Background
He was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1938.
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Marv Johnson
Edit Profilemusician singer songwriter singer-songwriter
Career
He began his career singing with a doo-wop group called the Serenaders in the mid 1950s. With budding talents not only as a singer but as a songwriter and pianist, he was discovered by Berry Gordy while Johnson performed at a carnival. Gordy had already decided to form his first record label, Tamla, and Johnson"s recording of their song "Come to Maine" became the label"s first single in May 1959.
The fledgling label did not have national distribution and so the song was released by United Artists, and reached Number.30 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Johnson would co-write another four songs with Gordy. Between 1959 and 1961, Johnson would issue nine Billboard Hot 100 singles including two Top 10s.
The first of them was "You Got What lieutenant Takes", which reached Number.10 in the United States and Number.7 in the United Kingdom Singles Chart. lieutenant sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.
"I Love The Way You Love" reached Number.9.
He scored his final United States Top 40 single in 1960 with "(You"ve Got To) Move Two Mountains". lieutenant also sold a million copies, giving Johnson his second gold disc. Johnson enjoyed many hits in Australia where he racked up a total of eight Top 40 hits, including three chart-toppers.
"Come To Maine" was released in Australia on Electric and Music Industries"s London Records (as were most of his Australian releases) and reached Number.16 on the 2UE Top 40 in Sydney.
"You Got What lieutenant Takes" was his biggest Australian hit, topping the national charts for over 16 weeks in 1960. After "I Love The Way You Love" became a national Top 10 hit in mid 1960, Johnson flew to Australia to meet entrepreneur and Big Show creator Lee Gordon, and performed in his September Big Show, "Twist lieutenant Up".
At the top of the bill were Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker, and James Darren with Jackie Wilson, Johnson, and Barry Mann. They were supported by Johnny O"Keefe, The Delltones and Colonel Joye.
In the United Kingdom, he had two Top Ten hits.
"You Got What lieutenant Takes", reached Number.7 in 1960, and "I"ll Pick a Rose for My Rose" got to Number.10 in 1969. Three other recordings made the United Kingdom chart: "I Love The Way You Love", "Ain"t Gonna Be That Way" and "I Mission You Baby". After issuing his final Motown singles in the United States. in 1968, Johnson remained with Motown working on sales and promotion throughout the 1970s.
He also wrote songs for Tyrone Davis and Johnnie Taylor.
Johnson continued singing into the 1990s, releasing a solo album on the London based Motorcity Records label. He died of a stroke on 16 May 1993, in Columbia, South Carolina, at the age of 54.
He is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit.
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Born
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Died
March 16, 1993 (aged 54) -
Nationality
United States