Daniel Johns facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daniel Johns
Johns performing at the Big Day Out in 2008
Born	Daniel Paul Johns (1979-04-22) 22 April 1979 (age 46) Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation	Musician singer songwriter
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Natalie Imbruglia ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2008)​
Musical career
Genres	Alternative rock electronica art rock R&B grunge
Instruments	Vocals guitar keyboards
Labels	Atlantic Eleven BMG
Associated acts	Silverchair Dreams The Dissociatives I Can't Believe It's Not Rock

Daniel Paul Johns (born on April 22, 1979) is an Australian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band Silverchair.

Daniel Johns is also part of other music projects. He is one half of The Dissociatives with Paul Mac. He is also one half of Dreams with Luke Steele.

In 2015, Johns released his first solo music. This included an EP called Aerial Love and an album named Talk. His second solo album, FutureNever, came out in 2022.

In 2007, Rolling Stone magazine listed Johns as one of the most underrated guitarists. He has won many awards, including 21 ARIA Awards with Silverchair. He has also received four nominations for his solo work.

Early Life and Beginnings

Daniel Johns was born to Greg and Julie Johns in Newcastle, New South Wales. His father owned a fruit shop, and his mother was a housewife. He grew up in Merewether, New South Wales, with his two younger siblings. Johns finished high school at Newcastle High School in 1997.

Music Career

Silverchair (1992–2011)

When Daniel Johns was 12, he formed a band with his school friends Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou. They first called themselves "The Innocent Criminals." They practiced their music every day after school for hours.

The band's big break came when they were 15 years old. A demo of their song "Tomorrow" won a competition on the SBS TV show Nomad. The group then changed their name to Silverchair. In 1994, they signed a three-album deal with Sony Music. "Tomorrow" stayed at number one on the Australian singles chart for six weeks. Because of this, Sony quickly released their first album, Frogstomp, in 1995.

Silverchair released more albums, including Freak Show in 1997 and Neon Ballroom in 1999. Their album Diorama came out in 2002. After Diorama, the band took a long break.

In 2005, Johns and Silverchair got back together. They announced a new album called Young Modern. The name came from a nickname given to Johns by composer Van Dyke Parks. This album was released in 2007. After that, they went on the Across the Great Divide Tour with another Australian band, Powderfinger.

In 2011, Silverchair announced they were taking an "indefinite hibernation." This meant they were taking a long break and were not sure when they would play together again. They said the "spark" was not there between them at that time.

I Can't Believe It's Not Rock and The Dissociatives (2000–2004)

During Silverchair's break after Diorama, Daniel Johns worked on other music projects. One important project was The Dissociatives with musician and producer Paul Mac. Johns and Mac had worked together before.

In 2000, they recorded a five-song EP called I Can't Believe It's Not Rock. Their first album as The Dissociatives came out in 2004. They recorded parts of it in London and finished it in Sydney and Newcastle. The Dissociatives also went on tour with other musicians.

Working with Other Artists

Daniel Johns has worked with many other artists. In 2008, he started a new project with Luke Steele from Empire of the Sun. They later formed the band Dreams.

In 2012, Johns worked with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. They created the soundtrack Atlas for a Qantas Airlines advertisement. This ad started playing before the 2012 Olympics.

He also wrote and recorded music with the pop duo The Veronicas in 2012. The twin sisters said working with Johns was a great experience.

In 2014, Johns helped write the song "Impossible" for Australian rapper 360. He also sang on the song's chorus.

In 2016, Johns was a music director for the Netflix children's show Beat Bugs. He arranged and produced the music, which featured songs by The Beatles. He also sang for some characters on the show. He said it was a "dream job" to work with The Beatles' music.

Johns also collaborated with other artists like Slumberjack on "Open Fire" in 2016. He also provided backing vocals for Flume's song "Say It" that same year. He worked with Zhu in 2017 and What So Not in 2018.

In 2017, Johns started a band called 'Boom Tish'. They released one song, a cover of 'Hello, How Are You' by The Easybeats.

In 2018, Johns and Luke Steele formed Dreams. They released the song "No One Defeats Us" and their debut album, also called No One Defeats Us.

Solo Career (2013–present)

In 2013, news came out that Daniel Johns was working on a solo album. His manager said it would likely be released in 2014.

In 2015, Johns performed a piano version of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the 40th birthday of the Triple J radio station.

His EP "Aerial Love" reached number 21 on the Australian Singles Chart. His first solo album, Talk, came out in May 2015. This album featured R&B, soul, synthpop, and electronic music. Talk reached number 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart in Australia. It also did well in other countries, like Slovakia.

Daniel Johns performing at the Across the Great Divide Tour in September 2007

In 2021, Johns released a Spotify Original Podcast called Who Is Daniel Johns?. He was both the host and the main topic. The podcast had five parts and included interviews with people important in his life. These included his ex-wife Natalie Imbruglia, Paul Mac, and Van Dyke Parks. The podcast became very popular in Australia. In an interview, Johns said he plans to make new music but might not perform live again.

In December 2021, Johns announced his second solo album, FutureNever. It was released in April 2022. This album was the first Johns released on his own music label.

Personal Life

Health

In the late 1990s, Daniel Johns experienced depression. Later, he talked about his struggles with an eating disorder. He explained that he became very thin during that time. However, he recovered and was healthy.

After recording the album Diorama, Johns was diagnosed with a rare type of arthritis. After getting treatment, he was able to tour with Silverchair.

After Silverchair took a break in 2011, Johns spent time at home. He said he felt like he was losing himself. He spent four years mostly staying home and watching movies. He had a dog named Gia.

Animal Rights

Daniel Johns supports animal rights. He has said he was a vegan in 1998, meaning he did not eat any animal products. Later, it was reported he was a pescetarian in 2009, meaning he ate fish but no other meat. The Silverchair song "Spawn Again" shares Johns's views on animal liberation.

Relationships

In 1999, Daniel Johns met Australian actress and singer Natalie Imbruglia in London. They started dating later that year. They got engaged in 2002 and married on New Year's Eve in 2003. Johns wrote songs for Imbruglia's albums, and she wrote a song about their long-distance relationship. In 2008, they announced they were divorcing, saying they had "grown apart."

Johns later dated Australian model Louise Van der Vorst and fashion designer Estelita Huijer. In 2016, he began a relationship with former model Michelle Leslie.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Awards and Nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (AIR Awards) celebrate the success of Australia's independent music.

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards recognize songwriting skills and music performance in Australia and New Zealand.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are annual awards given by the Australian Recording Industry Association.

See also

In Spanish: Daniel Johns para niños