Kevin Royal Johnson

Kevin Royal Johnson
Born (1961-11-21) November 21, 1961
Fayetteville, Arkansas
United States
Genres Pop, Alternative Country
Occupation(s) Author, Antiquarian bookseller, Musician
Instruments Guitar, vocals
Years active 1987–present
Labels SAM records
Associated acts The Revellaires
The Linemen

Kevin Royal Johnson (born November 21, 1961) is an American author and singer-songwriter living in Baltimore, Maryland. He is the founding member of the band The Linemen.[1]

Johnson is the author of two books, The Dark Page: Books That Inspired American Film Noir 1940-1949, and The Dark Page II: Books That Inspired American Film Noir 1950-1965.[2] He is also an antiquarian bookseller,[3]

Early life

Kevin Royal Johnson was raised and educated in Van Buren, Arkansas until the age of 10, when he moved to Little Rock, Arkansas where he lived until the age of 18. He attended Little Rock Central High School and then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend Vanderbilt University, where he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 1984.

Career

Author

Johnson is the author of two books, The Dark Page: Books That Inspired American Film Noir 1940-1949, and The Dark Page II: Books That Inspired American Film Noir 1950-1965. The two books connect American film noir cinema with its published literary sources. The forewords to the two books were written by filmmakers Paul Schrader and Guy Maddin, respectively. Both books were published by the Oak Knoll Press in New Castle, Delaware.[4] The two books were inspired by Johnson's deep knowledge of crime novels and classic cinema. and the visual design was inspired by a chance encounter with a visual book about classic mid-century cereal boxes (Krazy Kids Food, by Steve Roden and Dan Goodsell)[5]

He is at work on a new book, The Celluloid Paper Trail: Identification of Scripts in American Cinema 1920-1979, to be published by the Oak Knoll Press in 2018.[6][7]

Antiquarian bookseller

Johnson founded Royal Books, Inc. in Baltimore, MD in 1998, a bookstore that focuses on archives, rare books, manuscripts, first editions of literature, poetry, photographs and important nonfiction. Johnson specializes in rare paper relating to cinema,[8] and has lectured on the subject at Yale University and the University of Virginia's Rare Book School.[9] Johnson has been a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America since 2002 and between 2007-2013 was on the faculty (and subsequently the director of) the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar.[10]

Johnson curated an exhibition for the American Film Institute's AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center in the spring of 2014, entitled "Behind the Fourth Wall: Actors and Directors on the Set 1926-2001." The exhibition held its opening on May 26, 2014, and featured rare vintage photography from behind the scenes in twentieth century world cinema.

Musical career

Johnson began playing music as a solo performer while at Vanderbilt, and in 1984 moved to the Washington, DC area, where he played the pub circuit, most notably with singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter.[11] He formed his band The Revellaires in 1987, releasing one record entitled Pop of Ages.

In 1991 he formed Kevin Johnson and the Linemen with Eric Brace (who later went on to form Last Train Home),[12] Antoine Sanfuentes, and Bill Williams.[13] Between 1991 and 2001 the band released four records under Johnson's own SAM Records label, with new members Tony Flagg (bass) and Scott McKnight (guitar) replacing Brace and Williams in 1994, and adding James Key (mandolin) and Dave Giegerich (dobro, steel guitar).[14] During this time, Johnson shared the stage with numerous singer-songwriters, both with The Linemen and as a solo artist, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Warren Zevon, Steve Earle, Ricky Skaggs, Dave Matthews, Marshall Crenshaw, Jesse Winchester, Dave Alvin, Matthew Sweet, Alex Chilton, Iris DeMent, Alejandro Escovedo, Peter Holsapple, Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Buckner and many others.

Johnson's first album with the Linemen, Memphis for Breakfast, was recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and produced by Grammy-nominated John Alagia, later known for his work with Dave Matthews, Liz Phair, and John Mayer.[15] Johnson's second album, The Rest of Your Life, was again produced by John Alagia and designed by Jeff Nelson, co-founder of Dischord Records and drummer for Minor Threat. Johnson's third album with the Linemen, Parole Music, was produced by singer-songwriter Charlie Chesterman, formerly of Scruffy the Cat.[16] The liner notes for Johnson's fourth album Sunday Driver, were written by author George P. Pelecanos.[17] In 2001 Johnson took a break from music and started a rare book business in Baltimore.[18]

In 2012, The Linemen reformed, adding Jonathan Gregg as a second lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and pedal steel guitarist, and with band alumni Scott McKnight (bass), Bill Williams (guitar, slide guitar, mandolin), and Antoine Sanfuentes (drums). In the fall of 2016 they released their first album, Close the Place Down, recorded by Andrew Taub at Brooklyn Recording and worked once again with John Alagia who mixed the record at Village Recorder in West Los Angeles.[19]

Other musicians who have contributed to Johnson's recordings include Mary Chapin Carpenter,[20] Bill Kirchen,[21] keyboardist Mookie Siegel of RatDog,[22] Pete and Maura Kennedy of The Kennedys, drummer Rob Le Bourdais of Mother May I, singer-songwriter Barbara Brousal, guitarist Dave Chappell, saxophonist Chris Watling & singer-songwriter Alan MacEwen (of the Grandsons), pedal steel guitarist Dave Van Allen, and singer-songwriter Karl Straub (of the Graverobbers).[23][24][25]

Johnson has performed (both solo and with the Linemen) on NPR's Mountain Stage as well as the 930 Club, the Modell Performing Arts Center, and the Birchmere.[26]

