John Nilsen was born in Seattle, Washington in 1956. The Nilsen family moved to
Portland, Oregon in 1960. Nilsen began studying classical piano from his mother
at age six. Continuing his musical education, he began playing guitar at age
fourteen. John moved to Ashland, Oregon in 1974 to attend Southern Oregon
College (Southern Oregon University). Nilsen graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor
of Arts in English, and was honored by the institution in 1995 in recognition of his
outstanding achievements, dedicated efforts and leadership in the field of the
performing arts with the Distinguished Alumnus Award, the most prestigious
award bestowed upon Southern Oregon University graduates. An accomplished
pianist, guitarist, songwriter, lyricist and vocalist, Nilsen was chosen to be a
Deering Banjo Artist in 2016.