Mike Johnson

Background

Mike Johnson was born on June 13, 1946 in Washington, D.C., United States; the son of Margaret Janett and Joseph Armond Johnson. At a very early age he displayed a passion for drawing pictures and writing short stories. Music involvement was the furthest thing from his young mind, though he enjoyed listening to the popular music of the day. His parents were working class people who at one time during his early youth, owned two houses; one lived in and the other rented out. He did not grow up on welfare, in public housing, ghettos, nor in gang infested, drug riddled environments. His father owned a news stand and later worked at a meat packing plant, before dying at the Veterans Hospital at the age of 42. His mother worked her way up from a warehouse clerk to government positions starting with the General Accounting Office as a stenographer and retiring from the Bureau of Textiles and Furs, where she and a battery of attorneys were responsible for screening and approving or rejecting numerous materials used to manufacture clothing, shoes, linen, carpets, etc. for commercial and personal use, before passing away at the age of 75 in 2004.

Mike Johnson just wanted to be a songwriter, not a performer, and he always kept a day job! Locally in the Washington Metropolitan area his acceptance as a country performer was 50/50, though he did eventually find a small following of country fans in a few bars along Eastern Avenue in the Patterson Park area of Baltimore, Md. during the late 1970s. Iler’s store in Ripley, Md., owned by a police coworker, was another bar that welcomed him with open arms. But this would pale in comparison to those he would encounter as trucking helped expand his range across the country. “Yodelin’ got me noticed and truckin’ put me on the map!” Johnson would often say.

In late 1979 he decided that maybe he could do something with his songwriting and began an exhaustive search for a recording studio in Nashville. At the beginning of Easter week in April 1981 he packed up his Chevy C-10 pickup truck and headed to Nashville for his first professional recording session at Jim Maxwell's Globe Recording Studio at 1313 Dickerson Road. There he recorded five songs; "King of The Fish", "Please Don't Squeeze The Charmin", "Just A Nobody", "A Singing Star", and "Little Boys And Doggies." From that session sprang his first release, a 45rpm single, "King of the Fish” backed with "Please Don't Squeeze the Charmin" and Lawrence Record Shop on Lower Broadway, a few doors down from Ernest Tubb's Record Shop, was the first retailer to stock it. Keith Bradford, then a DJ for Nashville’s Record Row Review was the first DJ to spin the new single.

Mike performed in pretty near all the bars on Lower Broadway; Rhinestone Cowboy, Say When II, Nashboro, Tootsie’s, the Wagonburner, Country Squire, Millie and Al’s, to mention a few, and Norma’s Dusty Road, across the river, and other places the immediate area. He became a Nashville regular throughout the 1980s and pounded the pavements of Music Row seeking a publishing contract. In 1982, he joined ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and became a full member in December 1988. When he inquired about when he would start receiving royalties for radio plays of his first release they terminated his membership and claimed that now of his songs were registered with them! Johnson still has all of his approved ASCAP song registrations!

When Globe Studio moved to White House Tennessee, Maxwell recommended he use his friend's Studio, located at 1705 Church Street, on the edge of downtown Nashville. Owned by Jim Stanton, founder of the legendary Rich-R-Tone Records, Mike would record his songs during four sessions at Stanton's Champ Recording Studio until Stanton's untimely death in 1989. “Did You Hug Your Mother Today?” would become his 1st radio hit in 1994, followed closely by “Take Time Out, don’t take it out on your Kid.” “Yeah I’m a Cowboy” became internationally famous on the 2006 yodeling compilation “Rough Guide to Yodel” CD while “Me and My Friend Jim” “I Never Really Learned to Play Guitar” “Here’s to Jim and Tammy” and “Pictures On the Wall” would jockey for positions on a number of international radio stations.

