Music Executive Wants Fort Wayne Recording Artists "On the Map"
by Robbin L. Melton
Frost Illustrated
October 11, 2000

If there's one thing Frank-O Johnson longs to do other than write music, it's to make sure that the public has access to new music by emerging and long established, but overlooked artists. That, however, is easier said than done.

Back in the day, Johnson, 50, was part of the Motown team. During his eight-year tenure there, the 35-year song writing veteran generated music for The Supremes, Bobby Womack, The Manhattans, The Commodores and numerous others. some songs such as The Temptations' "Gonna' Get You," Aretha Franklin's "I'm Not Strong Enough" and Thelma Houston's "I've Been Doing Wrong So Long, It Just Comes Natural" were nominated for Grammy awards.

Johnson's extensive resume also includes writing and producing Johnny Taylor on the Columbia Records label and J.J. Williams on Capitol, writing for Lattimore and working with Gwen McRae, a 1996 Grammy winner. Her most recent work, "Still Rock'In," lasted 17 weeks at the top of Billboard's chart.

Within the next few weeks, Johnson will record Joyce Lawson's "Starting All Over Again: Chapter Three" at Fort Wayne's Monastic Chambers. It is the third soul and blues album for the Milledgeville, Ga., native.

Johnson also recently released his own album, "Frank-O Live in Atlantic City," making it his seventh recording under his name to date. He made his first album when he was 14-years-old.

As the vice president of Phat Sound Records -- a recording label that showcases R&B, pop, jazz, country and soul music -- Johnson secures air play for the label's recording artists and stocks music racks with their CDs. So far, his efforts have boded well.

Phat Sound artists have enjoyed radio air play for the past eighth months on an estimated 150 soul and blues radio stations scattered throughout the country. Major music stores including Sam Goody, Wax World, Camelot, Musicland and Transworld also carry their music.

Johnson boasts that he can do the same for local recording artists whose music rarely makes it beyond area venues -- even though local radio stations and listeners, however, have not been too receptive.

"It seems to be a hopeless case for Fort Wayne artists to get any exposure, but they can get national distribution through me or they can go to a major recording label," said the duotone-coiffed author of more than 500 songs. "We're able to get the product into major chain stores, but the community isn't responding well to new music. Fort Wayne is stuck in time, and it doesn't seem like people here want to change that."

As an example, he cited the once popular Tyrone Davis' difficulty in getting his name back on the streets with "Turn Back the Hands of Time," his most recent CD release. Part of those problems, explained Johnson, can be attributed to radio deejays.

"We're being pushed out of business because we don't get radio air play and because of piracy," he siad. "It's easier now for people to make bootleg recordings because deejays play uninterrupted music two or three hours at a time. No wonder we're not getting any money.

"I'm dissatisfied hearing news and rumors of area wide bootlegging and piracy because all of the people involved in music make a living doing this. People would be upset if their homes were invaded and something was stolen from them. We want to be able to stay in business."

Don't get him wrong. The four-year-old business is doing quite well -- well enough, in fact, to set up a distribution site in Fort Wayne about four months ago. The Columbus, Ohio-based label also has branch offices in Jackson, Miss., and Indianapolis.

Setting up house in Indiana, however, is ideal. Johnson explained that operating from Fort Wayne and Indianapolis bases will better allow Phat Sounds to push rapper, Lyrical Assassin, soul and blues singers, Ike & Val, and Benny C, a country soul singer into larger markets.

When he's not signing new soul, R&B, country, jazz or pop artists, or writing and producing their songs, Johnson serves as a regular contributor to Behind the Scene, a trade magazine formerly known as Mickey Turntables -- one of the music industry's oldest existing publications.

Johnson co-authors "Soul Stalker" columns with his son, Frank N. Johnson of Oakland, Calif., and also updates the publication's "Record Pool Chart," a rundown of deejays' playlists. If the elder Johnson has his way, however, the magazine's blues play list will also include soul music.

Call [937] 434-4811 for more information about Phat Sound Records.