Huck Johns (musician, Huck Hats)

Huck Johns is musician and hat maker.  He spent a long time in the music business and has some cool experiences such as getting a call from Slash inquiring about trying out for Velvet Revolver, writing a song with Kid Rock and touring with Ted Nugent.  He has since left Hollywood and moved to Tennessee and focused on making custom hats.  Some people who have worn his hats include Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons and Jake Kiszka (Greta Van Fleet).  It was fun chatting with him and hearing his insights and stories from the music business!

0:00:00 - Intro
0:00:37 - Living in Franklin, TN
0:04:22 - Growing Up in Detroit & Singing
0:14:35 - Invitation From Slash to Try Out For V.R.
0:19:55 - Auditioning for Rent
0:24:10 - Co-Writing with Kid Rock
0:32:57 - The Entertainment Industry & Success
0:39:30 - Solo Music Career & Record
0:47:05 - Working with Jimmy Ashhurst
0:50:47 - Black Robot
1:01:25 - Music Business
1:06:55 - George Clooney Story
1:13:30 - Huck's Hats
1:20:07 - Heartstrings Foundation
1:26:15 - Outro

Huck Johns music website:
https://www.huckjohns.com/

Huck Hats website:
https://huckhats.com/

Heartstrings Foundation website:
https://heartstringsfoundation.org/

Chuck Shute website:
https://chuckshute.com/

Transcript

Chuck Shute: 0:00

All right. Today, my guest is Huck Jonze and have spent a long time in the music business. And he's got some really cool stories, and including a call from slash and invite to try out for Velvet Revolver, touring with Ted Nugent, writing a song with Kid Rock, and more. So now he makes these really cool hats. He's gonna tell us all about that. And all these other great stories and insights in the music business. Check it out yeah, you're in. What is it? Franklin, Tennessee. It's kind of by Nashville is that?

Huck Johns: 0:41

Yeah, I'm 30 minutes south of Nashville and Franklin, Tennessee. Okay. I don't know if you've ever been here. But it's a it's a semi rural area of Nashville. But it's it's it's getting getting clogged up around here. If you know what I mean. Ever, the word is out. So the whole country is moving here. We've been here going on our third year now. And what we know we love it. I mean, it's just rolling hills are green. And you know, we live we have leapers fork here. We live in a beautiful farm neighborhood. And it's a lot different than Los Angeles. That's for sure.

Chuck Shute: 1:19

Yeah. Did I hear somebody say that Vince Neil lives there or something? Or there's Is there a lot of famous musicians that live in that area?

Huck Johns: 1:26

There? Well, there's a lot of famous people that have homes here. How often they're here. I don't know. There's I mean, there's tons of people that live in in, in Franklin, Chris Stapleton and you know, the jugs. There's a lot of Nashville people that have lived here. outside of Nashville, if they if they lived in the Nashville area. This is this is pretty much where they live. George Jones lived here. You know if you ever heard a famous story about him driving the tractor news, John Deere drunk to the party store and getting pulled over and thrown in jail for drunk driving. It was here in Franklin.

Chuck Shute: 2:05

So do you ever did you ever play because I know you're a musician? Which, of course we'll talk about that, um, do you ever still play music in Frankland, you ever just go to the bars and

Huck Johns: 2:14

sometimes I'm known to jump up here and there. It's not a lot of rock and roll here. I'm a rock and roll guy. Pretty fast rock and roll history. You know, I can sing anything that I enjoy. But here, you know, I didn't move here to jump into the music industry as much. I pretty much got out of LA before. It got really super expensive and, and more crazy, I suppose. And considering that I have a young son and he's you know, He's eight years old. He was six when we moved here. I wanted to get him into a better, better, I don't know, just a better situation more like whenever I grew up, I grew up in South of Detroit, and in a suburb of Lincoln in a city called Linkin Park, which is near wine dot, which is you know, just south of Detroit. But nonetheless, I grew up, you know, ride my bike to the neighborhood, hanging out with all my neighborhood buddies and playing ball and, you know, walking to school and not worried about some of the things that he was accustomed to seeing in Los Angeles. And we lived in a fluid neighborhood in Los Angeles, and he went to a private school. But nonetheless, it was very expensive. And I kind of wanted to give a shot to somewhere a little bit more traditional American, I suppose. And when COVID came and all the other things that were jumping into his wheelhouse, I decided to get out of dodge and give him something of a different perspective.

Chuck Shute: 3:42

Yeah, seems like a trend with a lot of people leaving California.

Huck Johns: 3:46

Yeah, you know, it was hard to leave. I mean, I was there for 20 years. And my wife and I had, we hadn't established, you know, a lifelong set of friends and, and community responsibility and things that we enjoyed. But, you know, we're all parents who wanted to make sure that he had had the opportunities that we thought he deserved. So Franklin, just kind of we kind of threw a dart at the map. And everyone, like I said, everyone always thinks I moved to Nashville because of my music affiliations. And not at all. I come here for the school system.

Chuck Shute: 4:20

Okay, so tell me about Detroit. So you grew up in Detroit, and then obviously, you moved to Hollywood in like, 2000. But what cause do you move to Hollywood for the music, right?

Huck Johns: 4:30

Absolutely. Yeah. I'm in Detroit. I was in a band, you know, my 20s. I got into the game fairly, fairly late. I would say it wasn't like, I grew up in high school, you know, being in bands and all of that. Ironically, whenever I was hanging out at a real dive bar and linkin park that was traditional for generations of my family to hang out at and the owner went over to Japan And I think 1992 and he came back with a laser karaoke laser disc karaoke machine. And he did spend a fortune on. And we've never heard of anything like that. And he said, you know, this is this is going to be huge, you know, this is this is what they're doing in Japan. This is, you know, something new to America. And you know, we're gonna put it here in the bar. We kind of chuckled and you know, they set it up in a PA and, you know, we assisted in there, it was near and sat. And we'd go in there and drink beers, me and my buddies from high school and such and, and, and, you know, one day, we started using it, you know, and to fast forward, there was another, there was a cover band that was playing in a city over that was drawing hundreds of kids, hundreds of people doing classic rock and things. And, and so it really all started there. I started singing at this karaoke bar,

Chuck Shute: 5:56

saying I hadn't played music before you can play guitar anything before. Now,

Huck Johns: 6:00

and I started singing songs and, and, and people were just, they were really, they were no, they just, it just took off from there. I started and then, you know, things motivate you. So I was I was dating a girl that I never I never I never dated girls that were that weren't attractive to have to say, you know, I think all women are attractive in their own way. But in my mind, I mean, I was I had a certain I had a certain level of attractiveness that I think that I had to go for I guess and this girl was the end all be all prom queen, you know and everything. And one day she worked at a bank and, and one day she come walking out. And she had a short miniskirt on her hair was all teased up and she had fishnet stockings, the height of this Shin, I see. What What's this? You know, and at the time, I think I was a semi Mollet wearing pink sweater kind of sports, hanging out my buddies who I played football with the college things like that. And she said, so I'm going to this rock club, you know, with my friend Kim as rock club, you know, she goes yeah, that's, that's, that's what I'm into, you know, I mean, I mean, so these things, and we're gonna go through this, just successively? 1991.

