Johnny Ferreira was born August 11, 1957 in Portugal to Manuel and Ermelinda Ferreira. However, he grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada after his family immigrated there in 1963.

Ferreira's love for music started during childhood, always listening to music being played on the radio during the 1960s and 1970s. At the age of 11, he learned to play the accordion, and during high school, at the age of 17, he learned how to play the saxophone. By the age of 19, he was well into it and has been playing it ever since.

It was in 1980 when Ferreira was still studying music in Capilano College. During that year, a well known band named the Pointed Sticks returned to Vancouver after having recorded an album in London, England. The sessions didn't work well and was on the verge of breaking up due to it. Their manager decided to convince them to record an album in Canada, this time produced by famous record Producer Bob Rock. The band's guitar player was also going to Capilano College with Ferreira, and convinced him to play a few sessions with them which turned out well. After the recording, he was invited to join the band. The band together with Ferreira toured Canada for a year and half until the band decided to break-up. After a group stint with Pointed Sticks, he began a musical association with multi-instrumentalist and Producer Brian MacLeod, member of well-known Canadian rock band Chilliwack. Brian MacLeod was also the leader of the Headpins which Ferreira recorded with. As a Producer, MacLoud hired Ferreira on several other recordings including the well-known punk rock band DOA

In 1985 to 1986, he collaborated with Guitarist and singer-songwriter Colin James. They both played in clubs. James moved to Vancouver from Regina, Saskatchewan after he failed to get a blues band there. For two months, he toured with American Guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. From there, the Colin James Band was formed together with Ferreira as the Saxophonist. The band was doing over 300 gigs a year promoting such songs as the top charting single "Five Long Years".

In 1988 to 1989, the band recorded their first album under the American label, Virgin Records. The album was recorded first at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida with the legendary Producer Tom Dowd and finished in Los Angeles with Danny Kortchmar. The album became the fastest selling record in Canadian history. The band toured with Steve Winwood, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Plant, ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, and Keith Richards. The band released their second album Sudden Stop in 1990. The album went gold and later platinum. In the late 1990s, Ferreira formed his own band Johnny Ferreira and The Swing Machine, and produced albums under his own label, Pair-A-Dice Records. The band toured most of Europe.

His books are published and sold via Amazon.com. His recently published book is How To Play Killer Blues And Rockin' Sax Solos With 7 Notes Or Less. His other books are called How To Play The saxophone – A Complete Beginner's Guide and So You've Got a Saxophone – Now What?.