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10 Questions with ... Allen Leo Johnston
June 12, 2007
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NAME:Allen Leo JohnstonTITLE:OwnerCOMPANY:The Music SpecialistMARKET:WorldwideBORN:Chicago
Please outline your radio career so far.
I was raised with an extended family which consisted of actors, writers and operatic singers. At the age of 7, I was playing classical piano and hymns for the church that my family attended. After graduating Cum Laude from Clark College Atlanta I moved to Miami as the youngest regional promotion man ever for Capitol Emi Records. I was awarded the EMI America - Platinum Album for Highest Percentage of Sales. Clive Davis heard of my accomplishments and offered me a regional promotion job working the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama., Mississippi, Tennessee, and North & South Carolina. During my tenure as regional promoter, I acquired 6 Gold Albums from Arista Records.
MINDSEED STUDIOS - Oakland, CA
Vice President Sales & Marketing
Nov 2006 - PresentGLOBAL PROJECTS EVALUATORS - Atlanta
Project Director
June 2005 - PresentPEEPIN THE SCENE EZINE - Las Vegas
Technology & Entertainment Writer
May 2005 - PresentDR-LOVE.COM - Atlanta
Consultant, Technology Writer
Feb 2005 - PresentBOOGIE REPORT - Abbeville, AL
Technology & Entertainment Writer
Feb 2005 - PresentSTREETWIZE RECORDZ - Atlanta
Senior Consultant
September 2004 - May 2005LUKE RECORDS AND FILMS - Miami
Director/Marketing & Sales
February 2004 - June 2004POWERHOUZZ RECORDS - Hollywood, FL
VP/Sales, Promotion, Marketing
June 2003 - PresentINFOCUS MAGAZINE - Miami
Technology & Entertainment Writer
June 2003 - PresentMINDSEED CORPORATION - Oakland, CA
VP/Sales & Marketing Director
May 2003 - PresentOIC of DADE COUNTY FLORIDA - Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
EDUTAINMENT - THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC
Educator
June 2001 - PresentSHORT STOP RECORDS INC - Houston
PRESENT TIME PUBLISHING BMI - Houston
SHORT STOP WEAR INC.
General Manager
April 2001 - December 2001O.B.ENTERTAINMENT - Las Vegas
Sr. VP/Sales & Marketing
January 2000 - November 2000INNER CITY NEWS - innercitynews.com
Southern Bureau Chief, Technology Editor
OngoingSIMITAR ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Consultant serving as A&R Urban projects for Beast Records, Beast Video, Revival Records & associated Simitar distributed labels
May 1996 - January 2001URBAN MUSIC CENTER - Hialeah, FL
President: International Licensing, sub-publishing, distribution
1998-PresentMUSIC SPECIALIST - Hialeah, FL
President: Entertainment Industry Consultant, Public Speaker, Writer, Educator
1996 -PresentINTERSONIC - Tampa
Sr. VP, Software and Web site development and maintenance company
1995 -2001K-TEL INTERNATIONAL (USA). INC. - Minneapolis
Consultant serving as National Urban Sales Manager for the Cold Front label
June 1995-March 1996JOI BRIA PUBLISHING B.M.I.
1995 - PresentJOEY BOY RECORDS JAPAN - Tokyo
President; cultivated and responsible for development of new artists and products for Japan as well as development of all marketing, promotional plans and video releases, preparation of all daily correspondence and negotiation of all contracts
1993 - 1995BAZOOKA FILMWORKS. INC. - Miami
Co-President; responsible for development of Joey Boy, On Top and JR music videos, negotiated and developed other video projects, and created new programs for company counseling division
1992 - 1995JOEY BOY RECORDS. INC. - Miami
President; coordinated promotion, marketing and distribution of records and tapes; negotiated contracts, arranged sales and payment. Sold interest in this company (as well as Joey Boy Records Japan, Bazooka Film works, Joeyboy Publishing B.M.I, Too Early To Tell Publishing -ASCAP and Beam of Light Publishing - SESAC) to business partner
1985 - 1995BEAM OF LIGHT PUBLISHING - SESAC - Miami
President; coordinated writers and musicians to create new songs, acted as liaison with other publishing houses, writers and A&R departments, and served as consultant to publishing administrator
1985-1995A.L.J. PROMOTIONS - Miami
Owner/Operator; provided independent record promotion, marketing and merchandising for RCA, Arista, Tommy boy, RFC Atlantic, and Capital record labels
1983 - 1988EMI AMERICA RECORDS, INC. - Atlanta
Southeast Regional Manager; responsible for promotions, marketing and merchandising for seven southeastern states, including supervising sales personnel, performed weekly multi-media sales presentations at Miami and Atlanta offices, prepared press kits and maintained files; earned Platinum Record for Performance to % of Quota, Platinum Album for Highest % of sales
1981-1983ARISTA RECORDS - Miami
District Manager; responsible for promotions, marketing and merchandising in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi
1979-1981ARIOLA RECORDS - Atlanta
Local Promotions Manager
1978-1979FANTASY RECORDS - Atlanta
Local Promotions Manager
1976-19781) What was your first job? Early influences?