Chuck Shute: 7:21

Okay, so right at the height of like rock, really, it might

Huck Johns: 7:24

be at the end of the end of the 80s era, you know, and still hanging on. So she was going to see there's a place called the token lounge back in Detroit, which is still popular school open. Actually, I played there. I don't know, couple years back with Kenny Olson, but nonetheless, I never knew these places they know shit about and I just looked at her and went, Wow, well, can I go you know, it's just math. It's not your thing, you know? And I I grew up on classic rock. I grew up in Detroit Rock. I grew up on listening to rock radio and things like that, but I just I never I guess it was ingested at all, but I just never gravitated towards it. I was more of a mainstream kind of kid because all my I was just following my friends, so to speak, and just kind of hanging out with what I was familiar with. And she had given me a cassette bootleg of shake your moneymaker from the Black Crowes. Right? And I was like, wow, what is what did you get what you know, what's this? She's like, just listen to this, you know, week later, she dumps me my hearts broken. I'm like, wow, you know, I I listened to that tape so much. And I really loved it. And so I that kind of pushed me into starting to sing because I was hoping that she was going to walk through the door and I was gonna doors off, you know. And what happened in between is a music career. I started you know, I started jumping up with different bands, I would do a lot of the soulful songs I had the voice for God knows how I don't know where it really came from. Because no one in my family were musicians. No one was a singer. No one had that I came from an artistic family, an extremely artistic family, but nothing in music. And, and I think that's part of the reason is, well, I gravitated towards, you know, being a vocalist and a frontman is because nobody was doing it. Everybody expected me to go on and be a form of, I guess physical artists in the sense of drawing painting and things like that because I was doing a lot of that in my youth. And I kind of wanted to rebel against what everyone I guess what's expected of me in the early 90s Not a lot of people had balls and we're doing that you know, I mean, nowadays, you know, everybody my my sons and my and my niece is a singer. You know, everybody has a music career has some sort of influencer kind of approach to things where back then it was you know, it's not something everybody was had the balls to jump up and do. So, with that in mind, I was singing a lot with with doing covers with different bands and I'm getting a lot of popularity that way. And I ended up putting an ad in the paper and one of the metro times there in Detroit and I found this guy JC Whitelaw, and then he he was in a band or starting a band with Johnny Bieber, Dan check, which was the drummer of Detroit wheels. And he had played with he played at your winners free ride, he played Welcome to my nightmare that was Cooper, he was a he was a world renowned drummer and, and, you know, influenced artists like Max Weinberg, and Ringo Starr and all of these papers, because he was really big in the 60s. And, and, and so that band really kind of elevated me because we were very popular in Detroit radio. And, you know, we played a lot of gigs around town and things really got cooking with broken toys was the name of the band. And that band pretty much introduced me to everybody that I needed to know and rock and roll. I mean, I met just everybody through Johnny and being in the band with him and kind of learned the ropes of rock and roll, always hoping that girl was going to walk in and catch me rocking and rolling. And then it just, you know, it turned into me hanging out with local DJs that were very popular and a lot of people don't know that Detroit's format for radio. And rock radio was was the blueprint for 90% of the rock stations in America. So anything there, Detroit's WRI F was playing, everyone else was playing. So I hung out with all these really, really popular vested disc jockeys. And again, this is all you know, pre cell phone, pre smartphone, free camera, pretty much and you know, you, you had to you had to kick ass or you weren't accepted. So that put me in a position of getting to know a lot of a lot of traveling rockstars my buddy owned a limousine company in Detroit. You know, I was constantly out Tuesday to Sunday hanging out with the Colt GNR guys you know in guys in Kid Rock were a go to to me they they would come off tour during during their popularity with Devil Without a Cause. And I was always the one going out hanging out with them and jumping on stages with them. And I developed the reputation and came really close with the silver bullet band and started hanging out with alto Reed and that bunch a lot. Which they had a lot of parties and things like that. And one night, he had a party also had a party and the guys in Buckcherry were in town. And I ended up getting up and singing in front of them without their singer and they pretty much convinced me that I needed to move to Los Angeles because I was hanging out with Kenny Olson a lot which I still do. And Kenny Olson is the original guitar player for Kid Rock and

Chuck Shute: 12:54

I had him on the show. I think that's what prompted this whole thing is that we were talking about that so so you didn't move to LA till 2000 So a lot of the rock stars and people that you met was actually in Detroit. That's how you met Kid Rock and all those guys.

Huck Johns: 13:08

Yeah, they were just you know, because when they were coming to town again, my one of my really great buddies owned a limousine company. And and, you know, I was one of my youth I was you know, I was they they always wanted me around. I wasn't I wasn't afraid to talk to anybody. I was afraid to jump on stages. I wasn't afraid to do the shit that I think that they appreciated and so they were always like, come on we're going here Come on, we're going there you know so and so's in town we got them we're going to take them out so I we kind of came the ambassadors of Detroit when it came to a lot of these bands coming in from LA. And so you know, they I took a shot after 911 I thought and I gotta get this going. So I went out to LA I stayed a couple weeks with the guys in Buckcherry and got to know a lot of people I got to know Stephen Diego that was about the time I met him and and then I decided to just pack up the truck and moved to Beverly so to speak. And we drove out to LA 2001 and and then I was there 20 years. I ended up seeing oh five I ended up I even during the time that I was there and the time that I had gotten signed to hideout capital. I had written songs with Ryan Roxy in collaborated with Gilby Clarke and collaborated with so many different musicians. I'm mean the first my first six months I got a call from slash. I hung up on him twice, because I didn't think it was him. I finally call back a third time he's like No Listen, this is all you know, I got your demo from yogi and you know, we're interested in having you in this band that I'm putting together. And that was a fun adventure.

Chuck Shute: 14:55

Wait, what was that? I never heard about that one. Yeah, there was putting together velvet

Huck Johns: 14:59

rope. over and looking for a frontman, and he had been auditioning and all of these different people in my name got thrown into kitty. And, and. And at the time I was really focused on finding myself and finding my own career and music. And I really wasn't interested in jumping in and being in part of any kind of tribute band or any band that was affiliated with someone else, because there was always these bad stories, you know, about, you know, somebody getting involved that crashing miserably and then, you know, and then the next thing you know, you're, you're, you're, you're over because you were trying to be something that you weren't, and I was definitely afraid of being Axl Rose too. Because it just wasn't my style, anyhow. And, excuse me, they kept telling me, you know, well, you know, because I had this I really love Scott Whalen. I really loved STP. Well, you know, whenever that was my, that was my go to bandwidth between the Black Crowes and the STP. I think those were the two that I emulated the most, you know, you always pick your paper dial as I say, and those you know, the fibers between the Southern rock kind of soulful Detroit, you know, sound mixed with the heaviness of the Stone Temple Pilots. And so, my look was very Scott Whelan ask I had the bright red hair. I think there's only three people in in rock and roll at that time that I recall was like, Scott Whelan and Johnny Rotten and that that whole dye your hair you know, crazy color thing. And so I went down that road and I had fire engine red hair when I moved to LA and, and big sideburns that were fire engine red and, and, you know, I try to explain this to my son. Like nobody looked like me, you know, everywhere now. Everybody has everybody's got different color hair, you know, but with me, you know, at that time, just nobody did that shit. And it was a real like, whoa, like, you know, real commitment. And, you know, they kept telling me like, oh, you know, you have all this You're so Scott Whelan. That's exactly what we want, you know. So I just told them straight out. I'm like, You should use two people that should be front and his band, you only have two choices. You should either get Scott Whelan or Mick Jagger. That's it. You know, if you can't get either one of those guys that, you know, I don't know what to tell you. Because no one else is good. You know, they had, you know, the guy from Deza knew they were trying out Josh Todd, they were you know, even some people friends that I knew that were you know, everybody tried to weasel in on that gig and I was just flat out like honest about it, like, Hey, this is you know, I it's it's an honor, but not my, my cup of tea. And a week later, they were hauling Scott out with the food over them, you know, an MTV News and and he was in and he was in Velvet Revolver. And I love the band, you know, i Wow.

Chuck Shute: 17:45

So you know, even try it out. You were you refused even to the tryout because I know that documentary

Huck Johns: 17:51

wasn't usable in any way. It was just like, it was just, I guess, you know, I'm, I'm honest to a fault. You know, I've, I've learned in my, in my old age now that, you know, my, my approach to things weren't selfish at all they were, they're honest and true. I wanted to and I still in this way, I want things to come organically and I want them to come when they should come, you know, I don't like pushing the envelope. I don't like you know, expecting things, you know, because it always leads to disappointment. And so it's just, I didn't I took it with a grain of salt. I mean, I was I was really flabbergasted at just just the interest in my voice and my style it from such heavyweight guys. And what would that showed me is that I could do it, you know, like it, you know, I didn't in and I think that's kind of in some ways where I had gone wrong in my career is that I always expected because so many things were coming. And so many things had come to me that I just expected the next thing you know, it was like, if this is coming, something better is coming down the room, you know, and and it did and it always did. But but you know, there's some things I look back upon and go I shouldn't have, you know, I shouldn't have I shouldn't have pushed him on his side or I shouldn't have taken that so lightly, you know,

Chuck Shute: 19:17

that could have been a great opportunity what was there other things like that that you're saying that you pushed aside other opportunities that you well I

