The younger brother of successful producer
Glyn Johns, as an engineer and later a producer,
Andy Johns had a list of clients as impressive as they come. Beginning as a tape operator at Olympic Studios,
Johns engineered for the cream of the late-'60s/early-'70s British scene including
Led Zeppelin,
Jethro Tull,
Humble Pie, and
Rod Stewart.
Johns also worked with
the Stones during their classic 1968-1973 string of hit albums and traveled with the band to the south of France, documenting the personnel mayhem and manic creative spirit that resulted in the classic
Exile on Main St. album. After moving to L.A. in the mid-'70s
Johns attempted to move into production full-time, but, with the exception of
Television's 1977 album
Marquee Moon, work was few and far between until the mid-'80s when he teamed with hard rock acts such as
Joe Satriani,
Van Halen, and
Ozzy Osbourne.
Johns died at the age of 62 from a bleeding ulcer on April 7, 2013 in Van Nuys, California. ~ Steve Kurutz