Jamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Johnson in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | July 14, 1975[1] Enterprise, Alabama,U.S. |
| Origin | Montgomery, Alabama,U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels | BNA,Mercury Nashville,Big Gassed |
| Website | jameyjohnson |
Jamey Johnson(born July 14, 1975) is an Americancountry musicsinger and songwriter.
Signed toBNA Recordsin 2005, Johnson made his debut with his single "The Dollar",the title track to his 2006 albumThe Dollar.He was dropped from BNA in 2006 and signed toMercury Nashville Recordsin March 2008, releasing his second album, thegold-certifiedThat Lonesome Song.This album produced two singles, the top 10 hit "In Color"and" High Cost of Living ". Johnson has since released two more albums,The Guitar Songin 2010 andLiving for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochranin 2012. In 2014, he released a five-song Christmas EP titledThe Christmas Song.In addition to most of his own material, Johnson has co-written singles forWillie NelsonandMerle Haggard,Trace Adkins,George Strait,James Otto,Joe Nichols,andJessie James Decker.
Early life
[edit]Johnson was born on July 14, 1975, inEnterprise, Alabama,and raised inMontgomery, Alabama.From an early age, he was influenced by country acts such asAlabamaandAlan Jackson;the latter was the first act he saw in concert.[3]After graduating fromJefferson Davis High School,Johnson attendedJacksonville State University,the same university from which Alabama lead singerRandy Owengraduated.[3]During his time at Jacksonville State, he was a member of theMarching Southerners.
Johnson quit college after two years and served in theUnited States Marine Corps Reservefor four years.[3]While in the Marines, he began playing country music in various bars in the Montgomery area; one of his first gigs was opening forDavid Allan Coe.[3]By 2000, Johnson had moved toNashville, Tennessee,to pursue a career in country music. One of his first connections was with Greg Perkins, a fiddler who had played forTanya Tucker,Tammy Wynette,and other artists. Perkins invited Johnson to sing as a duet partner withGretchen Wilsonon a demo tape.[3]Songs for which Johnson sang demos include "Songs About Me" (cut byTrace Adkins) and "That's How They Do It in Dixie" (cut byHank Williams, Jr.withBig & Rich,Gretchen Wilson, andVan Zant).[3]
Johnson had also made connections with producer and songwriterBuddy Cannon,who helped him land a songwriting contract.[4]Among Johnson's first cuts as a songwriter was "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk",which Adkins released from his 2005 albumSongs About Me.That song he co-wrote along with hit songwriter Dallas Davidson and fellow country singer-songwriterRandy Houser,who later worked with Johnson again co-writing "My Cowboy" forcountry popsingerJessie Jamesfor herself-titled debut album.
Career
[edit]Career beginnings andThat Lonesome Song(2005–2009)
[edit]By 2005, Johnson had been signed to a recording contract withBNA Records.His first single, entitled "The Dollar",was released that year, followed by hisBuddy Cannon-produced debut album (also entitledThe Dollar) in March 2006. "The Dollar" went on to peak at No. 14 onBillboardHot Country Songs.The album's second single, "Rebelicious", failed to make the chart and Johnson was dropped from BNA.
After the loss of his record deal, Johnson divorced his wife and took on a reclusive lifestyle, residing in a friend's house while working on his songwriting.[5]He wrote several songs for other artists. In 2006,George Straitreached No. 1 on the Country chart with "Give It Away",a song which Johnson co-wrote withBill Andersonand Cannon. This song became Strait's 51st No. 1 on theBillboardcountry charts, setting a new record for most No. 1s on that chart.
In 2007, Trace Adkins charted with two more songs that Johnson co-wrote: "Ladies Love Country Boys"and" I Got My Game On ", the former being Adkins' first No. 1 in 10 years. Also in 2007,Joe Nicholsreached Top 20 with "Another Side of You",another song co-written by Johnson. This song was the first single on Nichols's albumReal Things,which also contained "She's All Lady", a song that Johnson originally recorded onThe Dollar.
Johnson was part of theFox TVtelevision seriesNashville,[6]which was cancelled after two episodes in September 2007.
