Desmond Child
| Desmond Child | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Charles Barrett |
| Born |
October 28, 1953 Gainesville, Florida |
| Genres | Pop rock, adult contemporary, glam metal, disco, latin pop |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, producer |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Associated acts | Selena, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, Kiss |
| Website | http://www.desmondchild.com/ |
Desmond Child (born John Charles Barrett; October 28, 1953) is an American-Hungarian musician, professional songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
His hits as a songwriter include "I Was Made for Lovin' You", "I Hate Myself for Loving You", "Livin' on a Prayer", "You Give Love a Bad Name",[1] "Bad Medicine", "Dude (Looks Like a Lady), "Angel", "What it Takes", "Poison", "The Cup Of Life" and "Livin' la Vida Loca".[2]
His career started when he formed a soft rock band, Desmond Child & Rouge, in 1975. This band is known for their inclusion on the soundtrack to The Warriors in 1979, with the song "Last of an Ancient Breed". One member, Maria Vidal, went solo and had a hit in 1985 with "Body Rock".
Child has worked with various high-profile artists, including, Kiss, Cher, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Bonnie Tyler, Per Gessle, Ricky Martin, Selena Gomez, and Kelly Clarkson, among many others. Child is credited with discovering Troy Tuminelli and recommending him to Edgardo Diaz before Tuminelli landed in Menudo, and, eventually, on Guiding Light. He was the key partner in Alice Cooper's album Trash (1989). Child was also responsible for the majority of song writing on Ratt's comeback album Detonator (1990).
He had a Billboard Top 100 hit in 1991 as a solo artist with "Love on a Rooftop".
He produced Meat Loaf's album Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose, and co-wrote six of its songs.[3]
Child was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame as part of its class of 2008.[4]
Desmond Child was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2013, Desmond Child co-founded the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame along with fellow Cuban-American composer Rudy Pérez.[5]
Discography
Desmond Child & Rouge
- Desmond Child & Rouge (Capitol Records) (1979)
- Runners in the Night (Capitol Records) (1979)
"Our Love Is Insane" (#50, 1979)
Solo
- Discipline (Elektra Records) (1991)
For and with other artists
| Year | Band/Artist | Song(s) written/co-written/produced | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | KISS | "I Was Made for Lovin' You" | Dynasty |
| 1982 | Cher | "When the Love is Gone", "Walk With Me", "The Book of Love" | I Paralyze |
| 1984 | KISS | "Heaven's on Fire", "Under the Gun", "I've Had Enough (Into the Fire)" | Animalize |
| 1985 | KISS | "King of the Mountain", "Who Wants to Be Lonely", "I'm Alive", "Radar for Love", "UH! All Night" | Asylum |
| 1986 | Bonnie Tyler | "If You Were a Woman and I Was a Man", "Lovers Again" | Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire |
| 1986 | Bon Jovi | "Livin' on a Prayer", "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Without Love", "I'd Die For You" | Slippery When Wet |
| 1987 | Aerosmith | "Angel", "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", "Heart's Done Time" | Permanent Vacation |
| 1987 | Cher | "We All Sleep Alone", "Main Man", "Give Our Love a Fightin' Chance", "Perfection", "Working Girl" | Cher |
| 1987 | Jimmy Barnes | "Waitin' for the Heartache", "Walk on" | Freight Train Heart |
| 1987 | John Waite | "These Times are Hard for Lovers" | Rover's Return |
| 1987 | KISS | "Bang Bang You", "My Way", "Reason to Live" | Crazy Nights |
| 1987 | Jennifer Rush | "Down to You", "Heart Wars" | Heart Over Mind |
| 1987 | Ronnie Spector | "Love on a Rooftop" | Unfinished Business |
| 1988 | KISS | "Let's Put the X in Sex", "(You Make Me) Rock Hard" | Smashes, Thrashes & Hits |
| 1988 | Bon Jovi | "Bad Medicine", "Blood on Blood", "Born to Be My Baby", "Wild is the Wind" | New Jersey |