Huck Johns: 19:23

think so yeah, I mean just you know, just different phone calls that I got that you know I mean I don't think that they were things that I regret pushing aside there were just things that you know, I should i After that I really kind of got into where I'll try anything I'll go over anybody's you know, I'll write with anyone and I did. I would never deny anything musically if somebody offered me at that point, not a career wise but you know, just going and doing I mean, you know, whenever I going back into Detroit, I had an opportunity to, to audition for rent the the Broadway production when it was blowing up, you know, and they were going coming through Detroit, they were looking for a certain type of artist for the production, and they weren't letting anybody know what they were looking for. And I had, I had a day gig in Detroit, I was an auto designer, usually aftermarket parts and things like roof racks and, and emblems and panel trim, and, you know, things that were, you know, hinges and things like that, that then weren't so prominent on the vehicle because I was young and coming into the industry. But I worked for the big three. And that was my day gig. But I remember going, getting a call from Kelly Brown, who was who was a big alternative DJ, and it's Detroit Rock station. And she said, You know, there's this audition for this movie, that you should be you you gotta go, you know, and I signed you up on how I will shit you know, I got to work, you know, I'm when I get off of work, I'll go down there, you know, she's like, Okay, we get off work go down. So I go down to what was it was in Detroit and harmony park, at some theater, or theater or something. And they had like, I had to be like, 400 people there. I mean, everybody who could sing from the girl did the national anthem with the hockey games to everybody who did commercial work until the whole any musician was there. And I was like, they come on, they had a list, paper, you know, and folding paper. And then I was like, oh, like 11 pages, and they're putting my name Don shit. And I'm standing around now with people and I looked at my watch, I'm like, I gotta go, you know, I'm this isn't enough. I'm, this is the wash. I'm not gonna sit around and wait for this shit. I don't even know what it is. I don't even know if I want to do it, you know, and had no clue. And I went to the desk. I said, Now I'm not gonna, I'm gonna bail. And the girl goes, well, who signed you up for this? And I told her and she was Kelly Brown. Okay. And she knew Kelly's just because you're next, you know, and I'm like, okay, um, next. So long story short, I ended up going for four auditions and, and ended up getting offered an understudy position for the lead role in that production they were looking for. They're looking for an African American Girl for the certain part. And they were coming to Detroit, obviously, to do these auditions, but they thought if they ever if they collected at someone else, you know, they got lucky. And at that time, I was in the studio next door with my band, broken toys. And we had this producer Greg ladanyi, who was he had produced the an engineer the total records in the band church, and, and all, he was an LA guy. And we're at the time, we're, you know, kind of auditioning different producers and different people that were interested in us. So we would do like two or three songs with them to see how it worked out. And I was doing that with them. And now they had Dateline come in, and you know, I'm getting I'm walking out as they're telling me that they give me you know, we want to offer you this position in 10. Send you to New York. And then I was on Dateline Detroit. And so I'm sitting there with him, I didn't tell my band. I mean, they're with my band in the studio, we have launched because the bar to have launched, they got me on TV interviewing. This, you know, and at the time, I just, you know, Broadway to me was tights, and you know, and a lot of left handed cigarettes, and you know, and I was kind of, like, you know, this isn't my bag, I don't know, if I want to do this, go to New York and make a career out of being, you know, an understudy and, and production I really don't know or care about, I just didn't, you know, just things you don't understand, in your youth or When opportunity comes and if you're not mentally prepared or experienced in that area, then you know, you don't you don't take it is serious, or as you know, so there was a lot of things that went on in my career that were like that were you know, were there were opportunities, I guess, given that, at the time didn't seem like the right opportunities for me. And so, you know, it's easy to look back and say, oh, you know, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts. The world would be a wonderful Christmas, you know, but

Chuck Shute: 24:00

wow, that's interesting. Because it did make me wonder listen to some of the music that you've done. That's, that's out there on Spotify. I'm like, Oh, this is good stuff. I wonder why. You know, this didn't take off. And then obviously, you had the song that you did co write with Kid Rock. Tell me the story about that. That sounds called I Am That was a single it was on the rock radio.

Huck Johns: 24:19

Yeah. It was it was it was a collaboration with a bunch of people really, I mean, in it, it was there. Everyone was trying to feed me material because they're trying to prep me to be the next Kid Rock or the next Bob's here. And you know, I'm in my 20s I'm just throwing stuff at the wall. And I think when Bob was coming around to do is his self titled record, you know, there's a lot of emulation there. I don't I don't, I don't feel I know the credit that I deserve. Just being a part of the Detroit scene and doing the things that I had done. And I mean that in most humble way on Um, just you, you emulate different people and celebrities, they're never going to tell you who they're, you know who they're emulating or who they who they think is cool, or what little pieces, they're picking up along the way that that ultimately makes their, their, you know, their persona and who they are. And, you know, I was I was trained by Johnny B in classic rock guys. During the time that Kid Rock was rapping with a High Top Fade, you know, I'm sure Yeah, and, and I think when when it all was going on with him to, to, to combine rock and in rap in this this edge in discovering who this is in with Jason Flom and lava records, and everybody involved at Atlantic that he was kind of trying to get into, you know, everybody was just, like, try this and do that. And, you know, and, and so, I think he'd always him and I had always had some form of duality or or I don't know, if that's the right word, you know, just commonalities. You know, I was never a rapper. He was never a rocker. You know, it's, it's kind of like, I don't know, we, he, it always felt like we were really close. Even though we were different to it, you know. And I think that's why a lot of the people in our same circles gravitated towards me and gravitated towards each other. And everyone always assumed that we were like, best pals. And that wasn't the case at all, we we never really gelled because I think it was, you know, I think ego gotten away really. And when he was doing as his self titled record, he wanted to be more southern rock and Rocky, obviously, in country and, and I had already was heading down that path and some of the material crossways. And it just, that's how it landed on there. And, and then ultimately, you know, he was managed by punch Andrews and, and so was I. So, you know, we were sharing the same management, and eventually, and it just kind of all, you know, we all intertwine, I was hanging out the silver bullet band, he was hanging out the silver bullet band, it was, we were running in the same circles. But he would kind of come in one door, and I would go out the other, you know, or vice versa, we never got together to collaborate. And every time we did, people would go nuts. But he, you know, that's not what he was looking for. His collaborations were much larger. And his his plan obviously, is a genius artist, which is what I would say about him an incredible performer. You know, he, he knew what he was doing is very smart individual. Me, I guess I was just along for the ride and everything that I've done. And then I mean, that, like, just, I'm always waiting for the next thing, it was always excited to be there happy to be there happy to be a part of it, and never looked at it, like I was the commanding force of doing this and why this was working is because it all come out of here. You know, I always feel blessed to be a part of anything. And so, you know, looking back and do a lot of it, I think I could have made better decisions, if I would have had a larger ego in the business sense, you know, and had a larger, hadn't had larger expectations for myself, instead of just appreciating it, which I do every single moment that I have and had and, and the relationships that I made and the memories that I made, you know, and things like that. So, yeah, you know, I am was a song about, you know, being being being a part of, of America in and in being able to relate to, you know, each each state in the Union and the differences in people. And some of the experiences along the way. I think he gravitated towards that kind of thought process. And he was able to, you know, inject his his experiences which were vast into that song and, and make it make it part of the record which which I'm, I'm proud to be part of it. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 29:12

so you say he's really smart. It's interesting, because you're right, he did have the fade and he was like a kitten play kind of rapper. And now he's more like a redneck rocker country kind of guy. So it's some of that kind of maybe just an act like when he shoots the Bud Light cans and that goes viral. I mean there's a there's a part of me that goes in a way that's smart on him because every news site is picking that up and I don't know if he really meant the hate towards the Bud Light or not. But I mean, that that thing that clip went viral so is some of that calculated

Huck Johns: 29:47

you know, I don't know can't speak for Bob's thoughts personally, I can't you know, I don't I don't know I question his motives sometimes myself. I don't you know, I don't know what what the numbers are for him like Somebody just say, Well, you know, if you make that video, you're going to capture this many people and you're gonna lose that many. And then, you know, let's do the math. You know? Yeah, I mean,

Chuck Shute: 30:09

he's lost the people that don't like that side of him. Those people left a long time ago.