While at Clark College working at WCLK I got an internship with Ernie Singleton that turned into my first real job within the record industry. Ernie instilled in me the basic knowledge and organizational skills needed to become a record executive.
2) What led you to a career in music? Was there a defining moment, which made you realize "this is it"?
Ernie let me work as his college rep and told me to make some noise with the products he had. The first real record I worked was AFTER ALL THE LOVE IS GONE owned by Senator Jones of New Orleans. It was a blues and I created relationships to get it played ALL around Georgia outside of Atlanta. This caused Ernie's job to be just a little easier and he recommended me to David Lucassi at Areola records for a promotional job.
3) What was the first record/cd you purchased?
Rock N Roll was here to stay - Danny and the Juniors on 78 rpm.
4) Where do you see the industry and yourself five years from now?
The industry will make a significant change in delivery and creation of recorded entertainment. Physical sales will eventually dry up and become digital sales; however there will still be a few "classic" physical sales stores around. I believe that the industry is merging and the line between audio recordings and video recordings will merge. I see myself as a major player in the development, marketing and delivery of direct to consumer entertainment. With this in mind I have made a major investment into a 1/2 acre HD movie & HD audio facility in California. I will be a creator, influencer and deliverer.
5) What is your favorite type of radio station or format and why? 6) What format does not exist that should? Would it work?
Black radio, formerly called RACE radio is the format that I respect and love, radio that spoke directly to the community that it serviced. Unfortunately the format that I truly love is no longer around. The closest format to it would be community based public radio. A format that allows individual announcers freedom to choose the musical product for his or her audience based on daily events and conditions. A format that is not created by corporate big wigs in another city with no day to day contact with the audience, and assists the community in outreach programs, educational programs and local news access.
6) What's your take on current music? Is it as good as six months ago, better, or about the same?
Current music on the air is lousy, no positive messages, no melody lines of any importance, no real singers. Rappers are not socially creative and of course they are not melodic. I am finding that producer driven music no longer follows any of the musical laws of harmony or melody; in fact there are very few producers that can read music or artistically play an instrument. Studio charts are a thing of the past, while sampling is making some great "re-mixers".
Where are the standards or even songs that will be redone five years from now? This is not to say that there are NOT any people available to make these songs nor that they are not available today. They are just not considered "researchable" for the current radio marketplace.
7) What's the most rewarding part of your present position and why?
This is easy, speaking to our youth and having one or two success stories every year. I feel that it is a duty to tell our youth about this business, historically and currently. This allows them to start creating new business models that can help perpetuate the entertainment business as a whole and people of color in particular.
8) Tell us what music we would find on your car or home CD player.
My music is iPod and computer.
Jon Bibbs, N'Dambi, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass, Raheem Devon, Angie Stone, James Brown, Paul Mooney, Pigmeat Markham, George Clinton, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Charles Earland, BWB
9) How do you feel about urban radio still wanting to wait for the results of call-out research before they would be willing to add a record they already hear and like?
Urban radio has to do research so that the corporate executives can have accountability. What I feel is that Internet radio, webcasting, streaming alternatives and cell phone delivery will ALL make Urban radio less and less attractive to advertisers and consumers.
10) What would most people who think they know Allen Johnston be surprised to find out about you?
I worked afternoon drive in Jacksonville for about a year between record promotion jobs. WCGL - seagull radio.
Bonus Questions
Please describe the best or worst promotion you've ever been part of.
I promoted GQ for Arista when they had there first "hit" Disco Nights Rock Freak. My promotion was with Ricky Ricardo in Orlando at an AM radio station that went up against Steve Crumbley at WORL that market leader. Our promotion was a free concert in the park starring GQ; we thought that if we had 2,000 or 3,000 people we would be fine, what happened is that we had 42,000 people show up from across ALL cultural lines. The police force, fire department and mayor's office was totally unprepared for this event. Luckily there were NO mishaps and to date this was the largest outdoor radio station promotion in the Orlando area.
Is there such a thing as a "disposable artist"?
For record companies OF COURSE, almost every artist is disposable especially if they are not making money for the label. Some artists see themselves as disposable for they don't want a career only a job for the moment before they start there REAL job.
How important do you feel videos are in the building a new act?
Videos are important in building ANY act today, since music is now available throughout the world almost immediately the importance of having a visual of the act is mandatory.
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