Robby Johnson

Born in a modest Quebec community, Robby Johnson grew up immersed in French yet cultivated an unmistakably American country style that conceals his Canadian roots and the fact that English remains his second tongue. From childhood onward he felt drawn to American culture, a fascination that intensified after his parents parted and he began absorbing U.S. broadcasts and recordings while deliberately shaping his speech to match an American accent. Following high school he discovered a love for singing, yet supported himself through factory work, often rehearsing his voice above the din of machinery; although he never appeared on professional stages, he performed at family events and fashioned a French adaptation of Garth Brooks’s “The Dance.”

After advancing into sales, Johnson still felt creatively unfulfilled and longed for a more artistic path. In 2012 his wife and relatives surprised him with studio time as a Christmas gift, which he initially hesitated to use before laying down the country-rock track “I’ll Be There Rockin’ and Rollin’” that he had composed. The session players recognized his potential and introduced him to veteran Nashville figures producer Jimmy Nichols and songwriter Frank Myers, whose credits include John Michael Montgomery and Lonestar. Both men confirmed his promise, prompting Johnson to relocate to Nashville in 2013.

That same year “South of Me” gained traction online with more than three million streams and secured him a spot on David Letterman’s program. In 2015 he began recording with producer James Stroud; the resulting debut album, Don’t Look Back, arrived in 2016 and featured its title track as a single. Johnson next issued the Trouble EP in February 2018, highlighted by the single “Big Time.”