Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Alamosa, Colorado, known for work in pop, country, folk, folk rock, and soft rock. He is born in 1944 and dies in 2017. He grows up in Denver and begins playing guitar at the age of 13.

Early career

In 1963, Johnson enrols at Colorado State University to study music, but leaves after winning an international talent contest two years later. The contest leads to a recording contract with Epic Records, and his song “Hills” appears as a single on the label. He tours widely in clubs and colleges. In 1966, he studies classical guitar at the Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona with Graciano Tarragó and Renata Tarragó.

After returning to the United States, he joins the New Society, led by Randy Sparks, and tours Asia. When that group ends in 1967, he joins the Chad Mitchell Trio, later renamed Denver, Boise & Johnson, and writes songs with John Denver. After the trio ends, he performs in the off-Broadway production Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago before returning to solo work.

Solo recording career

Johnson signs with Atco Records in 1971 and releases his debut album, There Is a Breeze, in 1973. He produces the album with Chris Dedrick, Peter Yarrow, and Phil Ramone. He follows it with For All You Mad Musicians in 1975, which he self-produces and which leans more towards folk, and then Ain’t Dis Da Life, which includes a rhythm section. These releases build his regional following.

He later works with Brent Maher and Steve Gibson in Nashville on a demo containing “Bluer Than Blue” and “Almost Like Being in Love.” This leads to a contract with EMI America and the release of The Michael Johnson Album in 1978. “Bluer Than Blue” reaches number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and tops the Adult Contemporary chart, while “Almost Like Being in Love” also charts on the R&B, Adult Contemporary, and pop charts. His next album, Dialogue, includes “This Night Won’t Last Forever” and earns a gold record in Europe for “I’ll Always Love You.”

Johnson releases five albums with EMI before moving to RCA Records in 1985 and adopting a contemporary country style. He records duets with Juice Newton and Sylvia and places five Top Ten country hits between 1986 and 1989, including the number one singles “Give Me Wings” and “The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder.”

Later years and other work

After two country albums and two greatest hits compilations on RCA, Johnson signs with Atlantic Records in 1991. His commercial profile then declines, though he continues to record occasionally for smaller labels in the 1990s. He co-writes “Cain’s Blood,” the debut single by the country group 4 Runner, which has a minor hit in 1995.

Alongside performing and recording, Johnson writes “The Solo Performer” for Performing Songwriter magazine from 1993 to 1998. In 2007, he undergoes quadruple bypass heart surgery, and a temporary charitable organisation called Friends of Michael Johnson is set up to help with medical expenses. He dies at his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Selected labels and style

His recording history includes Epic Records, Atco Records, EMI America, RCA Records, Atlantic Records, and Sanskrit Publishing Co. His work spans country, folk, folk rock, soft rock, and pop, with guitar central to his career.