Jon Johanson

Jon Johanson divides his time between his newly adopted hometown Nashville and the UK and is building a songwriter's retreat studio just outside Nashville in Hartsville.

His company International Entertainment Group has been developing Deadline: Nashville, a drama series for US television, plus a film adaptation of his play Weekend Break, successfully produced at the Gilded Balloon for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in which he also starred in the male lead role. Reviews included "skilful writing";"excellent acting";"impressive". The female lead also won rave reviews. The film is scheduled to go into production early 2008 and the film will be promoted by a tour of the play in the Spring into Summer, which is a totally unique concept.

His in demand script End of the Rainbow exposes the music industry.

As a musician and songwriter Jon's last band in LA consisted of a Doobie Brothers and members of Chicago and Bonnie Raitt's band, recording in Danny (Three Dog Night) Hutton's Trancas Canyon studio in Malibu, Danny providing backing vocals alongside Jon. Jon plays all the instruments on the tracks above and wrote them. His band Heads Above Water are recording their album Rollercoaster Moodswings.

Born in Cardiff, Wales, his mother was a professional opera singer with the Welsh National Opera Company but an avid pop fan, whilst his father, a huge jazz fan, was a respected lawyer specializing in divorce and taxation - this goes a long way to explaining his creative and business sides.

He has appeared on numerous occasions on television and radio and starred in two feature films as a teenager. A special moment was appearing on a Jerry Lewis telethon along with amongst others one Francis Albert Sinatra. He has an impressive reputation for discovering new artists and songs, having been the person who has brought many successful artists to the attention of the industry, media and public and he is a respected authority on both music and film.

His Los Angeles based entertainment company in the 90's worked with many top professionals, several household names - coincidentially two teen idols from the 70's, a true musical legend, and two Idol judges amongst others, and became a highly respected independent company, creating innovative campaigns and producing some outstanding music for its artists.

IEG's music publishing company Spirit of the Wind has a library of over 300 songs, whilst their PR company Kaleidascope PR represents many top artists and companies. They are behind the new Nashville Connection, proudly working with the famous Bluebird Cafe amongst others, in bringing over to the UK and Europe songwriters and performers from the US, promoting acoustic and new country music to the huge new potential audience, and in turn bringing to the US artists from the UK. They are currently working with top songwriters Jaime Kyle, (Stranded - Heart, Wild One - Faith Hill); Chas Sandford (Missing You - John Waite, Talk To Me - Stevie Nicks); Jamie Houston (High School Musical, Just Feel Better - Santana); and James Dean Hicks (Sweet Kisses - Jessica Simpson, Life Is A Party - Aaron Carter) (for the first tour in March), and Kim Carnes, Jeffrey Steele (My Wish/What Hurts The Most - Rascal Flatts) and Greg Barnhill for the one in Spring 2008.

He is behind the new band The Moonlighters, a band comprising of various celebrities - musicians, actor musicians, singers, writers, whoever is in town on the night, performing free, raising money for various charities and good causes.

Jon is also Chairman and Artistic director of a respected theatre and arts centre in England, the Astor Theatre Arts Centre, alongside the renowned actor and comedian Sir Norman Wisdom OBE as Patron.

[www.myspace.com/mooncreek] [www.jonjohanson.net]