Johnson released an album in 2008,That Lonesome Song,which was only made available online.[5]The album drew the attention ofMercury Nashville Records,who signed him to a record deal in 2008. His first single for the label, "In Color",was released in March 2008. This song, which Johnson co-wrote withLee Thomas MillerandJames Otto,entered the Top 40 in June 2008, andThat Lonesome Songwas released on CD in August of that year. "In Color" peaked at No. 9 on the Country chart in January 2009 and was followed a month later by "High Cost of Living", which managed to crack the Top 40, but only reaching No. 34. By April 2009,That Lonesome Songwas certified Gold by theRIAA.
A fifth single, "My Way to You", was issued in July 2009. The song was released to radio on July 13, 2009, and debuted at No. 56 on the U.S.BillboardHot Country Songs chart. The song peaked at No. 52 in September 2009.
Johnson was nominated for the 2009 CMA Awards New Artist of the Year, and has been nominated for the 2010 Academy of Country Music Top New Solo Vocalist.
The Guitar Song(2010–2012)
[edit]In 2010, Johnson released a follow-up to his 2008 album,That Lonesome Song.The album titledThe Guitar Songwas released on September 14, 2010. Upon its release,The Guitar Songwas met with overwhelming praise and universal acclaim from music critics.[7]The album debuted at number four on the U.S.Billboard200and number one on the U.S.BillboardTop Country Albums,selling 63,000 copies its first week of release.[8]
Johnson released three singles from the album, including "Playing the Part", in summer 2010. The music video for the single was released in October, and was directed byMatthew McConaughey,who also stars in the video as a dancing gorilla.
Johnson was the supporting act onKid Rock's 2011 Born Free Tour, accompanying Rock on a duet or two during most concerts. He was also a main stage act on Willie Nelson's Country Throwdown from May to July 2011.
Living for a Songand new label (2012–present)
[edit]In addition to producing other acts and writing new material,[9]Johnson released his fourth studio album titledLiving for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochranon October 6, 2012. The album is a tribute to songwriterHank Cochran.[10]The album garnered Johnson a nomination at the55th Grammy Awardsfor Best Country album. The album paired him with acts such asRay Price,Willie Nelson,Alison Krauss,Emmylou Harris,Elvis Costello,George Strait,Vince Gill,andMerle Haggard.Longtime collaborator and producerBuddy Cannonoversaw the project.[11]The album was released on vinyl September 25, 2012, and other formats on October 16, 2012.[12]
Following a dispute with his label, Johnson founded his own label, Big Gassed Records. His first release on the label was a Christmas-themed EP,The Christmas Song,including several covers and one new original song, which was released in November 2014. It was announced that more new music would follow in 2015.[13]In January 2015, Johnson released a new song, "Alabama Pines" as a free download.[14]This was followed by the release of another single, "You Can", in February.[15]
In a 2017 interview, Johnson stated that he had been having more difficulty with songwriting after an incident about seven years prior when he received a concussion due to slipping on ice and hitting his head.[16][17]In 2019, Johnson played alongsideDon Was,Warren Haynes,Lukas Nelson,andCyril NevilleonThe Last Waltz Tour,a live celebration ofThe Band's 1976 farewell show at theWinterland Ballroom,also known asThe Last Waltz.[18][19]
On March 19, 2022,Bill Andersoninvited him to become a member of theGrand Ole Opry,which he accepted; Johnson had performed regularly on the show for the previous seventeen years.[20]He was inducted on May 14, 2022.[21]
On December 15, 2023, Johnson gave thecommencement speechto the 2023 Fall graduating class of Jacksonville State University and received an honorary doctorate from the school. Alabama GovernorKay Iveyproclaimed December 15 Jamey Johnson Day.[22]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
Certifications (sales threshold) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [23] |
US [24] | |||
| They Call Me Country |
|
— | — | |
| The Dollar |
|
20 | 87 | |
| That Lonesome Song |
|
6 | 28 | |
| The Guitar Song |
|
1 | 4 |
|
| Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran |
|
3 | 5 | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Extended plays
