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Ben Johnson (songwriter)

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Ben Johnson
BornMeridian, Mississippi, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)Songwriter, record producer
Instrument(s)Piano, guitar, cello
Years active2013–present
LabelsTape Room Music/APG/Runner Music
SpouseLauren Conklin

Ben Johnson is an American songwriter, producer, and artist. His notable hits include "One of Them Girls," "Truck Bed," and "Take My Name," which was recognized as Billboard’s Country Song of the Year, and "All My Favorite Songs," which was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rock Song" at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. He has written for artists such as Morgan Wallen, Kylie Morgan, Charlie Puth, Hardy, Justin Timberlake, Lee Brice, Dierks Bentley, John Legend, Ava Max, and Weezer.

Early life and education

[edit]

Ben Johnson grew up in Meridian, Mississippi, where he lived until moving to Nashville with his sisters in 2012 to pursue a music career.[1][2] He began piano lessons at age six with his grandmother, developing his own style by altering compositions, which sparked his interest in songwriting. Influenced by The Beatles and Jimmie Rodgers, the "Father of Country Music,"[1] he and his sisters performed traditional and bluegrass music in church and at festivals, honing their skills. They gained recognition by reaching the Hollywood rounds of The X Factor in 2011, receiving praise from Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul.[2]

After relocating to Nashville, Johnson and his sisters established a daily songwriting routine alongside their studies and side jobs, cultivating a reputation and connections with some of the city's most prominent songwriters. He attended Belmont University on a cello scholarship.[3] He is a multi-instrumentalist.[2]

Career

[edit]

Johnson has achieved nine No. 1 singles, including "Bulletproof" by Nate Smith, "Gone" by Dierks Bentley, "Take My Name" by Parmalee (which was recognized as Billboard’s Country Song of the Year), and "New Truck" by Dylan Scott. His co-written song "One of Them Girls," performed by Lee Brice, won the Country Song of the Year award in 2021 across ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC.[4] The song was named song of the year by the Nashville chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers. It topped Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for three weeks,[5] and reached No. 2 on Hot Country Songs.[6]

At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in 2022, Johnson received a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Rock Song" for the Weezer #1 Rock Airplay song "All My Favorite Songs."[7][8] That year, he was also honored at the CMA Triple Play Awards.[9] “Give Heaven Some Hell,” performed by Hardy and co-written by Johnson was honored at the 2023 Nashville Songwriter Awards.[10] "Bulletproof," performed by Nate Smith and co-written by Johnson was nominated for Male Song of The Year at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards.[11]

In August 2024, it was announced that Johnson was collaborating with Hardy and David Alan Johnson to produce the docuseries Music Row, which would provide an in-depth look at Nashville's music industry and the creative community behind country music.[12]

As of August 2024, Johnson held a worldwide co-publishing deal with Tape Room Music/APG/Runner Music.[13]

Personal life

[edit]

In 2016, Joshon married Lauren Conklin, whom he met as a 13-year-old at middle-school orchestra camp at Belmont University.[3]