Huck Johns: 30:15

I don't know, man, you know, I mean, I think it's all anymore. It's a big clown show, you know. And that's part of the, you know, that's the thing, man, I, I'm a real type of guy who I mean, you know, I, it's hard to describe yourself, but I've always had integrity. With, with my, my art. I'm an artist, I don't limit myself with just music or, you know, I do as much as I can artistically in try to just, it's just, it consumes me, it always has. So just like the story of karaoke, you know, and how it all became, you know, me into into a band, and then rocking and having a career. You know, I guess everything comes, it comes from one source to me comes from above, and, and you, you either recognize it and, and go with the flow, you know, and let it be what it's going to be anytime I ever got too much in my head or took it too seriously, I fucked up. I really I said the wrong things or did the wrong things. As for him, you know, I just kind of think, well, you know, you know, it's like, it's like confetti and little people, you know, it that's the difference, I would never think of that shit. You know what I mean? You know, I don't want a clown show. In my show. I want I always wanted to have real mainstream songs that had an impact, you know, I always wanted to have a hit song, really, and be in that realm of something that made a difference. musically. I, you know, for him, you know, he, he's gone in so many different directions. And, and, and so, you know, his his, I guess to answer your question, do I think, you know, I don't, I don't know if he's, if that's really him. I believe that he's very patriotic. I think that he's smart in what he, how he feels about America, how he feels about with the way things are going. I think that, you know, I understand that I understand, you know, his feelings of his direction. Do I agree with shooting Bud Light cans and all of that shit? No, I think it's I think it's kind of ridiculous. I think it's real. Yeah, I think that he's the kind of guy who's you know, you never met a motherfucker like me, you know, he's the guy. You know, I mean, and, and he's very witty and sarcastic and, and kind of comes off the cuff and doesn't give a shit who he insults. And, you know, and that kind of thing. And, you know, I'm not like that. I don't I don't, I don't.

Chuck Shute: 32:54

But you're saying that you think that maybe you should have been a little bit more like that. Like you wouldn't you said that you thought you should have had more ego maybe been more aggressive and pursuing things?

Huck Johns: 33:06

I just think that I think, in my opinion, okay, I think that 90% of the entertainment industry is fucked up. I think that 90% of them out there have a lot of hidden issues, and huge inflated egos and take themselves and the process way too seriously. And not to say that I didn't get caught up in that a little bit of myself in my youth, you know, trying to understand how to fit in or which direction should I go, but, but when it boils down to it, my heart my heart isn't was never into it. Because all any direction I turn or any business situation, or any song collaboration or anything that felt good, was always fucked up by some ego, some offer some monetary value, some kind of something that wasn't a part of what it really was. And I think that a lot of artists can get caught up into that no matter what level that they're in. And, you know, it doesn't it doesn't define you, it doesn't make you you know, it doesn't make you a better person because you have had extraordinary success by being an asshole you know, or, or not. So, whenever I got a taste of that, and continual taste of it, I I really got burned out by it. I just got tired of it. I get tired of everybody's angle, you know, and instead of just me being an artist and hanging, saying, hey, you know, it's like, I mean, I guess, you know, not in any comparison but of feelings. I mean, think of Jim Morrison or somebody like that, that was really, you know, doing it and living it and doing it and doing it for the right Reasons and then everybody's in their fucking ear, telling them how they should be or don't turn left here, turn right there, you know, and when you get enough of those people around, you're a guitar player, be your manager, be it your tour manager be, you know, whatever. It's just too much man. And, and it takes an extremely tough and, and I don't think anybody in this business has gotten anywhere without sucking somebody over really hard. And you have to be that type of person. You have to be the type of person that says, You know what, I know, I'm gonna fuck those four guys over and ruin their lives, but it's what I gotta do, you know, if I want him, if I want to have the showcase at the big arena, you know, I'm sorry, somebody's gotta go. And I was never that guy. And so, you know, I have I have a lot of other derogatory things about myself, I guess, you know, but, but that I never was that guy. And so you know that I think that's the difference. And I think that's the difference in success. I mean, I really do. I think that, you know, I think that everybody at the top has gotten there for a reason. They either pulled their pants down and bent over, they either got in their knees and got under the desk, or they somebody else did on their behalf.

Chuck Shute: 36:21

Do you don't think it's just like hard work and perseverance and accommodate, that's

Huck Johns: 36:26

all included? I think that's all included? How many people do we know that work their ass off? And have perseverance that never get one single shot? So hard work and perseverance? Yes, if you want to live your dream, but you have to set the expectations of your dream. If you you know what I'm saying? If you set your level really high, and you work your ass off and have perseverance and you don't reach that level, does that mean you didn't work hard enough? Or you didn't persevere? hard enough? I mean, I think that it's all combined. But But really, I mean, look at the media today and listen to it. I mean, if things were, I think things were really genuine and you know, and heartfelt things that we would think and hope that it would be then then I think that the the face of entertainment would be different. I think we would have all of the genres intact, moving forward, on an equal level, I think people would appreciate music and in all levels in all different ways. Instead of, you know, well, you're down here and you're up here and use you even though you suck, it's because you know, so and so and you are here and you're here, you know, it's I don't I don't know if I'm explaining that well enough. But I just think that, that it takes all of those things, and that particular section in which I'm speaking of it can dissing it wasn't encouraged enough, because of all of the bullshit to continue working my ass off, to give it to somebody else? Or have somebody else come in and take the credit or have to give pieces of it to somebody else who didn't deserve it, or have somebody else decide whether I was working hard enough or not, you know, or whether, you know, whatever their opinion was, was was, you know, they were going to speak for me and in my opinion, you know, I, I didn't want to go through all that bullshit. And I wouldn't wish it upon anybody really, at this point. If my son said, I want to get into the music business, I would say, you know, I would give him these exact the exact same description I'm giving you and, and hope that he would understand that. You know, you're, it's like swimming. It's like swimming in the clearest and cleanest pool of water knowing that there's 40 sharks out there waiting for you. You know, and you can see the island, you can see the island with all the hot chicks and bikinis waiting for you to swim over. And there's no you know, watch Shark warning signs, and you're jumping in. And you're the best swimmer in the Olympics. You know, good luck. So, if you make it fast, then you're you know, there you are, you're on the island full of coconuts and RTX. If you don't, you know, if you're not fast enough, the sharks bite your legs off. So you know that to me, that's the entertainment business. Wow. You know, I know, I know, I sound like doom and gloom when it comes to. It's just it's you know, I mean, I want to encourage people to live their dreams because that's what I do. I live my dreams, but don't limit yourself and your dreams. You know, don't think just because you get a phone call from slasher the greatest and don't think because you don't You're the worst.

Chuck Shute: 39:28

That's well said. Exactly. Well, yeah. So let's talk about your album that you did your solo record you co wrote the songs with and he played guitar to Keith Nelson from Buckcherry right. Oh, yeah. And then that was the song that you also co wrote a song with Ryan, Roxy and then Jimmy Ashurst play bass. He's also from Buckcherry did they tour with you or did you tour with a separate band?

Huck Johns: 39:49

No, no, um, I had a separate band. I had a bunch of Korean is that that really had no experience in touring or playing live shows. I grabbed that I grasped anything I could, in the process because, you know, there's, that's another thing, you know, I had worked my ass off in LA, and had made all these relationships and things with these great musicians that really believed in me. And I believed in that, you know, they're, they're awesome. And we had incredible relationships and incredible times worked very hard, you know, developing the material and recording it and, and all these things in in, I sent it back to Detroit to basically sell it to see if there's a way that anyone would commercially or any other artists out there be interested in, if there's anything I can get going. And they they sent me back 13 songs and said, you're going to do this record. Wow, you know, and put me in capital studios and, and, and got the whole deal rolling. And I wanted Ryan, Roxy to play guitar. I think at the time Ryan was very interested in as well and being in a band. And, you know, the management was like, and it's too old. You know, no offense

Chuck Shute: 41:06

before he was in Alice Cooper.

Huck Johns: 41:08

No, he was in Alice Cooper, playing with Alice Cooper. But I think that, you know, this was a time when Alice had other focuses, there's, you know, I'm glad things worked out the way they do just, I mean, Ryan Ryan's one of the most incredible people and musicians that I've ever, ever been affiliated with, or known. I mean, he was always honest, always stood out with me, always gave me 100% welcomed me into his world in his home. You know, just just an outstanding guy. You know, we'd love to play in a band with him. We listened back to you know, not too long ago, this some of these live things that we did with different different rhythm sections that we were trying to put together and, man, you know, maybe we should have went but those guys are just, you know, just things that we did not aware of at the time. And, you know, with Keith Nelson, the same thing, you know, I, I was I was close with, with JB or, you know, the bass player, the original bass player Buckcherry. And I think JB was trying to get kind of get things go in again with keys. And so he brought me into the kind of bridge that gap a little bit as a vocalist, and Keith was like, Nah, you know, this isn't gonna work out and called me like a couple days later, and when do you want to come into the studio and start working with me? And I'm like, yeah, man, that'd be great. So him and I wrote for like, a year, year and a half, you know, just at least four nights a week in his in a little one room studio, sweating her asses off, you know, making material with different different players Mike Fasano from Tiger army and you know, different drummers. We had Aaron from my buddy Aaron from Kid Rock and Jewel, listen, you know, just different people in Jimmy Asher's you know, and just jamming around and trying to come up with things it possibly having a having a band. I think that is what really influenced the Buckcherry reunion with him and Josh Todd because I think he was like, Hey, I'm fuckin doing this thing with this guy sounded pretty good. You know, you know, maybe we should, you know, pitch universal, again with some of this material and get this band back together. And I think that's exactly how the revival of Buckcherry happened. My management, I send it back to them and they have a history of of creating artists on a mega level, but in a very hard way, you know, they they'd like you to, you know, starve and have to, and they'd like to say no to a lot of big opportunities. And I was ready to say yes to every opportunity. So every opportunity that seemed to come down my pipe was you know, they flat out denied. So it was kind of frustrating because it's like, you know, you know, I have these opportunities that I've built in LA and and my management at the time was like, Nah, we're gonna do it this way. You know,

Chuck Shute: 43:59

what did they say? No, to?

