Much of his early adult life was defined by his deft musical ability in playing guitar. He spent years working at the Bradley Barn and toured prolifically with many singer-songwriters throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Among the some of the most notable of his musical achievements was his long career with Ed Bruce and Judy Rodman.
Always a lover of nature and the outdoors, Tom in later years would put down the guitar and pick up the fishing pole. He became an avid fisherman and displayed the same level of passion and skill in this new chapter of life as he had with his guitar playing. Much of the second half of his life was spent on a bass boat, preferably on Dale Hollow. This passion for nature also led him to keep gardens in his later years. Tom thoroughly enjoyed tending to his tomato plants and giving out the fruits of his labor.
His later years would also provide him his proudest accomplishment yet, becoming Paw Paw. His grandchildren became the main focal point of his retirement years and there seemed hardly a thing that could surpass his love for those boys. It was following the birth of his grandchildren that Tom began to play guitar again with the same vigor as he had in his youth. It was his two greatest loves in life, music and his grandchildren, that defined the twilight of his life.
Thomas Harry Johnson is survived by daughter Laura (Andrew) Small, son Andrew (Sara) Schneider, sister Lillian (Joe) Tripp, brother John Johnson, as well as two beautiful grandchildren, Bennet Alan Small and Cooper James Small.
Gathering of Family and Friends Saturday, August 1, 2020 10 am till 12 noon at Eastland Funeral Home in Nashville, Tennessee
In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made in Tom's honor to Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
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