Music a passion for Ric "Thunderhawk" Johnson

SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER

Ric “Thunderhawk” Johnson has approached his life with no reservations.

A self-taught musician, sound engineer, mechanic and drag racer, Johnson has pursued his myriad interests with the steady determination that marks his character.

Born and raised in Bristol, Tenn., Johnson is a proud member of the Cherokee Nation. Both of his parents are part Cherokee, though Johnson says the Native American lineage was not prevalent in his upbringing.

“Up until recently, it just wasn’t cool to be part Indian,” said Johnson. “A few generations back, things were very different. If you were an Indian, you couldn’t even own land, so it’s something that was always kind of kept quiet.”

Johnson was always interested in his Cherokee heritage, but it wasn’t until he became friends with other Native Americans that he truly found his roots. He developed a close friendship with Lowery Begay, a Navajo and one of the leading professional hoop dancers in the world. Johnson has attended powwows all over the country and learned many of the Native American crafts, including flintnapping. He learned to make arrows and jewelry such as chokers and bracelets. He also enjoyed dancing at the powwows, and was asked to be head man dancer at one in Fall Branch, Tenn., which he says was a great honor.

Music is also part of Johnson’s heritage and has been a lifelong passion. His mother was related to the Carter family of the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Va., and she often took him there as a child. Johnson is a cousin to Rita Forrester, who currently runs the establishment.

Johnson started in music when he was 8 years old. His two older brothers were musicians and needed a drummer for their band, so Johnson taught himself to play drums. But he says he grew tired of always being in the back of the band, so he wanted to learn to play guitar.

“Both of my brothers played guitar, but they wouldn’t teach me because they wanted me to be their drummer, so I taught myself,” said Johnson.

He learned mostly by watching his brothers play and by watching television – mostly rock concerts, but also he recalls watching “Hee Haw.”

“I would just sit in front of the TV and watch these guys and figure out where they were putting their fingers,” Johnson recalled.

He played with several bands growing up, and also became the sound man for the Sullivan East High School’s jazz band at age 16.

In addition to playing in several bands professionally, Johnson decided to explore another family tradition – mechanics. His father was a mechanic and built street rods. Johnson operated his own garage at home for several years before going to work as a mechanic for Coca Cola, and later Branson Body Works.

Finally, he opened his own business, called Cherokee Transmission and Auto Repair. He built a few drag racing cars of his own, and started racing at Cherokee Raceway Park in Rogersville, Tenn., and competed at the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) World Finals for two years in a row.

Though he loved racing and cars, Johnson was always drawn back to music.

“I’ve never been away from music for long,” he said. “I can’t remember ever not playing. Though I tried to quit several times, I just couldn’t live without playing drums.”

Four years ago, Johnson ran into an old grade school friend, Dave Williams. He and Johnson, who had played in bands together in school, quickly fell back into old times. They started working sound together for regional concerts, and three years ago, along with partner Steve Bailey, opened Sound Check Music, a music retail store and sound, production and equipment rental company in downtown Bristol, Va.

“We wanted to open a music store downtown that would be within the Rhythm and Roots music festival,” said Johnson. “This way, when performers need a guitar string or a cable or whatever, we are right here within the festival itself.”

Now, Johnson and Williams have become a mainstay for sound engineering in the region. They do live concert sound for countless venues, festivals and clubs, as well as for several stages each year at the Rhythm and Roots Reunion. They also installed a new sound system at the Carter Fold, where they have recently been commissioned to run sound every Saturday for musical events.

“Ric is the best friend I’ve ever had,” said Williams. “He’s a hardworking, dedicated individual, and a great musician and a great friend. I couldn’t get through a day without Ric – I don’t know how I got along in the business without him.”

In addition to working together in the business, Johnson and Williams have developed a three-piece band called Qualla Boundry, named for the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina. A rock/blues band, Qualla Boundry performs at a number of local venues, and Johnson has once again found himself in the heart of the music industry.

“Ric is tireless and very dependable – he is steady as a rock,” said friend, Bob Ellis. “He is very self-reliant, and he never gives up.”

Johnson’s self-reliance was challenged two years ago when he broke his back breaking down sound equipment at the MeadowView Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn. The injury has been deemed inoperable by surgeons, but that hasn’t slowed Johnson down.

“He refused to accept the fact that the injury was life-altering,” said Ellis. “He has powered through by sheer force of will.”

The injury followed a lifetime of back problems, exacerbated by growing up riding dirtbikes and working as a mechanic, but Johnson says he just deals with it and continues to move forward – working long hours at the store and performing with the band.

“The only two things that matter is that I can still play drums and ride my Harley,” Johnson said. “My long-term goal? I simply hope to survive until I die.”