Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham (born May 26, 196
is an American musician who is currently a guitarist for the California
punk rock band
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jonny Wickersham (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brent Harding (bass, backing vo ...
. He joined Social Distortion after the death of founding member and longtime friend
Dennis Danell
Dennis Eric Danell
(June 24, 1961 – February 29, 2000) was an American musician, guitarist and co-founding member of the Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion.
Biography
Danell joined Social Distortion in 1979 while he and ...
in February 2000. Previously he had been a guitarist for
U.S. Bombs
U.S. Bombs are an American punk rock band, formed in 1993 in Orange County, California by Duane Peters and Kerry Martinez. For much of the band's career, the U.S. Bombs consisted of Peters and Martinez, with bass guitarist Wade Walston and drum ...
, The Cadillac Tramps, and
Youth Brigade.
Career
Wickersham has been touring and recording with Social Distortion since the ''When the Angels Sing'' memorial concert held in June 2000 to benefit Dennis Danell's family. Wickersham also co-wrote "Angel's Wings", "Faithless" and "Nickels and Dimes" along with
Mike Ness for Social Distortion's 2004 release ''
Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll
''Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll'' is the sixth album by American punk rock band Social Distortion. It is their first studio album in eight years, since the release of '' White Light, White Heat, White Trash'' in 1996. The album was originally schedu ...
'' as well as "Machine Gun Blues", "Far Side of Nowhere" and "Take Care of Yourself" with Ness on Social Distortion's ''
Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes''.
In 2008, Wickersham was on tour with Ness's solo band along with Social Distortion.
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American punk rock band, established in 1980 in Orange County, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums, two live albums, and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped ...
wrote a song about him, "Johnny Twobags", released on their album ''
Live Fast, Diarrhea''.
In 2010 he reunited with his U.S. Bombs bandmates to tour with them in Europe and in the USA.
In 2012, he announced the release of his first solo 7" called "Hope Dies Hard," and forthcoming solo album ''Salvation Town''.
His limited edition 7" "Hope Dies Hard" was released on December 4, 2012, through Folsom Records. The singles were sold at Social Distortion's House of Blues shows in December 2012. Only 500 copies were made.
His first solo album, ''
Salvation Town'', was released through
Isotone Records
Two nuclides are isotones if they have the same neutron number ''N'', but different proton number ''Z''. For example, boron-12 and carbon-13 nuclei both contain 7 neutrons, and so are isotones. Similarly, 36S, 37Cl, 38Ar, 39K, and 40Ca nuclei ...
on April 1, 2014. The first single, "
One Foot In The Gutter", premiered on Rolling Stone. Wickersham has described the sound on Salvation Town as "Americana," and noted in an interview that "There’s always been a real American roots thread throughout everything I’ve done, with Cadillac Tramps and Social Distortion especially, even to some degree in the Bombs. I’ve always written a lot of ballads and things like that. I grew up around a lot of American music. My father played in bar bands. That’s how he raised me, playing music in bars. So it seemed like a natural approach to me."
Equipment
Jonny uses an assortment of Gibson guitars and a Fender Telecaster. He has five Les Paul Juniors (a 1955 sunburst, 1957 TV, a double cut 1959 cherry red and two Gibson VOS Les Paul Juniors with Luther Lee P-90s), a 1954 Gibson Les Paul goldtop and a '52 Fender Blackguard Telecaster. He also goes acoustic with his 1947 Gibson J-45. Recently he has also been using a signature Jonny Two Bags guitar custom-made for him by Gabriel Currie of Echopark Guitars.
Wickersham uses Satellite Atom 36 watt amps through Marshall 1960TV 4x12s with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers. He has been seen using many effects over the years including a Tubescreamer, a MXR GT-OD, a MXR Smart Gate, a MXR Micro Amp and a J Rockett Archer. Currently Jonny uses a Boss TU-2 Tuner and a J Rockett Archer.
Selected discography
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wickersham, Jonny
Living people
1967 births
American punk rock guitarists
Social Distortion members
20th-century American guitarists