Biography

Red Johnson has been writing songs most of his life and has received world wide rave reviews from D J's & fans world wide, and never in his wildest dreams did he think it would be possibe to write and record songs that would touch peoples lives thoughout the world as they have, but it all started at six am on a cold winters morning in northern Minnesota, which seems like a strange time for a six or seven year old kid to be getting out of bed and putting his feet on the cold linoleum floor of an unheated upstairs bedroom, just to listen to a live radio show out of Fargo, North Dakota by a Guy and his Guitar who called himself, "The Texas Ranger" and who would sing mostly western songs with a few popular country songs mixed in, but it was enough to spark a life long love for music that would only amplify as the years wore on.
He was a kid who would try to be the first to get the "Sears" catalog when it came in the mail and would go directly to the music pages and dream of one day having one of those beautiful "Silvertone" guitars for his very own. But he had lots of time to dream because it wouldn't be until his 10th birthday, that a calf would be born and his father would give it to him for his birthday present, and that is when the dream really began to take shape, and for the next two years he would nurture that calf until he became a full grown steer, and when he was sold he would bring a check in the amount of $118.00 and the very next day one of those beautiful Silvertone Guitars would be ordered from the Sears Roebuck Catalog, and it was never to leave his side through out his teen and courting years and into the Military where he learned to play a little better from the Southern boys he would buddy up with who also played guitars. They would call him the "Minnesota Hillbilly". After his discharge from the service he began playing professionally and still does.
In 1964, after the death of Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Jack Anglin and others, along with Bud Auge, Red wrote and recorded "There's A Grand Ol Opry Show Playing Somewhere" on a small label (Hep) he was part owner of, and the song became an instant hit and was picked up by Capitol Records and was eventually included in "The World Of Country Music" album on Capitol Records. About the same time Dave Dudley who was a friend of Red's, released a song called "Six Days On The Road" and Dave Dudley, Red and the writer of The Violet And a Rose, Bud Auge wrote a song called "Taxi Cab Driver" and Dave recorded it and released it in His Six Days on The Road album for Mercury Records.
Red is a charter member of the Country Music Assn. Member of the Rock & Country Hall of Fame, and The National Traditional Hall of Fame, and Country Music's Book of Who's Who, 1966 & 1970 and most recently at the F A M E (Families Advocating Moral Entertainment) Awards ceremony held at the Pharr International Convention Center, Pharr, Texas Red was honored as The Male Vocalist of the Year and received The American Heritage Award of the Year, as well.
Songwriting has always been a passion, Red wrote his first song, when he was twelve. Sometimes when asked where a song comes from the only answere he can give is, I only held the Pen. Most are real life experiences, of his own or something he's observed.