured below.
Top Left Photo: Beirette 35mm, which Mike still owns. Top Right Photo: Some Polaroids, a 3mm movie camera [front middle] Mike's first 35mm upgrade, a Praktica Hanimex. [on top of movie camera] and a 2-1/4" format Lubitel in the right corner, which accounted for numerous portraits. His Photo Archives exceeds 1100 numbered, dated, and cataloged Negative-Envelopes and Slide boxes [cataloged separately]. Along a sizable portion of Polaroid prints.
Bottom Photo: A mixture of old and new cameras he still owns. A movie camera on each end. On the back row, the Lubitel, Praktica, Yashica, Canon T50 w/300mm telephoto, Hanimex, Canon T50 w/50mm, so he doesn't have to change lens. On the front row: in 35mm format is a Kodak 35, Ansco-1065, Konica35, and the Beirette, along with a partial assortment of lens and strobe lights.
In 1995 Mike bought his first camcorder in VHS format. He switched back and forth between VHS and VHS-C formats for a couple of years before finally settling on the less bulky 8MM format. One of his first VHS models is now collecting dust on the shelf. His image quest was now coming full circle as he began to compile a large video archive featuring his truck driving trips, layover excursions, fishing trips, family gatherings, his own music performances & demos sessions, and numerous musicians and performers around the country, like those featured in some of videos offered here. . . . Joe Arnold
See Mike Johnson and the many fantastic music friends that he's met over the years, as well as some of his trucking trips, go to his YouTube Site which currently contains over 200 videos.
The Official Mike Johnson Video Outlet
CMV-1: Mike Johnson Live! 1hr. 45min. Featuring Mike's 2002 Hall Of Fame Induction and performances in Alvin, Texas; Nashville Tennessee; Orrstown, Pennsylvania; Avoca, Iowa; and Arlington, Virginia.
CMV-3: Sonny Rodgers 1999 Yodelers Paradise Show. 3hrs Featuring World Famous Yodelers, Chris Schurman, Ben Steneker, Mike Johnson, JoAnna DeGroute, Roy Harper, KG & The Ranger, Stew & Juanita Clayton, Rick McWilliams, Janet McBride, The West Sisters, Teresa Endres, and McDonald Craig.
CMV-5: Sonny Rodgers 2000 Yodelers Paradise Show. 3hrs. Featuring World Famous Yodelers, The Hammer Sisters, Troy Cook, Greta Elkins, Buzz Goertzen, KG & The Ranger, Joyce Leonard, Teresa Endres, Tom Wills, Donnas Hyland, Mike Johnson, Janet McBride, Lorraine Croft, Stew & Juanita Clayton, Jillian Marie LeVasseur and Mallory Haley. This would be the last Yodeler's show hosted by Sonny Rodgers at Avoca. He would pass away in July 2001, just a month and a half short of the 2001 festival.
CMV-7: "9 Weird Stories About Yodeling by Bart Plantenga. 1hr. 45min. Features the 7 May 2005 yodel-book lecture by Bart Plantenga, author of the 2004 best-seller, "Yodel-Ay-Ee-Ooo, The Secret History of Yodeling Around the World" in which he enlists the participation of Yodelers Randy Erwin, Lynn Book, and Mike Johnson at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City. This marks Johnson's first official public performance since the November 2003 incident when three of his neck vertebrae collapsed on his spinal cord and ended his long distance trucking career.
CMV-15: Shades of Country III: 2hr. 20min. $20.oo In 1999, members of the Black Country Music Association gather to put on another showcase. This time it's hosted by the once renowned Gibson Guitar Cafe on Broadway in downtown, Nashville, Tennessee. * * * * * * * The contents of these videos were edited and compiled from over 10-years of footage in the Mike Johnson Video Archives that were filmed on location by Mike Johnson, his trusty tripod, and an ocassional on-the-spot assistant. All Videos are $10.00 unless priced otherwise. Our Videos are formatted on DVD-R discs! Cactus Moon Video, P.O. Box 100933, Arlington, Va. 22210
Copyright 2009 MAJJ Productions * All Rights Reserved