Robert White Johnson
Robert White Johnson is an American songwriter and musician, based on Nashville, best known for co-writing "Where Does My Heart Beat Now", which was a major hit for Celine Dion.[1]
History[edit]
Robert White Johnson is a native of Moline, Illinois, where he commenced his career as a professional musician, playing drums. He originally went to Nashville at the behest of Dottie West, who was interested in developing Johnson's pop music career. He later became a staff writer for Tree Publishing.[1]
While continuing as a staff writer with Tree Publishing, in 1981 Johnson co-founded, with bass and keyboard player Jimmie Lee Sloas the rock band RPM, where Johnson was the lead singer.[2] The band released two albums and had a modest AOR hit single, "A Legend Never Dies". The group's albums were produced by Brent Maher and Gary Langan, respectively.[3] After the band folded, Johnson concentrated on his staff songwriting position, before becoming an independent songwriter and producer as of the mid-1990s. He has contributed songs, production or both to such bands as the Beach Boys,[4] Peter Wolf,[5] B.J. Thomas,[6] Lynyrd Skynyrd,[7] 38 Special,[8] Van Zant[9] and Celine Dion. He is also a songwriter and producer of popular Christian music.[1] In 1996, he won a Dove Award as producer of the Inspirational Album of The Year, Unbelievable Love, by Larnelle Harris.[1] Johnson is also a successful writer and performer of jingles.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Rick Moore, Nashville Songwriter Series: Robert White Johnson. American Songwriter, January 3, 2011. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
- ^ Uncredited, Review of RPM CD reissue, 2004; Rock Report. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ Uncredited, Profile of RPM; robertwhitejohnson.com. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ "It's Gettin' Late" (1985), co-written with Carl Wilson and Myrna Smith Schilling.
- ^ Co-writing and co-producing, with Taylor Rhodes and Peter Wolf, Wolf's 1990 album Up To No Good.
- ^ Christmas is Coming Home (1997)
- ^ Co-writer of several of the songs on The Last Rebel (1993).
- ^ Co-writer, "Chattahoochie", on Rock & Roll Strategy (1988). AllMusic, Particulars of Rock & Roll Strategy. Retrieved 2016-05-11. Others credit him with contributing to several other of the album's songs.
- ^ Producing a co-writing songs on Brother to Brother (1998) and Van Zant II (2001).