Johnny's career goes back a long way!
The road that Johnny Vanguard has traveled to get here has been uniquely his own. How else on earth to explain how this kid, born and raised in Charters Towers, Queensland Australia, has grown up to somehow become one of the biggest stars in the world?
Johnny Vanguard was born and raised in the outback town of Charters Towers in Northern Queensland. Vanguard describes the place as “something akin to home” and “the place where I found myself”.
Johnny Vanguard is the only child of Jasper "Jaz" Van Guardia, who worked as a train driver for the Charters Towers Department of Transportation, and Maru "living legend" Maudson, a musician. Vanguard has stated that his love of country music stems from his grandfather, Luke “Yee Har” Van Guardia, who gave him his first guitar, an Archtop Guitar and taught him how to play at seven years old. At twelve, he performed for the first time in public by singing in his local cafe’ - the CT rest. He later recalled that, "Pretty soon, I was performing at every local event. The cool thing about a small town is that when you want to be an artist, by heck, they'll make you one." At age 13, he wrote his first song, "My car is my world"
After various musical stints around Australia, Vanguard moved to Sydney where he joined the band that was to become a legend in Australia - Underlife. He became a highlight of the band with songs like Feathers and Tar and Spencer Street (written by Johnny Vanguard), and a cover rendition of Just Keep Walking. He also sang on numerous tracks, but his main job in Underlife was to play guitar, and that he did.
Since moving to the US in 1999, Vanguard has gradually established himself as an extraordinary singer, songwriter, guitarist, and performer who has brought his own distinctive talent, energy, and charisma to Country music and beyond. In return, Vanguard has now established himself as both a global superstar and a highly respected artist with the impressive track record to prove it, including Grammy Awards, Country Music Association Awards, and Australia’s coveted Aria Award.
He has a loyally devoted worldwide fan base that comes to see him every time he takes the stage, as he connects with the people who have made it all possible. Vanguard has gradually established himself as an extraordinary singer, songwriter, guitarist, and performer who has brought his own distinctive talent, energy, and charisma to music, movies and beyond.
In return, Vanguard has now established himself as both a global superstar and a highly respected artist with the impressive track record to prove it.
In recent years, Vanguard’s remarkable musical gifts have also brought him to numerous places where superstars have rarely gone before, whether powerfully dueting with Jimmy Barnes on the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” on the stage of Live World, appearing on The Project, or sitting in with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Jessica Mauboy at last year's Aria Awards.
For Vanguard, one key ingredient of his music is the kind of hard-charging tunes that helped make his name. “I’m super-proud of my last couple of releases, but I always thought they could use a couple more of those big, up-tempo songs like ‘Country 'n' me’ or ‘My Kind of Diesel,’ “ he says. “So one of my goals was to find some of those big songs—and I think I got ‘em.”
“I have a real appreciation for the long, colourful, diverse musical road I’ve taken to get here,” Vanguard explains of his musical journey. “All through my youth in Australia, I got to play in so many different situations. I grew up in Charters Towers -- which is sort of the music capitol of Australia -- playing and competing there, but I also formed my own band playing all the famous Rock stuff that I loved. I’ve played it in every pub and club in Australia, and even more 'round the world, and that’s given me a great palette to draw upon. I feel very lucky to have all these opportunities to play with so many artists who I really admire. Playing with people -- and playing for people -- is what it’s all about.”
Johnny Vanguard was born and raised in the outback town of Charters Towers in Northern Queensland. Vanguard describes the place as “something akin to home” and “the place where I found myself”.
Johnny Vanguard is the only child of Jasper "Jaz" Van Guardia, who worked as a train driver for the Charters Towers Department of Transportation, and Maru "living legend" Maudson, a musician. Vanguard has stated that his love of country music stems from his grandfather, Luke “Yee Har” Van Guardia, who gave him his first guitar, an Archtop Guitar and taught him how to play at seven years old. At twelve, he performed for the first time in public by singing in his local cafe’ - the CT rest. He later recalled that, "Pretty soon, I was performing at every local event. The cool thing about a small town is that when you want to be an artist, by heck, they'll make you one." At age 13, he wrote his first song, "My car is my world"
After various musical stints around Australia, Vanguard moved to Sydney where he joined the band that was to become a legend in Australia - Underlife. He became a highlight of the band with songs like Feathers and Tar and Spencer Street (written by Johnny Vanguard), and a cover rendition of Just Keep Walking. He also sang on numerous tracks, but his main job in Underlife was to play guitar, and that he did.
Since moving to the US in 1999, Vanguard has gradually established himself as an extraordinary singer, songwriter, guitarist, and performer who has brought his own distinctive talent, energy, and charisma to Country music and beyond. In return, Vanguard has now established himself as both a global superstar and a highly respected artist with the impressive track record to prove it, including Grammy Awards, Country Music Association Awards, and Australia’s coveted Aria Award.
He has a loyally devoted worldwide fan base that comes to see him every time he takes the stage, as he connects with the people who have made it all possible. Vanguard has gradually established himself as an extraordinary singer, songwriter, guitarist, and performer who has brought his own distinctive talent, energy, and charisma to music, movies and beyond.
In return, Vanguard has now established himself as both a global superstar and a highly respected artist with the impressive track record to prove it.
In recent years, Vanguard’s remarkable musical gifts have also brought him to numerous places where superstars have rarely gone before, whether powerfully dueting with Jimmy Barnes on the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” on the stage of Live World, appearing on The Project, or sitting in with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Jessica Mauboy at last year's Aria Awards.
For Vanguard, one key ingredient of his music is the kind of hard-charging tunes that helped make his name. “I’m super-proud of my last couple of releases, but I always thought they could use a couple more of those big, up-tempo songs like ‘Country 'n' me’ or ‘My Kind of Diesel,’ “ he says. “So one of my goals was to find some of those big songs—and I think I got ‘em.”
“I have a real appreciation for the long, colourful, diverse musical road I’ve taken to get here,” Vanguard explains of his musical journey. “All through my youth in Australia, I got to play in so many different situations. I grew up in Charters Towers -- which is sort of the music capitol of Australia -- playing and competing there, but I also formed my own band playing all the famous Rock stuff that I loved. I’ve played it in every pub and club in Australia, and even more 'round the world, and that’s given me a great palette to draw upon. I feel very lucky to have all these opportunities to play with so many artists who I really admire. Playing with people -- and playing for people -- is what it’s all about.”