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country [23] | ||
| The Christmas Song |
|
43 |
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Sales | Certifications (sales threshold) |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [27] |
US [28] | |||||
| 2005 | "The Dollar" | 14 | —A | The Dollar | ||
| 2006 | "Rebelicious" | — | — | |||
| 2008 | "In Color" | 9 | 52 |
|
That Lonesome Song | |
| 2009 | "High Cost of Living" | 34 | — | |||
| "My Way to You" | 52 | — | The Guitar Song | |||
| 2010 | "Playing the Part" | 39 | — | |||
| 2011 | "Heartache" | 51 | — | |||
| 2012 | "Living for a Song" | — | — | Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran | ||
| 2015 | "Alabama Pines" | — | — | — | ||
| "You Can" | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
- A"The Dollar" did not enter theBillboardHot 100, but peaked on theBubbling Under Hot 100 Singleschart at number one.[31]
Music videos
[edit]| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "The Dollar" | Wes Edwards |
| 2008 | "In Color" | Shaun Silva |
| "Mowin' Down the Roses" | Unknown | |
| 2010 | "High Cost of Living" | Clifton Collins Jr. |
| "Bad Angel"(withDierks BentleyandMiranda Lambert) | George Flanigen | |
| "Playing the Part" | Matthew McConaughey |
Other appearances
[edit]| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Cold Beer"(withColt Ford) | Ride Through the Country |
| "Bad Angel"(withDierks BentleyandMiranda Lambert) | Up on the Ridge | |
| "Cover of The Rolling Stone"(withSammy Kershaw) | Better Than I Used to Be | |
| "Four Walls Of Raiford" | Sweet Home Alabama: A country Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd | |
| 2011 | "This Time" | Music Inside – Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Vol 1 |
| "The Day Hank Jr. Came To Town"(withTonya Watts) | Handcuff My Soul | |
| "Some Gave All"(withBilly Ray Cyrus,Darryl Worley,andCraig Morgan) | I'm American | |
| "Orange Man"(with Alexander King andKris Kristofferson) | Music Saved My Life EPK | |
| "Yesterdays Wine"(withBlackberry SmokeandGeorge Jones) | Little Piece of Dixie (2010 Deluxe edition) | |
| "Two Outta' Three Ain't Bad" | Imus Ranch Record II | |
| "Have Thine Own Way Lord"(withThe Blind Boys of Alabama) | Take The High Road | |
| "La Grange" | ZZ Top: A Tribute from Friends | |
| "A Few Old Country Boys"(withRandy Travis) | Anniversary Celebration | |
| 2012 | "You Better Treat Your Man Right"(withChuck Mead) | Back at the Quonset Hut |
| "Hero"(withWillie NelsonandBilly Joe Shaver) | Heroes | |
| "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die"(withWillie Nelson,Snoop Dogg,andKris Kristofferson) | ||
| "Sunday Morning Coming Down"(withKris Kristofferson) | We Walk The Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash | |
| "The Highwaymen"(withKris Kristofferson,Shooter Jennings,andWillie Nelson) | ||
| 2013 | "My Home's In Alabama" | Alabama & Friends |
| "Rebel Soldier" | Divided & United:The Songs of the Civil War | |
| 2014 | "The Git Go"(withWillie Nelson) | Band of Brothers |
| 2015 | "If I Was Over You"(withAmanda Watkins) | * |
| "Brain Cloudy Blues"(withRay Benson) | Still the King: Celebrating the Music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys | |
| "Old Wore out Cowboys"(withWillie Nelson& Ward Davis ) | 15 Years in a 10 Year Town | |
| 2016 | "Actin' Crazy"(withRandy Rogers Band) | Nothing Shines Like Neon |
| "Mama's Table" | Dave Cobb's Southern Family | |
| 2017 | "Freedom To Stay" | Outlaw: Celebrating the Music of Waylon Jennings |
| "I Ain't The One"(withAlison Krauss) | ||
| "Highwaymen"(withShooter Jennings,Kris Kristoferson,andWillie Nelson) | ||
| "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)"(withShooter Jennings,Ryan Bingham,Kacey Musgraves,Lee Ann Womack,Chris StapletonAlison Krauss,Toby KeithKris Kristoferson,andWillie Nelson,(Eric) | ||
| 2018 | "The Ghost of Macon Jones"(withJoe Bonamassa) | Redemption |
| "Spirit Rider" | Forever Words | |
| "Everybody Wants to Be Twenty-One"(withBill Anderson) | Anderson | |
| "Wrong End Of The Rainbow"(with Chris Hennessee) | Ramble | |
| "Husbands and Wives"(withEmmylou Harris) | King of the Road: A Tribute to Roger Miller | |
| "It Hurts Me Too" | Strange Angels: In Flight with Elmore James | |
| 2019 | "The Fields Of Athenry" | The Great Irish Songbook |
| 2020 | "Ladies Love Outlaws"(with Mickey Lamantia) | Honky Tonk Confessions: The Final Chapter |