| 1988 | Joan Jett & The Blackhearts | "I Hate Myself for Loving You", "Little Liar", "You Want In, I Want Out" | Up Your Alley |
| 1988 | Bonnie Tyler | "Notes From America", "Hide Your Heart", "Save Up All Your Tears", "Take Another Look at Your Heart", also produced the album | Hide Your Heart |
| 1989 | Aerosmith | "What It Takes", "F.I.N.E." | Pump |
| 1989 | Alice Cooper | Entire album, including "Poison" | Trash |
| 1989 | Animotion | "Calling It Love" | Room To Move |
| 1989 | Michael Bolton | "How Can We Be Lovers?" and "Love Cuts Deep", also produced the album | Soul Provider |
| 1989 | Bonfire | "The Price of Loving You" | Point Blank |
| 1989 | Cher | "Just Like Jesse James", "Love on a Rooftop", "Emotional Fire", "Does Anybody Really Fall in Love Anymore?" | Heart Of Stone |
| 1989 | Ace Frehley | "Hide Your Heart" | Trouble Walkin' |
| 1989 | KISS | "Hide Your Heart", "You Love Me to Hate You" | Hot in the Shade |
| 1989 | Robin Beck | "Hide Your Heart", "Don't Lose Any Sleep", "If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)", "Hold Back the Night", "Save Up All Your Tears", "Tears in the Rain" | Trouble or Nothin' |
| 1990 | Ratt | "Givin' Yourself Away", "Heads I Win, Tails You Lose", "Lovin' You's a Dirty Job", "One Step Away", "Shame Shame Shame" | Detonator |
| 1991 | Kane Roberts | Entire album | Saints and Sinners |
| 1991 | Cher | "Save Up All Your Tears" | Love Hurts |
| 1991 | Michael Bolton | "Forever Isn't Long Enough", "New Love" | Time, Love & Tenderness |
| 1991 | Alice Cooper | "Dangerous Tonight", "Might as Well Be on Mars" | Hey Stoopid |
| 1991 | Joan Jett & The Blackhearts | "Ashes in the Wind", "The Only Good Thing (You Ever Said Was Goodbye)", "Lie to Me", "Don't Surrender", "Goodbye" | Notorious |
| 1992 | Bon Jovi | "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead", "Keep the Faith" | Keep The Faith |
| 1993 | Aerosmith | "Crazy", "Flesh" | Get a Grip |
| 1993 | Steve Vai | "In My Dreams With You" | Sex & Religion |
| 1994 | Joan Jett & The Blackhearts | "As I Am", "You Got a Problem", "Brighter Day" | Pure and Simple |
| 1995 | Bon Jovi | "Something for the Pain", "This Ain't a Love Song", "Hearts Breaking Even", "Diamond Ring" | These Days |
| 1995 | Chynna Phillips | "I Live for You", "This Close", "Jewel in My Crown" | Naked and Sacred |
| 1995 | Roxette | "You Don't Understand Me" | Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! |
| 1997 | Aerosmith | "Hole in My Soul" | Nine Lives |
| 1997 | Chicago | "All Roads Lead to You" | The Heart of Chicago 1967–1998 Volume II |
| 1997 | Dream Theater | "You Not Me" | Falling into Infinity |
| 1997 | Robbie Williams | "Old Before I Die" | Life Thru a Lens |
| 1997 | Hanson | "Weird" | Middle of Nowhere |
| 1998 | Billie Myers | "Kiss the Rain" | Growing, Pains |
| 1999 | Bon Jovi | "Real Life" | EdTV Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| 1999 | Ricky Martin | "Livin' La Vida Loca", "The Cup of Life" | Ricky Martin |
| 2000 | Bon Jovi | "One Wild Night" | Crush |
| 2000 | Ricky Martin | "She Bangs" | Sound Loaded |
| 2000 | Sisqó | "Thong Song" | Unleash The Dragon |
| 2002 | Bon Jovi | "All About Lovin' You", "Misunderstood", "The Distance" | Bounce |
| 2002 | Sakis Rouvas | "Ola Kala", "The Light", "Disco Girl", also produced the album | Ola Kala |
| 2002 | Kelly Clarkson | "Before Your Love" | Thankful |
| 2003 | Clay Aiken | "Invisible", "Run to Me" | Measure of a Man |
| 2003 | La Ley | "Más Allá" | Libertad |
| 2004 | Alejandra Guzmán | "Lipstick", "Sálvame", "Hoy Me Voy a Querer", "Tengo Derecho a Estar Mal", "Mundos", "Un Juego Más", "Tu Corazón", "Supersexitada" | Lipstick |
| 2004 | Jesse McCartney | "Because You Live" | Beautiful Soul |
| 2004 | Diana DeGarmo | "Dreams" | Blue Skies |
| 2005 | Bon Jovi | "Bells of Freedom", "Dirty Little Secret" | Have a Nice Day |
| 2005 | Carrie Underwood | "Inside Your Heaven" | Some Hearts |
| 2005 | Vince Neil | "Promise Me" | - |
| 2005 | Amanda Stott | "Homeless Heart" | Chasing the Sky |
| 2005 | Lindsay Lohan | "I Live for the Day" | A Little More Personal (Raw) |
