Kevin Johnson

Kevin Stephen Johnson (born 3 July 1942) is an Australian singer-songwriter. He was popular in the 1970s, his biggest hit is "Rock and Roll I Gave You the Best Years of My Life", which peaked at No. 4 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in 1973. He also had a top 20 hit with "Bonnie Please Don't Go" (aka "She's Leavin'") in 1971. "Rock and Roll" is one of the most covered songs written by an Australian with 27 different artists recording it in 1975 alone. Covers include fellow Australians, Col Joye and Digby Richards, and international artists, Mac Davis, Terry Jacks, Joe Dassin (in French), The Cats and Tom Jones. Davis' rendition became the highest charting version on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 15 in 1975.



Contents
[hide]  *1 Early years  ==Early years[ edit] == Kevin Stephen Johnson was born on 3 July 1942,[1]  and grew up in Tungamull, which is between the Capricorn Coast and Rockhampton, Queensland.[2] [3] [4]  He is the only son of Richard Johnson (timber contractor) and Elinor Johnson (post office, telephone exchange operator).[3]  Elinor was also a violinist and gave Johnson lessons but he showed little interest.[3]  He bought a guitar in his late teens and began his music career by singing in local beer gardens, he then joined the Candymen on lead vocals and rhythm guitar.[3] [4]  From the early 1960s he worked for the Queensland Department of Roads as a clerk; playing and singing at night and writing songs in his spare time.[3] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kusko_4-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[4]  Some of his songs came to the notice of rock and roll artist, Col Joye, who signed Johnson to his publishing company.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kusko_4-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[4]  In September 1966 Col Joye and the Joy Boys had a hit with "Mary Anne", which had been written by Johnson.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kusko_4-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[4] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kimball_5-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5]
 * 2 "Rock and Roll"
 * 3 Later years
 * 4 JAM
 * 5 Personal life
 * 6 Discography
 * 6.1 Albums
 * 6.2 Singles
 * 7 References
 * 8 External links

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In 1967 Johnson relocated to Sydney and recorded his first single, "Hayman Island" on Joye's ATA label in January.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kimball_5-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  He followed with "Woman You Took My Life" in April 1968 but neither single had any chart success.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kusko_4-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[4] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kimball_5-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  Aside from his music career Johnson also worked for the Registrar-General's Department of New South Wales.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Yates_7-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[7]  "Woman You Took My Life" was later recorded by Tom Jones, and by Vince Hill.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kusko_4-6" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[4]  In 1969 Johnson signed with independent label, Sweet Peach.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kimball_5-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  His debut album, In the Quiet Corners of My Mind, appeared in that year.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kimball_5-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5]  It was recorded at the Adelaide Studios of Gamba with Jimmy Stewart as producer and Lewandowski as engineer.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NLA_1_8-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[8]  In February 1971 he issued his first hit single, "Bonnie Please Don't Go" aka "She's Leavin'", which peaked at No. 12 in Melbourne,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Melb_9-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[9]  No. 2 in Sydney,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  and No. 15 on theGo-Set National Top 60.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Go-Set_Charts_10-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10]  It remained on the Go-Set charts for a total of 25 weeks; it was listed at No. 22 on their end of year chart; and No. 7 for Top Australian Singles of the year.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Go-Set_Charts_10-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10] =="Rock and Roll"<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Kevin Johnson changed labels to the United States-based Tree International owners of Dial Records, and for two years he wrote songs for other artists while vainly attempting to record his own material.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kusko_4-7" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[4] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  He later recalled "Because I'd signed with an American company I couldn't record here ... two years writing and bashing my head against a brick wall".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kruger_APRAP_11-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11]  In September 1973 he issued "Rock and Roll I Gave You the Best Years of My Life".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  It peaked at No. 10 in Melbourne,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Melb_9-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[9]  and at No. 4 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-6" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kent_12-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The lyrics describe a musician recalling his childhood dream of being a star and follows his life through his musical work, with some close breaks until he is faced with the ultimate realisation that he is not destined to become a star.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kusko_4-8" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[4]  It ends on an upbeat note from the would-be celebrity proclaiming "I thank the lord for giving me the little that I knew".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kruger_APRAP_11-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11]  Johnson based the early verses on his own life and the later verses "on others I've known. I always draw on things I know, things around me, on everyday life for my songs".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kusko_4-9" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[4]  He told Australasian Performing Rights Association representative, Debbie Kruger, in March 2002, that he had written it in two days:<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-APRA_2-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[2] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kruger_APRAP_11-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11] <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">It was a quick song for me because I've spent months on one line. It just came to me one day as I was driving home, feeling all this frustration of two years without making a record. So I decided to write a song not about giving someone the best years of my life, but to write about the pursuit of success, which I thought related to a lot of people around the world, not just in music but anything".