Seeking a job change, in September 1981 he was hired as a long-distance trucker for Newlon's Transfer in Arlington, Virginia, little knowing that trucking would play a major in establishing him on the independent country music circuit. The Newlon's, Harry Earl and Lizzie, were country music fans and became Mike's fans and made sure that their Operations Manager son, Butch Newlon routed as many of Mike's runs as possible to places where he could also perform his music. In December 1995 when they closed down their 45-year old operation he would drive for two more trucking companies (Interstate Van Lines and Apple Transfer) and perform numerous places across the country between pickups and deliveries during his runs. The owners of Apple Transfer of Woodbridge, Virginia were also country music fans and continued the Newlon Transfer arrangement.

In 1983, Johnson produced "Mike Johnson's Guitar Songs Vol.1", a Cassette Album featuring solo performances on his Kingston guitar. In June 1983 Mike formed Pata del Lobo Music Publishing and in 1985 released his 2nd 45rpm under that banner featuring "Hooked On Rodeo" backed with "I Hear Her Words Ringing" two of the four songs from his first session at Champ Studio. Following several more sessions at Champ Studio Mike released "I Believe In Roy Rogers" a 13-song cassette album in November 1986. This studio production would also expand Mike's musical reach when it was placed in numerous truck stops across the country, starting with the Union 76 Truck Stop in Montgomery, Alabama. The following year in June 1987, "Did You Hug Your Mother Today?" a 6-song studio production would also hit the truck stop circuit. These are the only two cassette releases that were ever sold in Truck Stops!

*Contrary to the false narrative posted by Wikipedia hacks and consistently copied by others, Mike Johnson has never sold home-made tapes at Union 76 gas stations, nor any place! When confronted, Wikipedia stated they didn’t care if the information was false, only that someone wrote it!*

Following up on the suggestion of his mentor, Jim Stanton, in June 1987, Mike formed Roughshod Records as his official country label and You and Me Publishing for his Gospel and non-country songs. By now he was also seriously involved in writing his own yodeling songs, including "Just A Nobody", "I Can Yodel Songs Like Them All!" "Your Old Lady," and "Black Yodel No.1" his first wordless yodeling song. He would go on to write over 150 yodeling songs, with and without lyrics, including a total of 50 Black Yodels along with numerous other wordless yodeling songs. Jimmie Rodgers has only written about 25 songs.

In early 2012 a new era and new life for Roughshod Records was about to begin when Mike met James Adelsberger, a very talented and exciting young musician who began showing up at the Occoquan Coffee House open mic around February 2012 and immediately wowed everyone with his impressive guitar skills and his ability to easily adapt to everyone’s music styles. After a couple of months of jamming and some casual conversations, Mike asked him if he’d be interested in laying some tracks for some of his songs, for which he received and enthusiastic “yes!” Mike was very impressed at how James had captured the character of his songs, “Livin’ Lost Love on the Jukebox Again” and “The Heartaches Are Callin’ ” the latter a yodeling song, released on a CD Single in August 2012, the label’s 41st. CD [RCD41-S13082012].

Between 2012 in December 2016 they would produce about 18 CDs, including the very first one in December 2014, for You and Me Records before James departed in January 2017. Since 1981 Johnson has produced 2 45rpms, 11 Cassettes, and 65 CDs.

Education

Mike attended Catholic schools, starting with St. Augustine's all-colored school, from Kindergarten to the 5th grade. Moving to Capitol Hill in 1957 he attended St. Peter's predominately white school, about three blocks from the US Capitol, from the 6th to 8th grade. Both schools had an academic curriculum and he readily admits that Math was his worst subject. Science and everything regarding nature was his favorite. He was on the school’s gymnastic team and came in 2nd place during the 8th grade finals. There he also joined St. Peter's school very active Boy Scout Troop 380, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1960, and about a year later, the Bronze, Gold and Silver Eagle Palms. During this period, Mike was also involved with summer camp programs and an independent camping group called the Trail Blazers, sponsored by a local agency called Family and Child Services. Mike graduated from St. Peter's school in 1961 and attended Mackin Catholic High School, a local basketball power house during the 1960s. The academic school catered to an international student body where surprising there were no gangs or student animosities. Mike was very active on the Track and Cross-Country teams, the wrestling and weightlifting team, the dramatics club in his senior year, and briefly on the rifle team, until his mother found out and made him quit. His favorite subject was biology and he had the lead role in the school’s senior year production of “Twelve Angry Men” during which he actually got stabbed during the jury’s reconstruction of the stabbing allegedly committed by the suspect, which he brushed off as a flesh wound.