Huck Johns: 44:01

Oh, wow. I mean, certain things like, you know, just different players. Different different tour opportunities.

Chuck Shute: 44:11

You know, did enough touring with Ted Nugent.

Huck Johns: 44:15

Yeah, I toured with Ted for I did, I don't know, 1213 house blues shows with him, all across the country and others. You know, that was great. I mean, it's, you know, it was a great experience, you know, being out with with Ted. You know, I wasn't really when I went when I what I wanted was, I wanted to be in a band, I wanted to have a band, you know, like like STP or van that had you know, that had a vibe and not have the the responsibility of my face in my name and my this and and that was that was all the labels idea. And at the time when somebody comes in approaches you with that you're, you know, you're flattered and you and you can get caught up in that idea and that thought process but, but I never really wanted that I just wanted to be a part of a band and have a have a group of guys that I could collaborate with that and I felt like I had made that connection there. And I think that everybody involved in my music wanted that too. So then when they came back, and it was me, and it was talking, it was, you know, all of this stuff, and it put all of the responsibility on me. And they explained it to me, like, hey, you know, you, if you if you win, then then you're it. You're the reason it all happened. If you lose your your head, you're the reason at all, did

Chuck Shute: 45:37

you know and quarterback or something? Yeah, that

Huck Johns: 45:39

was tremendously hard on me, I have to say, because, you know, it all, it all fell on me or it all rose on me, you know, and I didn't want that at all. And so you know, and then in a weird time during the music industry, oh, 506 You know, things were transitioning into digital age and, and nobody knew what was coming or how to deal with it, or what the really you know, how to get the monetary value out of it. And, and, you know, the people didn't even know what to charge for recording times, because, you know, you have Pro Tools, you got all these electronic devices now, and things are coming into, into play. And, and so it just, it was, it was just a if I were if I'm right, it was quite some time ago, but remembering it was it was a confusing time. It was an exciting time it was, it was you know, some people got pissed off hurt. You know, some people were very excited and proactive. It just kind of it just kind of separated everything. Whereas I, when I was just on my own and LA and making music and writing songs, that was freeing, and that was relationships that I made on my own without any involvement with management or any bullshit. And, you know, that's what I was living for is creating the art, you know, once the art was created, and it was being created, then, you know, I mistakenly allowed others to come in and manipulate that situation. And I do regret that.

Chuck Shute: 47:02

Gotcha. So tell me about the with the working with Jimmy Ashurst, because you also mentioned that you had hung out with the guns, guys and slash had called you but Jimmy played with his straddling, does he have any stories of that a decade is so fascinating to me. I would love to get him on the podcast is he's traveling so I just avoid anything any sort of connection to him. I'm always like curious about like, is there any insight into his like,

Huck Johns: 47:27

I don't recall. Recall having vast conversations about his time with Izzy i, i We if anything, we talked about the greatness of Izzy and what what he really was to GNR who he really was and GNR? You know, in my humble opinion? I think he was GNR. I mean, I think that, you know, he was the, the pivotal songwriter, the guy that came in with the solid song ideas, the song solid approach to what things you know, we're really sounding like, I guess, you know, I was, I was always a huge fan of him, you know, no offense to slash but more so. And, and I think that just, you know, two fingers affiliation with that, and his plane abilities a spoke for itself, you know, Jimmy Ashers is a phenomenal bass player. Natural. You know, bass players either have the, in my opinion, have the, it's either through their whole body in their hands in their fingers, or it's not there, either. They either have the soul to play that bass, either James Jamison, or, you know, they're, they're staying with a pick. I mean, I mean, there's only two types to me. I think Jimmy was definitely has the soul that of Motown and, and, and the Allman Brothers in, in every other great band that you could ever imagine, inside of him. So it's just, he's just a natural in, in phenomenal and he was really great friends with Keith Nelson. And Keith always admired him and looked up to him. And, and they were buddies. And so I think it was an opportunity for, for him to get Jimmy to come in and play and play on some cool stuff. And Jimmy was gracious enough to say, yeah, man, I would love this shit. I'll play all day on this. So he would come in and play, you know, all the bass parts and and, and, you know, it was a great guy. He's a great guy, you know, he's over in Italy now. You know, he's over there living living the life I think, you know, I see him every once in a while on the Facebook and, and we chat through that. And, you know, to me, he was he's a real he's a real artist, you know, and that's what I love. That's that's that's what I that's only what I love is the is the artistic aspect of everyone that that what's inside of them as an artist, you know, their soul and who they represent all the other stuff is just fluff. Really all of it You know, tattoos to painted nails to glitzy uniforms and, and with all due respect podcasts and all that stuff. It's just all it's just all it's all you know, that's all the stuff that you need to do. Sure. What you have is, is a real is real soul and talent and and Jimmy is one of those Jimmy's Jimmy's allege absolutely well affiliation with Izzy I guess I never really had a really big discussions with him about that we just it was one of those things where you know if you know you know, you know and and you you know where it comes from and obviously you know him playing with his he it reflects his his abilities don't doubt.

Chuck Shute: 50:45

Absolutely, yeah. Well, so then you did? Because you said initially you start you were starting some of the Jonathan Brightman from Buckcherry and then you got then you did eventually have a band with him. You're saying you wanted your SDP when you had that black robot. That's a cool band. Like I love the artwork, too, that you guys had on the covers and stuff. I was like, this is cool. So talk about that band, and you did a couple albums. And then you did a single I think and a few years back is that still kind of occasionally active?

