Marv Johnson
| Marv Johnson | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marvin Earl Johnson |
| Born |
October 15, 1938 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | May 16, 1993 (aged 54) Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, pianist |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 1956–1993 |
| Labels |
United Artists Motown Records Motorcity Records |
Marv Earl Johnson (October 15, 1938 – May 16, 1993) was an American R&B and soul singer, notable for performing on the first record issued by Tamla Records, which later became Motown.
Johnson was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1938. He began his career singing with a doo-wop group, the Serenaders, in the mid-1950s. With budding talents not only as a singer but also as a songwriter and pianist, he was discovered by Berry Gordy while Johnson performed at a carnival. Gordy had already decided to form his first record label, Tamla, and Johnson's recording of their song "Come to Me" was the label's first single, released in May 1959. The fledgling label did not have national distribution, so the song was released by United Artists. It reached number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Johnson went on to co-write another four songs with Gordy. After he issued the first release for the Tamla (Motown) label, Johnson was signed by United Artists. He released three albums and several singles for UA but continued to record in Motown’s homegrown studios at Hitsville USA.
Between 1959 and 1961, Johnson issued nine Billboard Hot 100 singles, including two Top 10s. The first of them was "You Got What It Takes", which reached number 10 in the US and number 7 in the UK Singles Chart. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. In the United Kingdom, "You Got What It Takes" reached number 7 in 1960, and both "I Love the Way You Love" and "Ain't Gonna Be That Way" made the UK chart. "I Love the Way You Love" reached number 9. Johnson had his final US Top 40 single in 1960 with "(You've Got To) Move Two Mountains". It also sold a million copies, giving him his second gold disc.
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