During his grade and high school days his art work and stories were fueled by his outdoor activities with the boy scouts, summer camps, and a working farm in Clifton Va.. In St. Peter’s he and a classmate, also named Mike Johnson, drew pictures for themselves and other classmates as well, most of the time on their t-shirts. They also wrote numerous wild and exciting, and sometimes gory short stories, much to the displeasure of the Nuns. Mike Johnson would continue this throughout grade and high school, encourage by his English teacher Brother Warnke, who had been a thespian in his early days. Mike would amass a large catalog of artwork in various mediums; pencil, pen & ink, watercolor, acrylic, oil, and pastel, the latter of which initially gave him the most difficulty during his youth. His short stories like “The Shaggy Pony,” “The Old Buffalo,” “Wazi Warrior,” and “A Turtle Named Osgood,” a true summer camp story, paved the way to writing novels and eventually self-publishing. “Reflections” (1977) a poetry collection was his first publication; “The Leopard’s Cub” (1979) his first novel publication, which would spawn two sequels, “What the Jungle Saw” eventually published in 2012 and “Deadly Vengeance” still unpublished. There would be three short story collections, starting with “I Wrote’em In School” then “Close Encounters Of a Bear Kind and Other Stories” and finally “El Latigo a Little Known Legend of the Tijuana Jail and Other Stories” filled with combinations of personal and fictional adventures and never before insight into Mike’s family life. More novels followed like “A Real Live Country Song” (also an eBook) and “Memories Die Hard” were squeezed in between his songwriting over the years. Mike has still a substantial number of unpublished manuscripts that he casually revisits and periodically edits. Though he hasn’t done any formal drawing or painting in decades he occasionally doodles.

Career

As mentioned, Johnson began yodeling in the 1950s imitating the Tarzan yell of actor Johnny Weissmuller. He was also an avid fan of Rudyard Kipling’s “Jungle Books” and Edgar Rice Burroughs “Tarzan of the Apes” at one time owning all 25 Tarzan novels, a substantial number of Burroughs other literary works, and Lee Falk’s “The Phantom.” Western movies also ruled the silver screen and over a decade later he became attracted to the music of the singing cowboys like Gene Autry, Rex Allen, Roy Rogers, and Jimmie Rodgers. This led him to country music and he began performing in local bars and honky-tonks in the mid-1960s.

After high school graduation in June 1965 he received a draft notice from Uncle Sam so he joined the United States Navy Reserves in September of that year, where he was assigned to a Navy Security Group at the Washington DC Navy Yard. After Boot Camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Facility in Illinois, which he described as an eye-opening and rigorous experience, as well as being one of only two African Americans in his Division. Later he was sent to the Navy's Communication A-School in Bainbridge, Maryland to prepare him for his role as a Communications Technician. He spent the majority of his spare time at the Base’s riding stables and the after-hours club in the evenings. Then in January 1967, Johnson was temporarily assigned to the Navy Air Station, adjacent to Bolling Air Force Base, just across the river from the Washington D.C. Navy Yard, to await orders for his active duty station. In February 1967 he was shipped to San Diego, California for Active Duty aboard the attack aircraft carrier USS Constellation CVA-64. The Connie deployed on two Vietnam tours during Mike's active duty service between February 1967 and February 1969.

Shortly after his release from the Connie, on a cold blistery day in March 1969 Mike saddled up his 1968 Kawasaki A7SS motorcycle and headed for home on a 6-day cross-country trip through stinging rains in California, snow in Arizona, and Texas headwinds, before reaching much more suitable weather after crossing the Mississippi River into Louisiana. Just outside of Macon, Georgia he almost overshot his turn and leaning hard he slide unto the shoulder and into a ditch. He was pitched over the handlebars and landed just in time to see his bike bounce out of the ditch and fall. Fortunately it wasn’t seriously damaged and after composing himself he was able to continue without any further incidents the rest of the trip.