Huck Johns: 51:12

You know, um, black robot was a, it was a project band. And it was JBS project. He's something that he cooked up. And I think that he had on his in the back of his mind for a long time. And and when I initially went to LA, it was it was really the first the first idea of of getting something going was getting something to go to Japan. You know, then go and play over there and make some money and I just wanted to go over there. I've never been, I still have never been I would love to go back. That's when I made my first trip that we take as a family. Here's schoon shortly we got my we got my eight year old passport, and that's where he wants to go. So we want to go to Tokyo, we're gonna go to Tokyo. But initially in LA, that's what we were talking about. We were you know, everybody was kind of in a flux, you know, Matt Sorum all of those guys, Yogi, you know, everybody was in a flux. And here I was this new guy in town and I had the pipes and, you know, in and had to look it were worked and I was running in the right group of people. And so we talked a lot about that, you know, let's get a band together, go over and we'll play all this shit. And we'll do the Buckcherry songs, we'll do all this stuff I would do for the Japanese No, go ape shit. And that will create this band of an entity that we want, and so on, so forth. So I think I think it stems from something that JB really wanted to have himself. I don't think that he felt like Buckcherry was really something that that he I think he felt he was losing maybe a little bit of his affiliation and control in that whole process. I think Josh and Keith kind of, were taking it, taking it wanting to take it somewhere else and things like that. And I think that's why things kind of got a little bit weird with that whole band, and I don't know all of the inner details or don't have the, really the room to discuss all of them. But, um, you know, when it came to black robot, JB came to me and said, Okay, I'm gonna put together a band with all the original members of black robot. And I had already done my record, I come off, I had toured and everything and, and in, came back in and decided like, well, you know, I don't know what the hell I'm gonna do, you know, do I want to do another record? You know, my, the reward was like, Oh, congratulations, capital sent the list of 90 artists that they're dropping in. And you still you're still in there, you know, that, congratulations. You didn't get dropped, you know? And I'm like, Oh, great. You know, like, I didn't get dropped. That's all. That's what I get, you know. So I'm kinda like, you know, so that's, you know, that's how it was for me. So So when JB came and said, I want to do this band with the original members. I was like, my advice to him was like, Oh, well, you gotta go find a Josh Todd. You know, there's so many different 20 year old wiry kids with tattoos from their, you know, their neck down and you know, I mean, that's what I would do it, but they gotta go find somebody, you know? He's like, no, no, I really, I really want you to do it. I'm like, Ah, you know, I'm not you know, I don't think I'm you know, I don't know for me, you know, I think I just want I think you should do and he was insistent upon me fronting the band, because he said he wanted to more row, well rounded sound. He wanted to do classic rock songs. He wanted to do something that was more timeless. He wanted to do something that wasn't just one straight thing, you know, in in and I got it. So he, you know, he got Devon and Yogi, and myself together. We had some sushi. We talked about it and we're like, yeah, you know, that sounds good. And his brother at the time and still is Matt was managing Dave Cobb. And as a as a producer, so they, you know, he, he has friends with Dave cutter kind of thing with Dave and, and we went into the studio and created that record just basically, you know, Dave, JB and myself. And then we had, we had Darren Dodd play drums which was bushwalkers drummer. And, and, and Dave cod played a considerable amount of guitar record. And it was all cut live in a live room, basically, rhythm guitar and drums, and everything else was was overlaid into the tracks. And then I did all the vocals and then wrote on, you know, a large percentage of the lyric to go along for each song. And that's basically how the record was made in yogi and Devon came in and cameoed on some on some songs. And they put it out, as you know, featuring next Buckcherry members, we found a guy in Thailand to do the artwork, and tried to emulate this, you know, 80s or, you know, classic heavy metal kind of style of nostalgia with, you know, tangible feel of a band. And we, you know, we did our best to emulate all of the people that we loved in rock and roll. And, and that's, you know, and then when it came down to releasing the record and putting it out there we aren't we we picked up a deal with rocket science, which was working, Ace Frehley record at the time, and then Bruce tulips record and then a bunch of other artists was a small indie label, and Hollywood and, and then I booked the tour, I had under a pseudo name, I called and booked the whole Texas West Coast tour for black robot. And we worked the phones and got it on radio and and went hustle, you know, and put together a band and I forgot to mention we did put together a touring band. So we we I found the guitarist and a Scott Whelan show of all places. I saw Andy Anderson very long hair and a beard, you know, kind of Zakk Wylde look and I just walked up and said, you know, Hey, man, you look cool, you know what your gear list. And then when he told me his gear list, you know, it passed enough. And I said, here's a disc, you know, and of course, he flipped out and, and wanted to be a part of the band. And I had him and we had him in the band. And then we had stuff on Australian Australians. Yeah, who was another sweet, really great guy, very talented on on the other leads with two leads. And possum Hill played, play drums. And, you know, we we basically fabricated this band just touring band. And that was black robot. And we did a bunch of shows, and it was fun about that time I met my wife. And I was feeling it, man, I was feeling it again, you know, the bullshit of the industry, you know, the the egos inflating and the push and pull of people's positions and, and all of that horseshit and, and, and I wasn't happy about it. And and I think it led into the lead into difficulty with some in some friendships, because, you know, I was hitting the stage and rocking out and you know, hitting the Viper and all of these different places we were playing and, and we had a good following. And it was it was elevating, but you know, people's girlfriends were getting involved and not mine and it just others and just opinions and, and who's going to manage and, and money distribution, you know, it was like, you know, okay, you know, do too for you, one for you, you know, two three for me. One Two for you. You know, and eventually it was just kind of like well, no, I don't want to doing this again, you know, so when I started expressing interest in just being an artist myself or not really jumping aboard on the on the craziness again. That was whenever things flipped in the band and and friendships kind of went awry. And and and then they went on and did another record with a with another art with another singer that you know, unfortunately tanked miserably and that was the end of black robot but the first record was it came from the heart had lost soul was created organically. All vintage gear two inch tape really old school man

Chuck Shute: 59:50

Okay, so you didn't have anything to do with that after we continued on had different singers or something? No,

Huck Johns: 59:55

no, no, I I build and I always felt whenever I bailed or I supposedly bailed I didn't actually bail, I was told I veiled one of those things, one of those things yeah and so I was fine with that I really was I was I was disappointed at first and probably said some things I shouldn't have and you know it things like that occur of course when you're emotionally involved in things. But looking back upon it, I don't have any regrets. I don't have any regrets, or, or ill feelings towards anyone and and that goes for anybody in my whole entire career. You know, ultimately the decisions that were made, they fall on me and, and everything that I've done in my life, you know, I take responsibility for and I appreciate every experience. I mean, rock and roll has been so incredibly awesome to me. I mean, I've met everybody in the industry. I have I have stories that that are just irreplaceable experiences that are irreplaceable. You know, it's, it's, it's been such a huge portion of my life. But it doesn't define me again, it doesn't, it doesn't, it doesn't complete the whole, it's not all of hockey, it's just really just a small fraction of of the things that I have done otherwise, and so I don't hang on to it too hard. I hope that it has some timeless longevity. And I'm always hoping someday some people someone will find that black robot record and go Holy shit, you know, like, this is you know, this is incredible. But you know, in today's world without you know, shooting Pepsi or shooting, you know, Bud Light cans, you know, get anyone's attention, you know? Yeah. So, you know, I come from that mid ground era between like when when you either had you had to earn your shit to in between, you know, phony selling it. You know what I mean? Like, like, I believe now we're in the phony selling it stage. I really do. I think that there's a lot of shit talent out there. Yeah, it's it's presented, like as if it was the greatest things that made out of diamonds in and yet, you know, you look back into classic rock days, and whenever, you know, things were really made. And you think about the work that we all put into on two inch tape. in not being able to overdub, not being able to fix the vocals, you know, you either had to have it or you didn't. Those days are gone. You know, nobody was there with a camera filming it unless they had a VHS camera, which you know, nobody had. Right. You know, there's just yeah, there's no, you know, there's no Look at me, you know, then it's just you showed up, you did your job you delivered. And then you went back and ate a TV dinner and thought, oh, how am I ever gonna, you know, and that goes for everybody, you know, for most, you know, yeah. You know, now,

Chuck Shute: 1:02:42

that's a good point. There's a lot of not only just musicians, but I see like, comedians of comedians on the show, and I've seen a lot of movies and stuff that are independent, that are really well done that are well acted and great stories. And you've never heard of these things. And they're great. They're amazing. And then you see other things that are just total shit. And they're, you know, making tons of money and everybody's watching it or listening to it. I'm like, how this seems like backwards. But yeah, I think it's just like, a lot of its marketing or, like you said just whoever's the loudest. I think that's, that's a big part of the world we live in today. It's whoever's the loudest or most controversial, that's going to get the most attention, but it's doesn't necessarily mean it's the best art.

Huck Johns: 1:03:21

Well, yeah, absolutely. And being from Detroit, you know, I still know, some of the greatest musicians in the entire universe, and they're still they're still making their art is still hand to mouth. And they've done some of the most incredible things and contributed to, you know, the real sound of of, of what everyone else is trying to do. And, you know, we were really hard in Detroit, you know, you either you either sucked, but you didn't. Detroit, you either suck. Or you don't. Yeah, not to say I didn't suck. I don't know. I mean, it's all a matter of perspective. But, you know, you that's the way you looked at things, you know, I mean, we I remember going to see Jack White play at the magic bag with five people in the audience. And, you know, we're heckling him, you know, but the stains on his shirt and when is the bass players showing up? You know, and, you know, I always know when man is knocking at the door, you know, it's it's, it's not in time, you know, whatever we were just ripping on because it was just we were able to, you know, it was it was Detroit, you know, you never knew who was gonna pop because everybody was really talented. You know, and you never you never thought anyone was gonna pop because everybody really sucked, you know, so that's just how you were, you know, you you supported each other you went and you wouldn't, you know, we're always blown away. But you know, you kind of took it for granted, but you took it with you like I took it with me when I went out to LA so I could recognize real talent. And and I guess, you know, like the Ryan Roxy's and the Keith Nelson's And, and those types of early I was I'm proud that they recognized it in me, you know, and, and then I was able to have those memories. And you know, I remember, you know, just getting to know Eric Singer, it was through Ryan rocks, he would come by Ryan's every day be writing songs and it was Eric, you know, on a pair of shorts and doing that, because he was the drummer for Alice at the time, you know, we're going to to Oregon, and I don't know, you know, what we're doing, we're gonna go, and everybody's worried about you know, and then you fast forward to now and Eric's been, he's been the drummer for kiss for what the last 15 years, you know, and, and, and then, you know, Stefan the same way, I mean, all the things that Stefan has done in DECA and all the people that he's known and knows and, and, you know, I was fortunate to be able to, you know, be introduced to all of these people on a level that they respected and, and, you know, I'm very thankful for all that I really have and those experiences in Hollywood that I had, you know, I'll never forget, man, I mean, you know, it's not every day some punk from Detroit and St. Karaoke, got to record it Capitol studios and, and make a record and put it out and his name and go and hustle it, you know, it's, you know, the Lord has blessed me every second man. So I just, I'm just waiting for the next thing. And I'll be ready for whenever it comes and decide if it's, if it's right for me or not, musically. Do I still play around here? Yeah, I still make music. I mean, I make music all the time. I just, I don't. I'm particular in how I want to present it and who I want to present it to anymore. Just because everybody, you know, everybody takes things. Again, a little too seriously, sometimes. And I'm at a different point in my life where, you know, I want to make sure that if I do do something, again, musically, that it's, it's it's 100% fulfilling for me and, and that my agenda or my my ultimate goal is in the right direction, you know?

