Eric Johnson has commanded the guitar world with his prominent skills on the string instrument.

A Texas native, Johnson grew up surrounded by blues and country, constantly represented in all his albums. As a teen he was a part of the group Mariani, followed by Electromagnets, a jazz-rock band when he was 21. Even at this age Johnson was already standing apart from other guitarists. With Electromagnets he appeared on the cover of Guitar Player Magazine, while also working as a session player for other industry leaders, like Cat Stevens, Carole King and Christopher Cross.

He began recording his first album, Seven Worlds in 1976 but it wasn't until 1998 that the album was released. His big break came when Prince saw him appear on the PBS television show Austin City Limits and recommended Johnson to the label Warner Bros. Johnson's debut album, Tones, was released in 1986 with the single "Zap" earning Johnson a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental.

His sophomore effort Ah Via Musicom led him toward mainstream success, spanning across all musical genres and ruling the radio airwaves, most especially with the single "Cliffs of Dover," which won him a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental. He spent three years touring the album. His nit-picking would often leave him on a silent stage for minutes as he tuned the guitar, making the gap from his second and third album reach six years. The reappearance came about with the Capitol Records album Venus Isle. The G3 Tour left a more energetic Johnson, who released a live bluesy CD in 2000 called Live and Beyond, with bassist Chris Maresh and drummer Bill Maddox added to the mix. In 2002 an online-only album appeared, called Souvenir. In 2005 he won several Austin Music Awards while joining Fender at the NAMM trade show to introduce his new Fender Signature Series Stratocaster guitar.