Porch Talk with Johnny Hinchman

by Donna Geer, Staff Writer

You might have seen him playing '70s–'90s acoustic rock at J.R.’s Sandtrap at the Port Ludlow Golf Course. He sings a bit of James Taylor, a little more of Jackson Browne, and a handful of original songs. He really likes the songs that evoke lots of memories, the ones that speak to his soul.

Johnny Hinchman was just a boy when he learned how to play the guitar after being inspired by his classmate Larry playing honky-tonk on a piano. That was the same year he went to his first concert, at Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, close to where he lived. Neil Young was touring in support of his album Harvest, with Linda Ronstadt as the opening act. At the time Johnny, who was only ten years old, was practicing Young’s song “Heart of Gold” on his guitar.

Thirty years later, Johnny would be the opening act in that same venue for a hard rock band from Sacramento called Tesla. Because he’d watched so many concerts at that auditorium throughout the years, from Neil Young to groups like the Doobie Brothers and the Eagles, and musicians like Jackson Browne, I wondered what it was like using the same dressing room as Bob Dylan and performing on that stage for a sold-out crowd. It was surreal, he said, seeing people singing the songs he’d written in his garage.

But of all the concerts and venues he’s played, the four-month USO world tour, with his older brother James in 1991, was one of the best times of his life. They have identical singing voices – brother harmony, Johnny called it. They sang for the troops in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Guam. Their first show was at Camp Bonifas in South Korea. They were so close to the Demilitarized Zone boundary, they could see North Korean soldiers filming their arrival.

That tour changed Johnny’s life. When he returned home, he quit his job with International Paper and went to college full time, earning an associate degree in music. Learning all about music theory taught him how to write music.

Johnny had his own band for a while, but when Seattle grunge became popular, he really thought he was done. When he was 36, he created a band called Rogue with some of Sacramento’s best musicians. They made a couple of albums and played at Memorial Auditorium, and even opened for Bad Company at Arco Arena in Sacramento. They also played at a lot of local nightspots.

That’s how Johnny met his wife, Susan. He was in Lodi, California, playing to a packed house in a place called Legends. It’s closed now, but it used to be famous for all the movie memorabilia hanging on the walls. Johnny and Susan had locked eyes a few times while she was dancing with her friends. At the end of the night, she’d slipped him her phone number on a napkin. That napkin is now on the first page of their scrapbook.

Johnny went on to create a seven-piece Jackson Browne tribute band called Late for the Sky, but when Covid happened in 2020, the amphitheaters cancelled their gigs. Johnny and Susan decided to move to Washington, but not before having one blowout concert in a hall he’d booked himself. He was the only one not wearing a mask.

Johnny Hinchman at South Beach, San Juan Island Photo Credit: Susan Hinchman

Moving first to Camano Island and now to Port Ludlow has changed Johnny’s life. He’s in his sixties, and he’s experiencing new things all the time, like the seal that pops up in the water near his house every night. Or the otters and the orcas, and the eagle that perches in their tree. There’s a strong sense of community where Johnny lives.

He’s building a studio in his basement so he can finally finish that album he started last year. Five songs are finished, but there’s another ten to go. He’s calling it Feeling Sound, based on his experiences here in the Puget Sound region.

Johnny’s still finding himself as he writes the remaining songs for his album. He’s keen to finish it, so he’s going to stop performing on a regular basis — live performances are very taxing on his voice. He wants to save it for his album, so he can hit all those high notes.

He’ll still sing at private gigs, and he’ll always sing “Piano Man” with his lifelong friend Larry, who’s the other half of Johnny’s duo. Larry still plays a mean honkey-tonk on the piano and loves Billy Joel too. Neither one of them is going to stop singing. Johnny will always be a performer at heart because that’s who he is.

Johnny’s last gig at J.R.’s Sandtrap is on Tuesday, August 18. Consider joining him for some good food and a lot of great music.

Interested in swapping stories? Let’s have a conversation while we sit on the porch with our coffee. Drop me a line at sports@plvoice.org. Looking forward to hearing from you!