His first post-Navy job was as a busboy at Mike Palm's Restaurant on Capitol Hill, about two blocks from the US Capitol. He also picked up his music where he left off, and performed where ever he could on weekends and his off days. However, music was never, and would never be, his main source of income. He always had a regular job.

After that he became a motorcycle courier with Mar-Sid's Courier Service. The owner, Sidney Weitz, had recently opened the first Kawasaki Motorcycle dealership on the East Coast and used Mike's cross-country trip on his Kawasaki A7SS to promote the reliability of the Kawasaki brand. After a stint with the Park Police Mike worked on the conveyer line at the Wonder Bread factory and then another police department. He supplemented his income by becoming a freelance photographer and store detective for Sears & Roebuck.

Achievements

• 1954 First Holy Communion Certification
  
  1957 Certificate of Baptism
  
  1960 Eagle Scout Award
  
  1961 Eagle Scout Certificate of Merit
  
  1961 St. Peter’s Elementary School Diploma
  
  1965 Red Cross Novice Swimmer
  
  1965 Red Cross Intermediate Swimmer
  
  1965 Red Cross Basic Survival Swimming
  
  1965 Red Cross Lifesaving and Water Safety
  
  1965 Mackin Catholic High School Diploma
  
  1971 US Navy Honorable Discharge
  
  1970 DC Government Certificate for Military Service
  
  1972 Certificate of Attendance (US Capitol Police)
  
  1975 Washington Technical Institute Certificate of Special Police Training
  
  1976 Defensive Driving Certificate of Appreciation (DOT)
  
  1979 NRA Security Expert Pistol Course
  
  1980 NRA Security Expert Pistol Course
  
  1982 created Pata del Lobo Music Publishing
  
  1987 created Roughshod Records
  
  1987 created You and Me Music Publishing
  
  1987 created You and Me Records
  
  1995 created Top-Rail Chatter Independent Country Music Magazine
  
  1995 Interstate Van Lines Certificate of Training
  
  1996 Traditional Music Association “Songwriter” Nominee
  
  1996 BJD Wishing Away Music trophy
  
  1996 Bluebird Country News Music trophy
  
  1996 Honorary Kentucky Colonel
  
  1997 Traditional Music Association “Publication” Nominee
  
  1998 Tradition Music Association “Male Artist” Nominee
  
  2002 Inducted into America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame
  
  2004 Honorary Tennessean
  
  2006 Bluebird Country News Award of Merit
  
  2007 114 yodeling songs acquired by Recorded Sound Reference at Library of Congress
  
  2016 Lifetime Achievement Award (National Traditional Country Music Association)
  
  2017 Legendary Honky Tonk CD of the Year Award (Rural Roots Music Commission)
  
  

Works

More photos

• music

  • Black Yodel No.1 2006
  • Doggone It I've Written a Sad Song Again 2014

Personality

Mike Johnson is known as Country Music's No.1 Black Yodeler. He single, double, and triple yodels, and like European Yodelers he also writes and performs wordless yodeling songs. Johnson first learned to yodel during the 1950s imitating the “Tarzan call” of actor Johnny Weissmuller. Over a decade later as he became involved in country music, some of his early influences were Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, and Roger Miller, who gave him the songwriting bug.

His 1200 song catalog contains over 150 yodeling songs, 50 of which are “Black Yodel No.1 to Black Yodel No.50” and 114 of which were compiled into “Mike Johnson’s Yodel Song Archives” a 4-disc set specifically created for the Recorded Sound Reference Center, which they acquired on 27 April 2007 for inclusion in their reading and reference room collections at the Library of Congress in Washington DC. Mike Johnson is a BMI songwriter member with over 350 songs registered in their catalog, and since April 1981 he has produced two 45rpms, 11 Cassettes, and 65 CDs.

Connections

Father:

Joseph Armond Johnson (1929-1972)

Mother:

Margaret Bell Johnson (1929-2004)

Sister:

Renee Johnson

Sister:

Gail Johnson

Friend:

Ed King

Friend:

Barbara Dunn

colleague:

James Adelsberger