Wilko Johnson was a musician and actor who was the guitarist for the British pub rock band Dr. Feelgood and played an executioner in “Game of Thrones.”
- Died: Monday, November 21, 2022. (Who else died on November 21?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 75.
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Dr. Feelgood guitarist
Wilko Johnson was a guitarist who formed the band Dr. Feelgood in 1971 with singer Lee Brilleaux and bassist John Sparks and they added drummer John Martin. The band was known for their driving R&B sound and was one of the most popular pub rock bands in England. Johnson was highly influential on punk rock with a unique rhythmic fingerpicking style and jerky movements on stage. Dr. Feelgood was known for their electric live performances, and they reached number one on the UK album charts with the 1976 live album “Stupidity.” Johnson left the band in 1977 and continued to play with his own band, the Wilko Johnson Band. His only acting role came when he was asked to play the mute executioner Ser Ilyn Payne on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” He was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in 2013 and did a farewell tour and recorded an album with Roger Daltrey. He was declared cancer free after surgery a year later and continued to perform.
Notable Quote
“They said they wanted somebody really sinister who went around looking daggers at people before killing them.” “That made it easy. Looking daggers at people is what I do all the time, it’s like second nature to me… On the first day, I had to look evilly at this girl. So I sort of boggled at her. Afterwards, the American director came up to me and said ‘Wilko, you don’t have to act scary. You are scary.’” – 2011 interview with Echo News
Tributes to Wilko Johnson
Full Obituary: Variety