| "The Cock Crows"(with Mo Pitney) | Ain't Lookin' Back | |
| "A Music Man"(with Nick Norman) | Nick Norman | |
| "Some Gave All"(withBilly Ray Cyrus,Darryl Worley,andCraig Morgan) | I'm American | |
| "Kern River" | Sing Me Back Home: The Music Of Merle Haggard | |
| "Georgia on My Mind" | Willie Nelson: American Outlaw | |
| "Spirit Rider" | Johnny Cash: Forever Words Expanded | |
| "California Poem' | ||
| 2021 | "Lonesome for a Livin'"(withBlackberry Smoke) | You Hear Georgia |
| "To All The Girls I've Loved Before"(withRual Malo) | Quarantunes Vol. 1 | |
| "Highway Feet"(with Larry Fleet) | Stack of Records | |
| 2022 | "Stubborn Pride'"(withZac Brown Band) | The Comeback |
| "If I Needed You"(with Rachel Bradshaw) | Rachel Bradshaw | |
| "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Is In)" | Kenny Rogers: All In For The Gambler | |
| "Sweet Music Man" | ||
| "Music City's Killing Me"(withJulie Roberts) | TBA | |
| "I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)" | Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute toJohn Anderson |
Awards and nominations
[edit]Johnson received threeGrammy Awardnominations at the51st Grammy Awards:Best Country Album forThat Lonesome Song,and Best Country Song and Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "In Color".[32]"In Color" won theAcademy of Country Music's 2009 award for Song of the Year and the same award during the 2009Country Music Association Awards.Going into 2010, Johnson received two moreGrammy Awardnominations for the52nd Grammy Awards:Best Country Song and Best Male Country Vocal Performance, both for his 2009 single "High Cost of Living".[33]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Academy of Country Music | Song of the Year –Give It Away | Won |
| Country Music Association | Song of the Year – "Give It Away" | Won | |
| 2009 | 51st Grammy Awards | Best Country Album –That Lonesome Song | Nominated |
| Best Country Song – "In Color" | Nominated | ||
| Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "In Color" | Nominated | ||
| Academy of Country Music | Song of the Year – "In Color" | Won | |
| Top New Male Artist | Nominated | ||
| Top Album of the Year –That Lonesome Song | Nominated | ||
| Country Music Association | Song of the Year – "In Color" | Won | |
| Single of the Year – "In Color" | Nominated | ||
| New Artist of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Album of the Year –That Lonesome Song | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | 52nd Grammy Awards | Best Country Song – "High Cost of Living" | Nominated |
| Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "High Cost of Living" | Nominated | ||
| Academy of Country Music | Top New Solo Vocalist | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association Awards | Musical Event – "Bad Angel"(withDierks BentleyandMiranda Lambert) | Nominated | |
| 2011 | 53rd Grammy Awards | Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "Macon" | Nominated |
| Best Country Collaboration with Vocals – "Bad Angel"(with Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert) | Nominated | ||
| Best Country Album –The Guitar Song | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | 55th Grammy Awards | Best Country Album –Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^"Today in History – July 14".Associated Press.RetrievedJuly 17,2009.[dead link]
- ^"On the Beat: Jamey Johnson to bring true outlaw country to Bourbon".Lincoln Journal-Star.October 19, 2018.RetrievedJuly 25,2023.
- ^abcdefMorris, Edward (March 7, 2006)."Jamey Johnson Stirs Fans With" The Dollar "".Country Music Television.Archived fromthe originalon May 10, 2019.RetrievedMarch 28,2008.
- ^Monger, James Christopher."Jamey Johnson biography".Allmusic.RetrievedMarch 28,2008.
- ^abTucker, Ken (July 1, 2008)."Singer Johnson starts fresh after" Lonesome "time".Yahoo! News.RetrievedJuly 25,2008.[dead link]
- ^"TV Preview –Nashville".Entertainment Weekly.September 1, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon January 26, 2009.RetrievedAugust 15,2008.
- ^"The Guitar Song reviews at Metacritic".Metacritic.Archivedfrom the original on September 18, 2010.RetrievedSeptember 16,2010.
- ^Caulfield, Keith (September 2, 2010)."Linkin Park and Trey Songz Debut At Nos. 1 & 2 on Billboard 200".Billboard.Archivedfrom the original on June 23, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 22,2010.