| 2005 | Marion Raven | "October" | Cut Off (Film) |
| 2006 | Marion Raven | "Good 4 Sex" | Heads Will Roll |
| 2006 | Meat Loaf | "The Monster Is Loose", "Blind as a Bat", "Monstro", "Alive", "If God Could Talk", "What About Love?" | Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose |
| 2006 | Paul Stanley | "All About You", "Lift", "Live to Win", "Wake Up Screaming", "Where Angels Dare" | Live to Win |
| 2007 | Sebastian Bach | "Falling into You" | Angel Down |
| 2007 | Bon Jovi | "(You Want to) Make a Memory" | Lost Highway |
| 2007 | Scorpions | "Hour I", "The Game of Life", "The Future Never Dies", "You're Lovin' Me to Death", "321", "Love Will Keep Us Alive", "We Will Rise Again", "Your Last Song", "Love Is War", "The Cross", "Humanity", "Cold" | Humanity: Hour I |
| 2008 | Ace Young | "Addicted", "A Hard Hand to Hold", "Where Will You Go", "How You Gonna Spend You Live", "The Girl That Got Away", "Dirty Mind", "The Gift" | Ace Young |
| 2008 | Katy Perry | "Waking Up in Vegas" | One of the Boys |
| 2008 | The Rasmus | Entire album, including "Livin' in a World Without You" | Black Roses |
| 2009 | Bon Jovi | "Brokenpromiseland", "Fast Cars", "Happy Now", "Learn to Love" | The Circle |
| 2009 | Margaret Cho | "I Cho Am a Woman" | I Cho Am a Woman (single) |
| 2009 | Tokio Hotel | "Zoom/Zoom into Me" | Humanoid |
| 2009 | The Stunners | "Santa Bring My Soldier Home" | (Santa Bring My Soldier Home-Single) |
| 2010 | Tokio Hotel and Kerli | "Strange" | Almost Alice |
| 2010 | Meat Loaf | "Elvis in Vegas" | Hang Cool Teddy Bear |
| 2010 | Ida Maria | "Bad Karma" | Katla |
| 2010 | Weezer | "Trainwrecks" | Hurley |
| 2011 | Ricky Martin | All Songs of the Album | Musica + Alma + Sexo |
| 2011 | Alice Cooper | "I Am Made of You", "The Underture" | Welcome 2 My Nightmare |
| 2012 | Porcelain Black | "Rock Angels" | Rock of Ages (film) |
| 2012 | Aerosmith | "Another Last Goodbye" | Music from Another Dimension! |
| 2013 | Sick Puppies | "There's No Going Back" | Connect |
| 2013 | Selena Gomez | "Love Will Remember" | Stars Dance |
| 2013 | Bon Jovi | "Army of One" | What About Now |
| 2013 | Bonnie Tyler | "Believe in Me", "Stubborn" | Rocks and Honey |
| 2015 | Zedd | "Beautiful Now" | True Colors |
Personal life
Child lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his husband, Curtis Shaw, and their twin sons, Roman and Nyro.[6][7] Child and Shaw's struggle to have a baby via surrogacy is recounted in the documentary Two: The Story of Roman & Nyro.
The track "The Truth Comes Out" from Desmond Child & Rouge's second album Runners in the Night (1979) was written about 'coming out' to his girlfriend and band member, Maria Vidal.
The song "A Ray of Hope", written by Don Paul Yowell, was recorded by Child as a tribute to his younger brother, Joey, who died in January 1991 of AIDS-related complications.
The lyrics to Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" were inspired in part by Desmond's life in late 1970s New York. He was living with then-girlfriend and Desmond Child & Rouge bandmate, Maria Vidal, working as a New York taxi cab driver trying to make ends meet, while Vidal was a waitress nicknamed Gina. In the evening they were musicians.
Representatives
Desmond is published by Universal Music Publishing worldwide and managed by Lucas Keller at The Collective.
See also
References
- ↑ Rocksnobs: Desmond Child
- ↑ SongwriterUniverse Magazine - Desmond Child Article
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Bat out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2006-10-17.
- ↑ , songhall.org
- ↑ "Founders". Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
- ↑ Variety Staff "Births" Variety Los Angeles, 12 August 2002. Retrieved on 2 December 2012.
- ↑ Leslie, Joey "Gay rights rally in Nashville draws more than 200 people", Out & About Newspaper, Nashville, 15 November 2008. Retrieved on 2 December 2012.
External links
- Official website
- Desmond Child at the Internet Movie Database
- Songwriting Tips From The Man Who Penned Over 70 Top 40 Hits - Audio interview
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|