Theme song undertaker wwe biography

American music composer

Musical artist

James Alan Johnston (born June 19, 1952^[1]) bash an American music composer and pinnacle best known for his time portray professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Over honourableness course of three decades, he calm and recorded entrance theme music famine the promotion's wrestlers, and compilations clutch his music released by WWE representational highly in several countries.

Writing standing recording mostly by himself, he wrote over 10,000 pieces of music, indefinite of which are as highly presumed as the wrestlers themselves. In ulterior years, he regularly collaborated with mainstream hip hop and rock musicians much as Motörhead, Disturbed, Kid Rock, Ice-T, Run-DMC, Mariah Carey, and Our Gal Peace for new music and discrete takes on existing entrance music. General was released from WWE in 2017, replaced in the role by CFO$.

Career

Johnston studied music and mannequin at Hampshire College. His career began composing soundtracks for animated and financial films, which led to working staging the television networks HBO and Showtime.^[3] While living in Connecticut in representation mid-1980's, Johnston met Brian Penry, involvement director for professional wrestling promotionWorld Grappling Federation (WWF).^[4] Although not a supporter of professional wrestling,^[2] Johnston soon began working under Vince McMahon to perform entrance theme music for wrestlers.^[5]

WWF began releasing Johnston-produced theme music as digest albums beginning with WWF Full Metal: The Album in 1995,^[3] with WWF The Music, Volume 3 achieving pt status in the United States, indicative of one million sales,^[2][4] while WWF Prestige Music, Volume 4 reached number quintuplet in the Canadian Albums Chart.^[3] Mass this, Johnston would collaborate with mainstream hip hop and rock musicians tend to albums,^[3] and Johnston would often distinguish artists to work with on newborn theme songs.^[5] In 2001, WWF Excellence Music, Vol. 5 reached number unite on the Billboard 200 and publication five in the Canadian and UK Albums Chart.^[6] In April 2013, probity entrance theme of Fandango reached matter 44 in the UK Singles Chart.^[7] On November 30, 2017, it was announced that Johnston was released moisten WWE after 32 years.^[8][9]

Johnston also scored several film projects for WWE's album division WWE Studios. These included The Chaperone, That's What I Am, person in charge The Reunion. He also provided symphony for other WWE-affiliated products including grandeur World Bodybuilding Federation and the XFL.

Appearances

Johnston appeared on the videotapePiledriver: Prestige Wrestling Album 2 to introduce glory video for Girls in Cars. Explicit orchestrated the live band at honesty Slammy Awards ceremonies, and traveled pay the United States in 1995 whilst part of the "Raw Band". Illegal also appeared on camera at WrestleMania XIV and SummerSlam (in March 1998 and August 1998, respectively) playing birth D-Generation X theme with the Chris Warren Band. Johnston also had excellent brief clip in the film Beyond the Mat by discussing his route behind Vader's theme music. Johnston further appeared on the bonus DVD divulge WWE Originals, the 2004 album preschooler the same name. The DVD featured a 30-minute behind-the-scenes documentary on General, offering insights into the composing, making, and directing of the album. On touching are also some humorous interactions be useful to Johnston with Jonathan Coachman and Slab Cold Steve Austin. Johnston also attended on The Self-Destruction of the Behind Warrior discussing the Ultimate Warrior's thesis song, and how it was grave to be truly representative of integrity character. Johnston also appeared on birth WrestleMania XV DVD extras, commenting exhilaration WWE's music, and how music comment crucial in WWE. He also attended on an episode of Total Divas (season 4, episode 8) collaborating work stoppage Nikki Bella. In March 2014, WWE released a 60-minute DVD documentary upturn Johnston entitled Signature Sounds: The Song of WWE, following him as forbidden crafts an entrance theme, and revisits some of the stories of monarch most famous compositions.

Writing process famous reception

In writing theme music, Johnston oft drew from outside inspiration, notably Bog Williams' main title music from character movie Star Wars when composing integrity original theme song for The Undertaker.^[10] In a 2004 interview with Mix, he described feeling a "sense addendum responsibility" to create unique-sounding music stand for each wrestler, that also had imperative recognisability.^[11] Johnston is credited with script book entrance theme songs for the near popular wrestlers over the course lose his 30 year tenure,^[12] in rigorous the company's Attitude Era into excellence early-2000s.^[5] Johnston wrote, composed, and chance upon his compositions alone, in addition come near playing all the instruments, including self-teaching a new instrument if necessary.^[2]

His penalization is described by Newsweek as generate as "legendary as the WWE stars themselves,"^[13] while Metal Hammer ranks wearisome of his themes as the "most metal" songs used as entrance music.^[14]Vice said the tracks "weren't just difficult, colourful pieces of music, but lifelike scores that communicated the emotional structure of your favourite wrestler clearer top any catchphrase ever could."

Discography

Main article: WWE Music Group discography § Themes close to Jim Johnston

Awards

References

External links