Chuck Shute: 1:06:52

Sure. Yeah. So you say you have these stories, these irreplaceable memories, and the is there any other stories that you want to tell like something that stands out? Like, oh, I should tell this story? That's a good story.

Huck Johns: 1:07:03

Oh, man, you know, I mean, without throwing everybody under the bus, you know, I mean, I just so many different things. You know, when I first moved to LA, there's so many different situations that I was in and I mean, I'll tell you a funny story that you might think so I didn't get it involves JB. One night, we went out, went to this place. That was the what was the name of the hotel, it was the Whiskey Bar. We used to call it but the the hotel was the the marquee, the Sunset Marquis, right. And used to be right behind the House of Blues, you know. And we went in there one night, and there was there was there was all of the girlfriends of the Colts, you know, they were out on tour. And we know all those guys, Billy and Matt and and so there it was all like the other their wives or their girlfriends. And, you know, very attractive, you know, and, and so everyone smoked at the time, you know, so, so we were sitting with them, and they all knew JB JB JB is very personable. So he knew a lot of people in Hollywood. And so we come in there and and there's all these hot girls and, and we're sitting around and talking with them, you know. And so, you know, we stand up to go and have a cigarette, which was about I don't know, maybe 20 feet away from where they were outside in the patio. And then you never know, the doors were wide open. So you can see everything was fine. And we're smoking a cigarette, and here comes George Clooney in and sits down, you know, hey to the girls and sits down in our seats. You know, we had two seats there. And we're smoking a cigarette, and I remember, we're looking at you know, fuck does this guy think he is, you know, and JB was a tough person with things. Things burned him. And he's he was passive aggressive. He's passive aggressive. Yeah. So it kind of like it burned him, you wouldn't really know, you know, but I could see it fucking burning him. So he has to take care of this thing. So he went in to the lobby, and he got on the house phone, and he called the front desk and said, Hello, this is so and so. I've you know, put them around looking for Mr. Clooney, everyone. And so, so he comes back, you know, and I'm still smoking cigars off this and so the maitre d or whatever comes over and says, you know, Mr. Clooney, and there's a phone call for you, and you know, and an original call for us, you know, hold on hold on a second ladies are going to take this one, you know, and he gets up. Here he is on the fucking house phone and then we come back and sit in our seats. There's no seat for Clooney now, you know, back and we're like, Who's on the phone? Oh, hi. Hey, Georgia, you know, do you get a call, you know, on a phone or the guy you know, he's I remember him looking at us you know, like fuck, and it was really great how it was a pivotal move because you know, you got George clean. I'm I was I'm a Clooney fan still by me. I mean, to me, I was like, slug cloning. I mean, like, the guy's got so many scouts going on so much. He's so handsome and he's, you know, is fuckin George Clooney. You know, at the time, I'm like, Ah, you know, George Clooney comes in, of course, all the girls are gonna, you know, but it was, it was really neat, because when he got up to go get the phone call, there was no seat for him. So when he came back, he was he was there, he was standing there as the odd man out, you know, and we had our seats back. And, you know, I was always proud of GB, you know, that's ballsy move, get it Clooney out of the way, you know, I'm not, you know, we, we had a lot of fun back then, you know, in during those years, I think between really, really in the, in the 2000s, you know, there was, there was a time when we were all just hanging out, you know, in, in going to the cat club, you know, slim had that place the cat club down in Hollywood in Sunset, and, you know, at that, you know, at the time, you're like, Oh, the cat club, you know, but, but I'll never forget those days. I mean, everybody came in there, I played with everybody there at the cat club, you know, I was always blessed these Ryan was like, come on up and sing some songs. And, and I'm looking behind me, and I think I have all these memories of playing with, you know, all of these super duper musicians. And they were at my disposal. And it was, you know, it was no big deal. You know, I mean, I was, I was, I was one of them, you know, in some said they were going on tour, we got this, you know, I'm going out with so and so, you know, Dizzy Reed was in there playing all the time. I remember, you know, going over like falls house before GNR was, you know, kind of really getting cruising. I mean, you know, it was it was also in black robot band was also nice to have, like, those guys really dig in, you know, I get hit up all the time from those type of guys, you know, going, Wow, this record is great, you know, and they were really appreciating what we were trying to do. And, you know, that always made me feel good, you know that to be to be appreciated. on that level, you know, and still be able to, you know, have the friends that I have, you know, from 20 years ago, you've been here in Nashville, and be able to reach out to these guys and, and they pick up the phone for me, you know, so again, you know, I just, I'm happy to have that, you know, I'm happy to have all of the experiences and the friendships and collaborations I made and a reputation of being a strong vocalist. And, and somebody who shows up and delivers, you know, and there's not many of us left, I would say. And so, you know, I got a million stories. Some of them, I just, I'm waiting to put them in the book, you can read them in the book of Hawk that will be written because I'm working on it now. Just wow, you know, my mother keeps pushing me in that direction. And starting in Detroit as a karaoke singer, I think I have a lot to tell, you know, in the variations of, you know, of musicians that have come in and out of my life and experiences that I've had, you know, they've been great. You know, I, you know, I, I, I've been from here to, from New York to Texas, Detroit to La you know, and, and I got a story for everyone. And so, yeah, I mean, you know, I guess if you're wanting more stories, I'm gonna have to, I'm gonna have to think about who's gonna be listening and watching before I can tell them to you. Yeah, cool.

Chuck Shute: 1:13:27

Well, that's awesome. And then talk about the hats that you're making hawks hats. That's kind of your main focus right now. Right is what is the hat stuff?

Huck Johns: 1:13:35

It is, it is. I've been making hats. Yeah, I make custom hats. I make them out of either vintage or new Cape lines. You know, primarily Beaver Felt, which are the materials that last a lifetime. Mostly resist, all on statins are made from fever felt and for which is it's blown, you know, into, into, into into a cave line. You know, if everyone knows how felt is made, it's the same concept. Just using an animal fur instead of wool or, or cotton. And so I got into that when I moved to Franklin. Um, I, you know, I was, I was a big fan of some hat makers. And I, as an artist, I just could never, I never wanted to spend my money on on what they were offering and, and I always had this idea that I wanted to create my own custom hats. And I had gone out here locally and met a guy that had been in it affiliated with Franklin for 30 years and knew everybody from Nashville to here. And I made this hat and I always wear it around town and, and people always complimented me on my on this hat. Where do I get that hat? Where do you get that hat? So um, you know, I told this gentleman I made this hat. You know, I'm interested in making more If I could get into the festivals here in town, I think I would. I think that that would be a really great idea for me to sell ads. You know, when he says, I think I can get you into the festival. So I did my first festival last year here in Franklin. It has over 200,000 people coming through. It's one of the biggest street festivals in the country. And there's a lot of wealth here, here in Franklin in Nashville and Brentwood area. Of course, it's growing every day. And so I made a handmade 35 hats. I brought them to the festival and I sold 27 of them. Wow. Yeah, they put me in all the papers and magazines here. I signed up for all of the festivals for the year in Franklin and I did pilgrimage last year, which was a big, big rock festivals. They have a big concert here that they have country rock or whatever, to large stages, probably about 300,000 people come through that. Send a big farm here. homestead Festival, which is another big one in Columbia, Tennessee. Had Kevin Costner play there as the artist last year. It's a real refined festival that we do. And so yeah, I just I started taking custom orders and making them for different people getting calls from celebrities and different people that I knew in Hollywood going Holy shit, you're making these ads. And you know, the orders started coming in and I've been hand making custom hats ever since. So hand over fist.

