Singing and playing guitar since the age of 6.  Have played in numerous bands in his youth, but the opportunity never recently presented itself due to a career of worldwide travel with the real job (you know, the non-musical job that pays $$$).   Travelling boots have been put away, and founded Classic Rock Band Second Shift with legendary drummer Rick Beckham.  Having always felt to be born in the wrong generation, Dan goes by the motto "If it doesn't have guitar, its Absolute Crap!".  Dan has no fear of jail cells, hearing loss, or Scotch whiskies (blended or single malt).

Ed "the Moose" Johnson picked up the bass while in high school in El Paso , TX . and got good enough to start playing with some local groups at various night clubs. This progressed into a 5 night a week gig while attending college as well as participating in some local area concerts including some local TV appearances. Based on local notoriety the group, going by the name of Liberation, was asked to start opening for large touring groups coming through town, which included bands such as Heart, Rush and Rick Springfield. The group producing the shows were impressed and asked the band to sign a contract, move to Dallas and work exclusively for them.

At this stage the band was slimmed down to a power trio including Bass, Drums and Guitar. Liberation was a hard working touring band working a circuit that included Texas , Louisiana , Oklahoma , New Mexico , Colorado and Wyoming . During this time Liberation continued to be an opening act for groups including AC DC , Head East, Steppenwolf, and Blackfoot with a highlight of opening for Aerosmith for an audience of over 14,000.

Jump 30 years later where friend, Dan Siegel, began asking Ed to pick up the bass again and join his group ‘Second Shift' but the timing was never right. Finally after several years the stars aligned in the heavens, and the opportunity to play with such talented musicians plus advice from friends saying ”make time and just do it”, did it. Moose dusted off the Rickenbacker Bass and his amp affectionately named “Godzilla” and a new era begins.  

Started the music thing somewhere around 4 years old, first with building a drum set on the kitchen floor with as many pots and pans were in reach and later banging on grandma’s piano. Mom thought the drum thing was cute, so she let it go on for a while, but later moved the pots to a higher cabinet after a lot of Tylenol. Shortly after began playing random lines up and down the keyboard with both hands like he was playing some kind of pre-written sonata. The family seemed very impressed so he kept it up and at this point realized that it didn’t matter what you played, as long as you looked like you meant to……that would become true later, however, at the time the family was just ecstatic that the kid was doing something with his fingers besides picking his nose.

Grew up (a little) and took lessons, became a jazz piano player and a rudimental drummer, performed and competed on both instruments as a soloist and played in various ensembles including concert bands, orchestras, jazz bands, marching bands, pep bands, rock bands, a country band, a drum and bugle corps and any other group that he could sneak into which brings us here to Second Shift!!

Picked up drumsticks for the first time around 10 yrs old, and immediately fell in love with drumming. Have played percussion in various marching bands, concert bands, orchestras, and rock bands. Rick was 1st Chair Mississippi All State Band his senior year in high school, and marched snare drum with the Garfield Cadets, from Garfield NJ, in 1980 and the 27th Lancers, from Revere Ma, in 1981. Rick put away his sticks after graduating college in 1982 to work on a career in computer science and to start a family. After moving to Princeton Tx in 1990, he picked up his sticks again. Since that time he has written two books on rudimental drumming, played briefly with the heavy metal band Flesh Wund, taught various students and drumlines, won the DCA Nat'l Snare competition 4 times, started a popular website devoted to rudimental drumming, and was a founding member of classic rock band Second Shift.

Drum set influences include Alan White of Yes, Neal Peart of Rush, Steve Gadd, and of course Buddy Rich.

An expert player of the stereo, spent years listening to rock (of all kinds).  Decided to try his hand behind the mixing desk, keeping Second Shift sounding great!