Discography

[edit]
Title Year Album Name Artist Name(s)
"Mission Control Club" 2015 - Banditz, Adara
"Open Eyes" 2016 Adara, Estiva
"Patient" 2018 Voicenotes Charlie Puth
"Our World"[14] - Smithfield
"Waves" 2019 Hunter Phelps
"Take Me to Heaven"
"You Don't Want Me"
"Throwin' Parties"
"Last Night All Day"[15] Sean Stemaly
"One More Time" 2020 Willie Morrison
"Believe"[16] Meek Mill, Justin Timberlake
"Gone"[17] Dierks Bentley
"Good Ol' Boys"[18] Hey World Lee Brice
"One Of Them Girls"[19]
"Seen You In Your Hometown"[20] Getting Over Him Lauren Alaina
"Going Going Gone"[21] Name On It EP Ryan Griffin
"Truck"[22] A Rock Hardy
"Give Heaven Some Hell"[22]
"On Me"[23] SCOOB! Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Ava Max
"Dying Man"[24] One Thing At A Time Morgan Wallen
"Take My Name"[25] 2021 For You Parmalee
"Heartbreak Girl" - Willie Morrison
"Beers On Me"[19] Dierks Bentley, Breland, Hardy
"Best Thing Since Backroads"[26] Jake Owen
"Another Life"[27] Another Life Surf Mesa, Joshua Golden, Fletcher
"All My Favorite Songs"[16] - Weezer, AJR
"Shoulda"[28] Shoulda Kylie Morgan
"Break Up In A Bar"[29] Love Talking Eli Young Band
"Run"[30] Sitting Pretty On Top Of The World Lauren Alaina
"Sing Along Drink Along" The Country And The Coast: Side A Morgan Evans
"American Dream Truck"
"Country Outta My Girl"[31] Morgan Evans, Rivers Cuomo
"Cheating On You"[32] Love, Kylie Kylie Morgan
"Outdoor Voices"[32]
"Die Under The Moon"[27] Moon Boy Yung Bleu, John Legend
"Little Bit More"[33] Big Dreams Track45
"Met Me Now"[33]
"Come On In"[33]
"Me + You"[33]
"Hot Beer"[34] Son of A Dillon Carmichael
"Breakin' In"[35] Stronger Than I Am Lily Rose
"Family"[16] - David Guetta, Bebe Rexha, Ty Dolla $ign, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie
"A LOT"[27] 2022 John K
"Holy Water"[19] Michael Ray
"New Truck"[36] Livin' My Best Life Dylan Scott
"Static"[37]
"Last Night All Day"[15] Product Of A Small Town Sean Stemaly
"Break Up In A Bar"[38] Love Talking Eli Young Band
"Hurt No More"[39] LETTING GO Chase Wright
"If He Wanted to He Would"[26] Making It Up As I Go Kylie Morgan
"Better In A Car"[40] - Roman Alexander
"Holy Water"[19] Michael Ray
"11 Beers" Good Ol' Days The Reklaws, Jake Owen
"Family"[16] Family Track45
"Brave Girl"[41] Real To Me: The Way I Feel Callista Clark
"Always Been You"[42] Songs To Say I Do Kylie Morgan
"Good Hands"[42]
"Try Jesus"[43] Come Get Your Wife Elle King
"Sorry"[44] Russel Dickerson Russel Dickerson
"Big Wheels"[44]
"Dancing in the Dark"[45] Pinto Sykamore
"On The Water" 2023 - James Barker Band, Dalton Dover
"Sad in the Summer"[46] Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley: Chapter 2 - Swamp Savant Diplo, Lily Rose
"Beer"[47] The Mockingbird & the Crow Hardy
"Truck Bed"[48]
"Sorry Momma"[49] I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell Chase Rice
"Dying Man"[50] One Thing At A Time Morgan Wallen, Hardy
"In The Bible"[50]
"Single Than She Was"[50]
"Hate Me" Hate Me Track45
"Two Night Stands"[51] Two Night Stands Kylie Morgan
"Leave Me Alone" Keepin' The Lights On Tyler Hubbard
"Solo Solo"[52] - Jake Owen
"Boyfriend"[53] For You 2 Parmalee
"Is It Just Me"[53]
"That'll Be the Day" - Jacob Bryant
"When I Grow Up"[54] Track45
"Last Man In Tennessee"[54] Grew Up On - EP
"Grew Up On"[54]
"Drinkin and Thinkin"[54]
"Pch"[54]
"Honky Tonk Heartbreaker"[55] Killed The Cowboy Dustin Lynch
"Listen To The Radio"[56]
"Beauty and the Beach"[57] Three Months Two Streets Down Russell Dickerson
"This Side Of The Dirt"[58] - Neon Union
"No California"[59] Ilsey Juber
"Happy Ever After Me"[60] Making It Up As I Go Kylie Morgan
"Blacktop Don't"[61] - Boomtown Saints
"Somebody Else's Truck"[62] Come Get Your Memory Chase Matthew
"Bulletproof"[63] 2024 Through the Smoke Nate Smith, Avril Lavigne
"Here's To Hometowns"[63] Nate Smith
"Make It With You"[63] Nate Smith, The War And Treaty
"By Tomorrow"[64] Words Shawn Austin
"Man Down"[65] Life With You Kelsey Hart
"Put It On The Map"[65]
"Here And Her"[66] Roads That Go Nowhere Travis Denning
"zombieland"[27] Dear Joe, Jax, Hardy
"On My Way Out"[67] Keepin' The Lights On Kameron Marlowe
"Lock Me Up"[67]
"What A Woman"[68] - Faouzia
"Didn't I?"[69] Dasha
"Tear Us Apart" Twisters: The Album Sam Barber
"Steal My Thunder"[70] Conner Smith, Tucker Wetmore
"What A Life"[71] Bones The EP Russell Dickerson
"Liar"[72] Beautifully Broken (Pickin' Up The Pieces) Jelly Roll
"Smile So Much"[72]
"Guilty"[72]
"Grace"[72]
"Devil Down"[72]
"WHYBMWL"[73] Quit!! Hardy
"Blame It On My Broken Heart"[74] Breakup Over Breakfast Avery Anna
"Fish On The Wall"[75] Mind of a Country Boy Luke Bryan

References

[edit]
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