Chuck Shute: 1:16:26

Yeah, that's it. So what see Thomas house somebody that wanted to buy one Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top Right. Some pretty big names. Yeah, there's

Huck Johns: 1:16:32

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I made I made one for for Jake. Jessica from Greta Van. Fleet. Eventful? Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 1:16:40

Let's see. Right. So the birth and wife house.

Huck Johns: 1:16:43

Yeah, I just made one floor. Or what's the big Chris Barrett from the Bear Arms Company that his dad invented the 50 Cal rifle. Oh. his company's really huge. Who else do I have coming in? Jimmy Hall. I'm just gonna meet with Jimmy here this week. He was he I made the last hat Jeff Beck wore before he passed. Wow. I just you know, it's been, you know, it's been great, man. I mean, you know, the different people that have hit me up for hats. And you know, I made one for John Wayne's grandson runway and who is the Mandalorian he's the guy in the suit for the Mandalorian it just comes from Taylor Lin. Loretta Lynn's granddaughter. I made one for Waylon Jennings grandson. Struggle, Jennings.

Chuck Shute: 1:17:41

musical artist himself.

Huck Johns: 1:17:43

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yes. Oh, yeah. He's huge. You know, they just keep coming. And I like to do them for you know, the, I don't know, I'm not I like to do and for for people that are, I guess kind of, you know, I don't know, I'm keeping my integrity. You know what I mean? I'm not I'm not going and fishing around and looking. I'm making one for Clint Eastwood, the daughter jeez, I mean, just people that you know, like I've been blessed that way. You know, it's I would love to have you know, Bano from YouTube wearing one of my hats of course or, or you know, some of these country stars that are that are that are really great and really huge wear hats but I'm just kind of taking it as the Lord brings it you know, I make a lot for for people here locally, that no quality I make quality materials and my quality hats. I don't don't cheapen out. I use artifacts from you know, we're in one of the largest civil war areas that in that, you know, when we had the bloodiest battle of the Civil War here in Franklin so I get artifacts from that because there's it was so large and so vast, some of the historical places I can go and friends there and they'll get buckles and things like that and be called demanding and all of that a hand so all of the sweatbands I custom liners, and I do it all myself. You know, I block and shape and I get an old hat that's 50 years old and it looks like shit. Make it look brand new. Most of the time I take it rip all the stuff out of it, clean it up immensely. Steam it, re block it and make it into a brand new hat and make it look old again. So you know different styles, different shapes, doesn't matter what it is. I can do it. If you have a dream hat you know, if you if you watch 1883 If you watch Yellowstone or you watch some of these old westerns, I made the rowdy eights. I've made the rawhide Lucas McCain I've made them all and and they're all individual. I never make the same hat twice. So you want you get a hawk hat. It's yours. No one else will have it. And I don't make a lot of cheap wool. Like I said, I make a lot of really high quality stuff. So hopefully they'll last year, lifetime and your kids lifetime and your grandkids lifetime.

Chuck Shute: 1:20:00

Very cool. Yeah, I'll put the website in the show notes and then I always am promoting a charity or cause is there a charity that you're it's near and dear to your heart? You want to give a shout out to here at the end? Oh, wow, of course.

Huck Johns: 1:20:10

Well, there's heartstrings which is a which is a charity run by beautiful friend of mine Amy and and she's, she's in charge of making sure that everything is is on the up and up over there. And they what they do is they, they combine music with with veterans and contribute all of these things musical their songwriting events, and they give guitars to veterans, signed by different artists, they can they collaborate with a lot of different country artists and rock artists and just musicians in general, I'm completely supporting the cause and the veterans and those that have served I contributed to their their cause I contribute to the friends, the friends of of Williamson County shelter here. So for the animals, you know, I'm doing a benefit for them, I do benefit for the Harpeth River, the Conservatory, which is the people who take care of the river here to make sure it stays clean. Um, you know, I have St Jude has an auction right now in Nashville, where you can, you know, only select items and people that are involved in this package that you can bid on and win and you'll get a HopCat included in that. So I contribute a lot to different charities, um, only the ones that you know, that I that I think, you know, I'd like to contribute to all of them, I commend those who who put themselves out for others. And these particular charities that I mentioned are top to me, you know, veterans, animals and kids, you know, that's, that's the way I go as much as possible in and then you know, again, with with with nature and keeping things clean and non polluted for the generations to come, that's important to me, as well. So those are the ones that I support on my website, which is Huck Huck off there, if you want to hear some music that tell you what, if you want to hear some of John's music, you can go to WWE dot Huck off.com, and they has just songs, I'm not trying to sell any songs, I'm not trying to link them anywhere, I just want people to hear the music. And you can go on my website, and you can just hear my music, you can hit play, and then you can hit play and, and excellent, and you're gonna hit play on the next one. They don't link to anything, you know, make me any money. They just, I just want people to be able to listen and feel like something out there. Of course you can go by. But you know, that's a chance for you just to go and listen, if you want to hear it. And if you want to, if you want to hug cat, you just go to hug cats.com. And all the hats that I have made there are available on there, you're not going to get that exact hat, you're gonna get something that's, you know, a little bit different, but close. Because you can you can take that style, you can order it in your size, if you want it in a particular color, I can, I can make it happen. And then you just reach out to me, you'll be discussing directly with me. And, you know, we'll get to work on your custom hat, you know, and if you have a dream hat, I can make it alright, you know, if you want slashes at my domain, you want anyone's ad I can make it. And it's going to be high quality. And it's going to be it's going to be your dream hat and I tried to make them for everyday wear. I tried to make them for people that you know, aren't usually accustomed to wearing hats. You know, that's been amazing. That's, you know, that's another thing it's been, it's been a gift from the Lord, it's been, I've been able to, you know, give people confidence that maybe wouldn't have had it otherwise. You know, it's amazing to see people come and put a hat on and go holy crap, you know, and it just changes everything. And then, and then they're kind enough to tell me some of the experiences they have wearing them, which are positive. And so it's been a real, it's been a real joy for me to be able to do this and, and create my art and have people appreciate it.

Chuck Shute: 1:24:03

Yeah, very cool. Well, hopefully we'll get the word out a little more here, this podcast, and maybe you'll saw a couple of hats. And that's awesome. Oh, sure,

Huck Johns: 1:24:10

Chuck, and you can really well well represented as well and well spoken of, you know, Stephen and the guys there that you know, I know some people in the podcast world and they speak highly of you and they're proud of your endeavors. So I hope you keep it up. And I see you've had some really great interviews and I'm, I'm really happy and proud to be a part of it and you and your interest in me. I really appreciate it.

Chuck Shute: 1:24:32

Yeah, I was just fine. I will stay in touch and let me know about the book when that comes out and come back and talk about it. I'm working

Huck Johns: 1:24:37

I'm working like a wet cat man. I got all kinds of things go on and that's one thing about me man, I got a lot of irons in the fire. And you know if anyone wants to know anything about me, I'm a true artist. I really am I multifaceted and I really try to create things that that are gonna last hopefully I'll you know, hopefully you'll see how cats on the antiques roadshow you know 2050 You know what I mean? I'm very well, that's what I'm shooting for and in music, you know, you know, all I can say to anybody who's listening is that, you know, um, you know, I, I, I encourage anyone to live their dreams. I think that's the most important thing. My dream is always just been to be a great artist. I've always wanted to have a hit song, of course, and I think someday my might, you know, I'm never gonna quit try it. But that's the important thing there. You just never quit trying. You never quit or give up on you. Believe in you believe in yourself, no matter what it is, no matter what you want to do, no matter what you want to try. Don't want to be Don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't do something. You can do it. You know, if one man can do it, another man can do it as well. Or woman. And that's the way I believe so all you kids out there that maybe feeling discouraged or have your doubts. No, no, never, never doubt yourself. Just hang in there. Keep swinging. And eventually you're gonna hit the home run, I promise you.

Chuck Shute: 1:26:06

Very cool. Well, sad. Well, thanks so much for doing this. I'll talk to you later.

Huck Johns: 1:26:09

Then. My pleasure. Chuck. Thank you so much. All right. Oh, bye. Thanks

Chuck Shute: 1:26:13

to my thanks again to Huck Johns. You can hear his music for free on Spotify, or his website. And also check out his hats. They're very cool, make a great gift. And you can support this show and hook by sharing this episode on social media. And of course you can follow both of us on there as well. We appreciate all your support for the show and the guests. Have a great rest of your day and shoot for the moon.