Marv Johnson
Marv Johnson | |
|---|---|
Motown Records |
Marvin Earl Johnson (October 15, 1938[1] – May 16, 1993)[2] was an American R&B singer, songwriter and pianist. He was influential in the development of the Motown style of music, primarily for the song "Come to Me," which was the first record issued by Tamla Records, the precursor to the famous label.
Despite his early success in the United States, Johnson ultimately enjoyed more popularity overseas than in his native country. His music was especially popular in the United Kingdom and Australia.[3][2]
Biography
Johnson was born in
Between 1959 and 1961, Johnson issued nine Billboard Hot 100 singles, including two
Johnson had many hits in Australia, with a total of eight top 40
Johnson's songs "Happy Days" and "Merry-Go-Round" (both written by Berry Gordy) were his last chart successes for the United Artists label. Although they did not reach the US Top 40, they performed well on the R&B charts, peaking at number 7 and number 26, respectively, in 1961.
However, after early 1961 (and after nine consecutive chart hits) Johnson's records stopped making the charts altogether.
Johnson then re-signed with Motown in 1964, writing and producing as well as recording. "Why Do You Want to Let Me Go" was his first Motown single after he rejoined the company, released by Motown's Gordy subsidiary in May 1965. Johnson's final US chart appearance was "I Miss You Baby (How I Miss You)", which was a minor hit, reaching number 39 on the R&B chart in April 1966. His next release, "I'll Pick a Rose for My Rose", issued in 1968, failed to chart; it was his last American single.[1]
In the United Kingdom, however, "I'll Pick a Rose" became a hit after it reached number 10 in early 1969,
Johnson remained with Motown, working on sales and promotion, in the 1970s.[1] He also wrote songs for Tyrone Davis and Johnnie Taylor.[6] He co-wrote the Dells’ R&B hit "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation", which peaked at number 3 on the R&B chart and number 34 on the Hot 100 in 1973. Johnson continued to write songs at Motown way into the 1970s. He eventually separated from the label.[9]
Johnson continued singing into the 1990s, releasing a
On May 14, 1993, Johnson was performing in Sumter, South Carolina for a tribute concert to Bill Pinkney of the Drifters and collapsed, and he was rushed to the hospital.[10] Johnson died from complications of a stroke on May 16 that same year, in Columbia, South Carolina, at the age of 54.[2] He was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit. His headstone reads "Motown Pioneer".
In 2011, a compilation album featuring all songs recorded by Johnson during his second stay at Motown was released. I'll Pick a Rose for My Rose: The Complete Motown Recordings 1964–1971 was an authorised reissue of his Motown recordings, released under the
In 2015, Marv Johnson was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.[11]
Discography
Albums
- Marvelous Marv Johnson (1960) – United Artists
- More Marv Johnson (1961) – United Artists
- I Believe (1966) – United Artists
- I'll Pick a Rose for My Rose (1969) UK TMG 680 (Re-issued TMG1052) – Motown
- The Very Best – Motor City Recordings (1995) – Carlton Home Entertainment
- I'll Pick a Rose for My Rose – The Complete Motown Recordings 1964–1971 (2011) – Kent Soul (Ace Records)
Singles
| Year | Single (Songwriters) |
Peak Chart Positions | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [12] |
US R&B [12] |
UK
[3] | ||||
| 1959 | " Berry Gordy, Jr. / Marv Johnson)
|
30 | 6 | — | Tamla (Motown) | |
| United Artists | ||||||
| "I'm Coming Home" (Berry Gordy, Jr.) |
82 | 23 | — | |||
| 1960 | "You Got What It Takes" (Berry Gordy, Jr. / Gwen Gordy / Tyran Carlo) |
10 | 2 | 7 | ||
| "I Love the Way You Love" (Berry Gordy, Jr. / Mike Ossman / Al Abrams / John O'Den) |
9 | 2 | 35 | |||
| "Ain't Gonna Be That Way" (A-Side) (Berry Gordy, Jr. / Marv Johnson) |
74 | — | 50 | |||
| "All the Love I've Got" (B-Side) (Janie Bradford / Berry Gordy, Jr. / Brian Holland) |
63 | — | — | |||
| "(You've Got To) Move Two Mountains" (Berry Gordy, Jr.) |
20 | 12 | — | |||
| 1961 | "Happy Days" (Berry Gordy, Jr. / T. McKnight) |
58 | 7 | — | ||
| "Merry-Go-Round" (Berry Gordy, Jr.) |
61 | 26 | — | |||
| "How Can We Tell Him?" | — | — | — | |||
| "Oh, Mary" | — | — | — | |||
| "Johnny, One Stop" | — | — | — | |||
| 1962 | "With All That's in Me" | — | — | — | ||
| "Let Yourself Go" | — | — | — | |||
| "Keep Tellin' Yourself" | — | — | — | |||
| 1963 | "Another Tear Falls" | — | — | — | ||
| "Come On and Stop" (Bert Russell) |
— | — | — | |||
| "Congratulations, You've Hurt Me Again" | — | — | — | |||
| "The Man Who Don't Believe in Love" | — | — | — | |||
| 1965 | "Why Do You Want to Let Me Go?" (Berry Gordy, Jr.) |
— | — | — | Gordy (Motown) | |
| 1966 | "I Miss You Baby (How I Miss You)" (Clarence Paul / Morris Broadnax) |
— | 39 | — | ||
| 1969 | "I'll Pick a Rose for My Rose" (James Dean / Marv Johnson / William Weatherspoon) |
— | — | 10 | ||
| "I Miss You Baby (How I Miss You)" (UK reissue) | — | — | 25 | Tamla Motown
| ||
| 1970 | "So Glad You Chose Me" (UK only) | — | — | — | ||
| 1988 | "By Hook or by Crook" (UK only) | — | — | — | Motorcity | |
| 1989 | "Run Like a Rabbit" (UK only) | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||
References
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ a b c d Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1992–1993". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Marv Johnson Biography – Tamla's Original R&B Bridge-Builder". Soullyoldies.com. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ a b c Eder, Bruce. "Marv Johnson". AllMusic. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
- ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ "MARV JOHNSON – full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Marv Johnson". Classic.motown.com. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- Washington Post. May 17, 1993. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Michigan Rock and Roll Legends – MARV JOHNSON". Michiganrockandrolllegends.com.
- ^ a b Bruce Eder. "Marv Johnson | Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 3, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
Further reading
External links
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| National | |
| Artists | |
