Jan Johansson making good progress

In the past we have reported about Jan Johansson’s poor health. We are delighted to note that Swedish fiddle player, now living in Cary, North Carolina, Jan Johansson had a heart transplant at the Chapel Hill Medical Center, on March 20.

Johansson was hospitalized until the middle of April and since then he has made good progress in his efforts to return to more normal health.

His programmed rehabilitation has repeatedly shown positive signs. Matching his medical improvements, Johansson has enjoyed morale-boosting activities such as playing his fiddle, returning to teaching and, better still, playing at concerts.

Johansson, now 53, has suffered from heart-related problems for many years, beginning with a massive heart attack at the young age of 36. In 1999 he underwent triple bypass surgery and in 2005 he had a pacemaker installed.

In 2008 he was diagnosed as needing a heart transplant and in February 2010 he had a heart pump implant.

The Circle of Friends for Jan Johansson has arranged another benefit concert to take place on Saturday, June 18, from 1:00 – 7:00, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 3313 Wade Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Some of North Carolina’s finest bluegrass and traditional musicians will perform, including Jan Johansson, Tommy Edwards, Joe Newberry, Julie Elkins, Danny Gotham, Lindsey Tims and David Tate.

The concert is an opportunity to celebrate Johansson’s heart transplant and return to good health and to raise funds to help defray the family’s medical expenses.

The Circle of Friends for Jan Johansson are also partnering with the National Foundation for Transplants, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The bands and organizers donate their time, and all money raised goes to the NFT to support the Johansson family.

For those unable to attend the concert, donations can be made on the NFT web site, or by mailing them to:

National Foundation for Transplants
5350 Poplar Avenue
Suite 430
Memphis, TN 38119

Please write on your check “For Jan Johansson.”

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About the Author

Richard Thompson

Richard F. Thompson is a long-standing free-lance writer specialising in bluegrass music topics. A two-time Editor of British Bluegrass News, he has been seriously interested in bluegrass music since about 1970. As well as contributing to that magazine, he has, in the past 30 plus years, had articles published by Country Music World, International Country Music News, Country Music People, Bluegrass Unlimited, MoonShiner (the Japanese bluegrass music journal) and Bluegrass Europe. He wrote the annotated series I'm On My Way Back To Old Kentucky, a daily memorial to Bill Monroe that culminated with an acknowledgement of what would have been his 100th birthday, on September 13, 2011.