- ^Skates, Sarah (May 24, 2011)."Jamey Johnson Plans New Album, Produces Other Artists".MusicRow.Archivedfrom the original on May 11, 2012.RetrievedJune 17,2012.
- ^"Jamey Johnson Album, 'Hank Cochran: Living for a Song' Due October 16".Theboot.July 31, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on May 22, 2013.RetrievedApril 4,2020.
- ^Betts, Stephen (March 29, 2012)."Jamey Johnson Duets Album Pays Tribute to Hank Cochran".The Boot.Archivedfrom the original on July 19, 2012.RetrievedJune 17,2012.
- ^"Jamey Johnson salutes iconic country songwriter Hank Cochran with star-studded duets album".The Washington Post.Associated Press.RetrievedJuly 31,2012.[dead link]
- ^"Jamey Johnson Reveals Surprise Christmas EP and Reveals New Indie Direction".Rolling Stone.November 24, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon December 3, 2014.RetrievedNovember 27,2014.
- ^Bjorke, Matt (January 3, 2015)."Get a Jamey Johnson Single for Free".Roughstock.Archivedfrom the original on January 5, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 5,2015.
- ^Dunkerley, Beville (February 10, 2015)."Jamey Johnson Goes 'Big Band Meets Vaudeville' on New Song 'You Can'".Rollingstone.Archivedfrom the original on February 12, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 15,2015.
- ^Whitaker, Sterling (June 14, 2017)."Jamey Johnson Cites Years-Old Concussion for Lack of Songs".Taste of Country.RetrievedJuly 27,2020.
- ^Bray, Jessica (June 11, 2017)."Jamey Johnson reflects on his relationship with God, family, and fans".Kentucky Country Music.Archived fromthe originalon June 16, 2017.RetrievedJuly 27,2020.
- ^"The Last Waltz 40 Tour 2019".Blackbirdpresents.Archivedfrom the original on January 10, 2020.RetrievedApril 4,2020.
- ^"Warren Haynes, John Medeski, More Open 'The Last Waltz Tour 2019' At The Capitol Theatre [Videos]".L4LM.November 6, 2019.Archivedfrom the original on December 12, 2019.RetrievedApril 7,2020.
- ^Leimkuehler, Matthew (March 20, 2022)."Jamey Johnson invited to become newest Grand Ole Opry member".The Tennessean.RetrievedMarch 20,2022.
- ^"Jamey Johnson".Grand Ole Opry.RetrievedJune 25,2022.
- ^"Jamey Johnson Receives Honorary Doctorate from Jacksonville State University During Jamey Johnson Day in Alabama".Jamey Johnson's official website.December 18, 2023.RetrievedDecember 19,2023.
- ^ab"Billboard Country Albums – Jamey Johnson".Billboard.RetrievedSeptember 16,2010.
- ^"Billboard 200 – Jamey Johnson".Billboard.RetrievedSeptember 16,2010.
- ^"American album certifications – Jamey Johnson – That Lonesome Song".Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^"American album certifications – Jamey Johnson – The Guitar Song".Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^"Billboard Country Songs – Jamey Johnson".Billboard.RetrievedSeptember 16,2010.
- ^"Billboard Hot 100 – Jamey Johnson".Billboard.RetrievedSeptember 16,2010.
- ^Bjorke, Matt (February 16, 2016)."The Top 30 Digital Country Singles: February 16, 2016".Roughstock.Archivedfrom the original on February 25, 2016.RetrievedMarch 4,2016.
- ^"American single certifications – Jamey Johnson – In Color".Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^Whitburn, Joel (2008).Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008.Record Research, Inc. p. 211.ISBN978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^"THE 51ST ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS NOMINATIONS LIST".Grammy Award.December 4, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon December 5, 2008.RetrievedDecember 4,2008.
- ^"THE 52ND ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS NOMINATIONS LIST".Grammy Award.December 2, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon December 3, 2009.RetrievedDecember 3,2009.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Jamey Johnsondiscography atDiscogs
- Jamey JohnsonatIMDb
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1975 births
- American country singer-songwriters
- American male singer-songwriters
- People from Enterprise, Alabama
- BNA Records artists
- Grand Ole Opry members
- Living people
- Mercury Records artists
- Musicians from Montgomery, Alabama
- Outlaw country singers
- United States Marine Corps reservists
- United States Marines
- 21st-century American singer-songwriters
- 21st-century American male singers
- Country musicians from Alabama
- Singer-songwriters from Alabama
- Thirty Tigers artists