When I first heard Robby Johnson’s single, “More Than You Think,” I was intrigued because the song was a tribute to his grandparents. As a grandparent myself, I was moved by this heartfelt song, and I wanted to find out more about this singer/songwriter.
Johnson was originally from Quebec, Canada, but his grandparents lived about eight hours south in Hartford, Connecticut. When he could, he spent his summers and holidays there. He learned English and fell in love with American culture during those times in Hartford.
I was shocked to find that English was not his first language, as he sounds like a country/American like most of the artists I feature.
Johnson had an older brother who played classical guitar, but coming from a home with a single mother, they were poor and didn’t have a lot. That gave Johnson the time to be creative.
He recalled, “I would just write songs for fun and sing the songs in the car or the shower. And my girlfriend back then, she would hear me sing, and she said, ‘Hey, you have a great voice, why aren’t you doing this?’”
He never thought he was a singer, but one Christmas, his family passed the hat and collected enough money to pay for a recording session in a studio so he could cut one of his songs.
While they were super excited about it, Johnson thought it was the worst gift ever because he never considered himself an artist.
Once he relented, he fell in love with the process. The studio guys were like, “Oh my God. You are really good. Where are you from? You should be in Nashville.”
It was during a time in his life when he wasn’t very happy, but once he was in the studio, he felt the energy of the place and, more importantly, peace with himself.
Johnson had a whole other life before starting his music career. However, when he made the first recording, Facebook became popular, so he put his song online, and people and producers reached out to him.
Tom Roach, who formerly worked with the Osmonds, put in touch with Jimmy Nichols (Reba, Faith Hill) and eventually Danny Rader (Kenny Chesney, CMAs), who would become his main co-writer.
Johnson would bring Rader, a multi-instrumentalist, a song, and he would challenge him on the lyrics, the structure, and the chord progression. He shared, “Sometimes we write a whole song together, but usually, the song is pretty much done before I sit down with him. I like the process.”
While Johnson has been in Nashville for ten years now, his breakout song from 2016 was “South of Me.” The song was written alongside Anthony Smith and Frank Myers. Jimmy Nichols worked with Johnson, and everyone was pretty clear that getting a song on the radio took a lot of time and effort.
Going against all advice, Johnson shot a video for “South of Me” in Jamaica that went viral, and the song eventually went to the top 18 on the Music Row breakout chart. He also had a chance to perform the song on Late Night With David Letterman. This success paved the way for his debut album, Don’t Look Back, produced by James Stroud and featuring top Nashville songwriters and a guitar solo by Vince Gill. The upbeat “1 2 3 4” can also be found on the album, a party song originally recorded by the Peach Pickers.
Since moving to Nashville, John has released two additional albums, including a French record called Jusqu’au bout, which means “To the End.” But his album from 2022, Alive Right Now, showcased his biggest hit to date, a Texas fiddle song, “If I Ever Was a Cowboy.”
He admitted, “Growing up, I was like, ‘Hey, I’d love to be a cowboy or a farmer or something that’s attached to the soil.’ But the song is about those hardworking cowboys who are in the bench pew every Sunday, and they have families and kids who look up to them. They’re good people, not bad cowboys portrayed in song as always running away.”
The album also produced hit singles like the dreamy “Night Like This” and guy heartbreak tune “Tryin’ To Get Over You.”
In 2023, Johnson released the honest, gut-wrenching “Helluvaride,” where he admits, “Girl, you’d be crazy to think that I could love you when I can’t even find love for myself.”
In 2024, he gave us the smoldering, steamy “Up All Night,” which immediately gave me the vibes of Cody Johnson’s “Nothin’ On You.”
He released “More Than You Think” for Grandparents Day this September. He stated, “My grandparents, Olivette and Lionel (Leo), played a major role in my upbringing, and I wish they could be around to see what I’ve become.”
Now, his latest single, “Road I’m On,” is his most autobiographical to date. When he candidly states, Poor Mama did all she could/ when my dad ran away/ Still I grew up thinkin’/ I Grew I up wonderin’/ Was I the one to blame you know that the pain he carries inside also drives him to keep going. Many will be able to relate to the honesty of this song.
He has also composed an original Christmas song, “Oh! Santa, Please.” The song didn’t start out as a Christmas song; it was more like a prayer. Once he and Clarence Jay worked on the lyrics and added Danny Rader’s arrangement, they knew they had an instant Christmas Classic. “It often gets mistaken for a cover,” he shared.
Robby Johnson is a songwriting machine who happens to be able to sing and perform like nobody’s business. I’m so glad his family had the sense to give him the push he needed so all the music that was always inside of him could be shared with the world.
Be sure to follow Johnson on his website, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, and all streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Facebook, Instagram, and X.
