Friday, May 2, 2008 - New servers are in! Click-in for more info!
VoyForums

[ VoyUser Login optional ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2], 3, 4, 5 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 01/26/08 1:07pm
Author: Peter Cooper
Subject: Jack D. Johnson, country music manager dies

Date: Saturday - 26 January 2008


Jack D. Johnson, 79, the brash and colorful manager of Charley Pride, Ronnie Milsap, T.G. Sheppard and others, died Thursday morning in Nashville after battling congestive heart failure.

Mr. Johnson confronted segregation and presumption in helping Pride to become the first African-American singing superstar in country music.


"What he did took a lot of courage," Milsap said. "He brought the first black gentleman into mainstream country, and in my case he brought the first blind boy in. Those two things may never be repeated again, and he orchestrated the whole thing."

Mr. Johnson, named for the prize fighter Jack Dempsey, was born in Knoxville, and he spent most of his youth in East Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in journalism in 1958. He and his wife, Edie, moved to Nashville in 1961, so he could pursue a career in the music business.

In 1964, Mr. Johnson founded Jack D. Johnson Talent. After hearing Pride sing, he promised to manage the scuffling ex-ballplayer, and he pitched Pride's music to labels and producers around Nashville to no real effect. Finally, Mr. Johnson bent the ear of Cowboy Jack Clement, who decided to produce some records on Pride.

"Part of that was the challenge, and part of it was because Jack thought it would be good business," said Don Cusic, a professor of music business at Belmont University.

Mr. Johnson, whose gruffly endearing manner sometimes reminded those around him of Elvis Presley's manager, Col. Tom Parker, made sure that managing Pride was good business. With Pride, Mr. Johnson founded a successful publishing company, and artists such as Milsap often recorded his songs. Under Mr. Johnson's business direction, Pride became one of country music's biggest stars.

Stars praise his work
Milsap met Pride by chance, and Pride urged the sight-impaired piano player to move to Nashville and to meet with Mr. Johnson. In the early 1970s, Milsap played regular shows at a showroom on the roof of the King of the Road Motel, and Mr. Johnson often dropped by those shows.

"He said, 'I want to manage you,' and I signed a contract," Milsap said. "Then Jack said, 'Now Ronnie, I can't make you a star. You're gonna have to do that on your own.' I said, 'Well, why'd I just sign that contract, then?' "

Mr. Johnson meant that proper management was only one piece of the puzzle: Milsap would, like Pride, have to deliver the goods onstage and work hard to please the music industry. For his part, Mr. Johnson successfully convinced music business power players that a pianist who was known for singing R&B and rock 'n' roll could also sing country. Milsap signed with Mr. Johnson in 1973, and he soon became a major star. In 1975, Mr. Johnson won the CMA's Producer of the Year award for his co-production of Milsap's records.

"He played such a major role in my life," said Milsap, who severed his professional ties with Mr. Johnson in the late 1970s. The two remained friends, often talking about old times over lunches at the Sunset Grill near Music Row. Pride and Milsap recently visited Mr. Johnson in the hospital, at the urging of another of Mr. Johnson's artists, T.G. Sheppard.

"I was very fortunate to have been one of those people he believed in, for without his guidance I would never have enjoyed the career I have had thus far," Sheppard said Friday. "I will miss him dearly, for through the years he became more than just a manager to me. He became more like a father."

Mr. Johnson is survived by his wife, Edie Johnson, and four children: Bill Johnson of Nashville; Lisa Miller of Nolensville; Tregg Johnson of Gadsden, Ala.; and Cherie Clark of Thompsons Station. He is also survived by eight grandchildren.

Visitation will be held Sunday at Hickory Chapel, 5852 Nolensville Road, from 5-8 p.m. Funeral services will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at Brentwood Baptist Chapel, with burial to follow at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Brentwood Baptist Church Missions Fund at 7777 Concord Road, Brentwood, TN 37027.

Peter Cooper can be reached at 259-8220 or at pcooper@tennessean.com.
###

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]
[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-6
VF Version: 2.94, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2008 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.