Critical reception

The Dark Page: Books That Inspired American Film Noir 1940-1949 was reviewed positively in Film Comment magazine,[27] and given 7/10 stars by PopMatters.[28] The first volume was blurbed by Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan, who described the book as having "compelling reproductions of first edition jackets alternating with pithy, knowledgeable text about both the books and the films." Dave Heating from Erasing Cloud wrote that "it’s one of those books that reminds you of the magic of books themselves,"[29] and Laura Rattray of University of Chicago Press' journal The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America called the book "a visual feast."[30] Johnson was a guest on National Public Radio affiliate station WYPR to discuss the book and film noir.[31]

Film critic Leonard Maltin wrote that The Dark Page II: Books That Inspired American Film Noir 1950-1965 "has much to offer, both as a reference and as a source of sheer pleasure."[32][33]

Bibliography

  • The Dark Page: Books That Inspired American Film Noir 1940-1949 (2007)
  • The Dark Page II: Books That Inspired American Film Noir 1950-1965 (2009)

Discography

The Revellaires

  • Pop of Ages (1987), Top Records

Kevin Johnson and the Linemen

  • Memphis for Breakfast (1991), SAM Records
  • The Rest of Your Life (1994), SAM Records
  • Parole Music (1997), SAM Records
  • Sunday Driver (2000), SAM Records
  • Various Artists Americana Motel (2001) - compilation on Bay Gumbo Music

The Linemen

  • Close the Place Down (2016), SAM Records

References

  1. ↑ "The Band Box". The Washington Post. October 4, 1991 – via Highbeam Research.
  2. ↑ Rattray, Laura (2012). "Book Review". The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America. 106: 121 – via The University of Chicago Press Journals.
  3. ↑ Stark, Craig. "An Interview with Kevin Johnson of Royal Books". Book Think. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  4. ↑ Burroughs Hannsberry, Karen. "A Noir Banquet: The Dark Page and The Dark Page II". Shadows and Satin. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  5. ↑ "Reading in the Dark: A Sneak Preview from Kevin Johnson's Film Noir Opus, The Dark Page, Vol. II". Fine Books Magazine. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "The Dark Page II: Books That Inspired American Film Noir, 1950-1965". Oak Knoll Press.
  7. ↑ "Reading in the Dark". Fine Books Magazine. Fine Books Magazine.
  8. ↑ "Kevin Johnson". ABBA.org. The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America.
  9. ↑ Gibson, Cynthia (July 6, 2015). "Rare Book School Journal". The New Antiquarian. Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America.
  10. ↑ Stark, Craig. "An Interview with Kevin Johnson of Royal Books". Book Think. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  11. ↑ Considine, J. D. (February 8, 1993). "Mary-Chapin Carpenter: Rocking at the Lyric, but country to the core". The Baltimore Sun.
  12. ↑ Zibart, Eve (January 21, 1994). "X-Boy Meets X-Girl". The Washington Post.
  13. ↑ Zibart, Eve (May 24, 1991). "Rockville Rocks; Linemen Lay It On". The Washington Post – via Highbeam Research.
  14. ↑ Webber, Kim (August 31, 1996). "Kevin Gordon / Kevin Johnson - The Sutler (Nashville, TN)". No Depression.
  15. ↑ Frometa, RJ (December 16, 2016). "Interview: '90s alt-country staples The Linemen". Vents Magazine.
  16. ↑ Lach, Michael (October 31, 1996). "Kevin Johnson - Still on the Linemen". No Depression.
  17. ↑ Gutowski, David (March 12, 2008). "Book Notes". Largeheartedboy.
  18. ↑ K., Steve (April 4, 2003). "On The Road: Last Train Home With Eric Brace". The Washington Post.
  19. ↑ "The new Linemen make Heartache Red-Hot with "Cold Water"". Elmore Magazine. October 10, 2016.
  20. ↑ Niesel, Jeff. "Band of the Week - Hey Mavis". Cleveland Scene.
  21. ↑ Dechert, S. Renee. "Various Artists Americana Motel". PopMatters.
  22. ↑ "A Very Jerry Christmas w/ Cris Jacobs and Friends, Mookie Siegel, John Ginty, Ed Hough, Dave markowitz". NightOut. December 21, 2016.
  23. ↑ "The Rest of Your Life". All Music.
  24. ↑ "Sunday Driver". All Music.
  25. ↑ "Parole Music". All Music.
  26. ↑ "Song Premiere: The Linemen Deliver Alt Country Schooling on 'Lineman'". Glide Magazine. October 11, 2016.
  27. ↑ Chang, Chris. "Kevin Johnson's The Dark Page: Books That Inspired American Film Noir (1940-1949)". Film Comment. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  28. ↑ STERRITT, DAVID. "The Dark Page by Kevin Johnson". PopMatters. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  29. ↑ Heaton, Dave. "Review: The Dark Page: Books That Inspired American Film Noir [1940-1949] edited by Kevin Johnson, foreword by Paul Schrader". Erasing Clouds. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  30. ↑ Rattray, Laura. "Review: The Dark Page: Books That Inspired American Film Noir". The University of Chicago Press. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  31. ↑ Rodricks, Dan. "Favorite film noir". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  32. ↑ Maltin, Leonard. "The Dark Page II". IndieWire. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  33. ↑ Maltin, Leonard. "Review: Books That Inspired American Film Noir (1950-1965)". LeonardMaltin.com. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
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