Jamey Johnson Signs With SESAC

Jamey Johnson, Shannan Hatch

Jamey Johnson has signed with music rights organization SESAC for representation.

“There is no doubt that Jamey Johnson is one of the most successful and well-respected songwriters in the industry,” says John Josephson, SESAC’s Chairman and CEO. “Jamey is a storyteller, crafting lyrics and music that transport listeners to another time and place, whether that place is a war zone or a night out with friends. SESAC is proud to welcome him to our affiliate family.”

“There is an old set of laws on the books where the courts decide how much songwriters get paid,” Johnson says. “It isn’t fair the courts are adhering to these archaic laws that were written before streaming music was even conceptualized. SESAC isn’t bound by those restrictions, so it made perfect sense to join the organization and eventually move my catalog there.”

In addition, Johnson has great relationships with several SESAC staff members, including Shannan Hatch. “Shannan is like family to me, which is another reason it makes perfect sense,” Johnson says.

“The energy at SESAC is something I haven’t experienced in my professional career, and it’s great,” Johnson adds. “I need to be surrounded by people who are motivating me to write. One of those motivators is knowing that I have someone looking after the money generated from my writing, and that I am actually going to get the royalties that I feel like I have earned.”

Johnson is one of only a few songwriters who have won two Song of the Year awards from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. George Strait recorded Johnson’s song, “Give It Away,” in 2006 and garnered a No. 1 record, which also won both the CMA and ACM Song of the Year awards. In addition, Johnson took his song “In Color” to the top of the charts and garnered Song of the Year honors from both the CMA and ACM in 2009.

An Alabama native, Johnson moved to Nashville in 2000 after serving eight years in the Marine Corps. Trace Adkin’s hit song, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk,” was among Johnson’s first cuts as a newcomer to Music Row. That same year, Johnson released his debut single, “The Dollar” from the album of the same name.

His influential 2008 album, That Lonesome Song, was certified platinum for 1 million in sales, and his innovative 2010 double album, The Guitar Song, which debuted at No. 1 on the country album charts, received a gold certification. In 2012, he released a Grammy-nominated project honoring one of his heroes, Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran, that paired him with Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Ray Price, Elvis Costello, George Strait, Vince Gill and Merle Haggard.

In addition to writing and recording his own music, Johnson’s upcoming projects include co-writes with John Carter Cash of unfinished works of Cash’s late father, Johnny Cash, that were recently found in archives. Johnson also is collaborating on projects with Sammy Kershaw and Willie Nelson.

This spring, he launches an eight-city tour billed as the Stagecoach Spotlight Tour: Jamey Johnson, featuring special guests Margo Price and Brent Cobb.