—Kevin Johnson, March 2002.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kruger_APRAP_11-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11] <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">He had become dissatisfied with his US record label, Dial Records, in Nashville, Tennessee and told them he was about to leave.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopArchives_13-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  However he was informed that other artists had already recorded his song, so he quickly recorded and released his own version on the Australian-based Good Thyme label through Festival.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopArchives_13-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  Kruger noted that "[the song] reflected his frustration with his own stagnation, and the futile attempts of Australian artists trying to break into America or England".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kruger_14-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[14]  In the US Johnson's single was issued on Mainstream Records,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-AMG_15-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[15]  it went to No. 73 on the Billboard singles chart in 1973. It was released in the United Kingdom on Decca Records in 1974 and reached No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart in the following year.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-PopArchives_13-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-AMG_15-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[15]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, it is one of the most covered songs written by an Australian with 27 different artists recording it in 1975 alone.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-7" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  Covers include fellow Australians, Col Joye andDigby Richards, and international artists, Mac Davis, Terry Jacks, Gary Glitter, Joe Dassin (in French), The Cats and Tom Jones. Some cover artists, including Davis, leave out the lyric "... I'd never be a star" for a happier ending.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-8" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  Johnson believes "There were a few people who wouldn't sing [that line] because in their minds they were big stars".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kruger_APRAP_11-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11]  Others, like Glitter, leave out the upbeat ending in the Johnson version for a more sombre ending. Jacks' version went to No. 97 in the US in 1974<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-AMG_Terry_16-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  – it reached No. 22 in Canada – and Davis' rendition became the highest US charting version, reaching No. 15 in 1975.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-AMG_Mack_17-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[17]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In 1996 Johnson re-wrote the track for the Australian Football League (AFL) as their official Centenary Song, retitled "Aussie Rules I Thank You for the Best Years of Our Lives".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-APRA_2-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[2] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kruger_APRAP_11-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11]  It was used as an introductory theme before AFL games during that season.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Bio_3-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[3] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-9" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  During the late 1990s it was used as the closing theme for Foster's Aussie Rules, a US highlights show. ==Later years<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In February 1974 Kevin Johnson issued his second solo album, Rock and Roll I Gave You the Best Years of My Life, on the Good Thyme label. In the next year he supported an Australian tour by Roberta Flack.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-10" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6] He released a succession of singles on the label and followed in August 1976 with a third album, Man of the 20th Century. For that album he used session musicians including Russell Dunlop on drums; Wayne Findlay on keyboards; Jim Kelly, Kirk Lorange, Mark Punch, and Rory O'Donoghue on guitars; and Tim Partridge on bass guitar.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-11" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Holmgren_18-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[18]  Later that year he toured Europe and appeared on a TV special broadcast into France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-12" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  His single, "Grab the Money and Run", appeared on the Irish charts.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-13" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Johnson toured Europe again in 1977, he also signed with Festival Records' offshoot Infinity to issue further singles and an album, Journeys, which appeared in 1978.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-14" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  Additional albums followed Best of Kevin Johnson (a compilation album, 1979), Night Rider (1981), Spirit of the Times (1985), Now and Then (compilation, 1992) and The Sun will Shine Again (September 1996).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-McFarlane_6-15" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6] ==JAM<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Kevin Johnson formed a trio, JAM (initialism for Johnson Ashdown McClellan) with Doug Ashdown ("Winter in America" aka "Leave Love Enough Alone") and Mike McClellan ("Song and Dance Man").<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kruger_14-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[14]  They toured Australia through the 2000s.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Spencer_19-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[19] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Bio_3-6" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[3] ==Personal life<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In 1967 Kevin Johnson married Jill and by April 1975 the couple had two children.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kusko_4-10" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[4] ==Discography<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Albums<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Singles<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ===
 * In the Quiet Corners of My Mind (1969)
 * Rock and Roll I Gave You the Best Years of My Life (February 1974)
 * Man of the 20th Century (August 1976)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Holmgren_18-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[18]
 * Journeys (1978)
 * The Best of Kevin Johnson (1979 compilation)
 * Night Rider (1980)
 * In the Spirit of the Times (1985)
 * The Sun Will Shine Again (1996)
 * Songs from a Troubled World (2006)
 * 1967: "Hayman Island"
 * 1968: "Woman You Took My Life"
 * 1970: "It Was Good While It Lasted"
 * 1971: "Bonnie Please Don't Go (She's Leaving)" (AUS Go-Set No. 15, 1971)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Go-Set_Charts_10-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10]
 * 1971: "All Our Favourite Songs"
 * 1973: "Rock 'n Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)" (AUS KMR No. 4, 1973;<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Kent_12-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12]  DE No. 47, 1974; UK No. 23,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-AMG_15-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[15]  1975)
 * 1974: "Kedron Brook"
 * 1975: "Man of the 20th Century"
 * 1975: "Someday Sam"
 * 1976: "Over the Hills and Far Away"
 * 1976: "Grab the Money and Run" (Charthit in Irland)
 * 1977: "All I Ever Needed"
 * 1979: "Next Plane to New Mexico"
 * 1979: "Paraguayan Sunset"
 * 1980: "He Was Just a Boy"
 * 1981: "Night Rider"
 * 1982: "Reasons"
 * 1984: "Hard Act to Follow"
 * 1985: "Night Comes"