John Shanks | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Shanks performing withBon Jovi in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | John Matthew Shanks (1964-12-18)December 18, 1964 (age 61) New York City, U.S. |
| Origin | Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Member of | Bon Jovi |
| Website | johnshanks |
John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer, and guitarist.[1] He has been the rhythm guitarist of the rock bandBon Jovi since 2024, having served as a producer and session and touring musician for the band for several years prior.
Shanks was born in New York City and moved to Los Angeles when he was 17 years old.[2] He was in a band called "Line One" with jazz saxophonistBoney James.[3] NovelistBret Easton Ellis, who played music when younger, was also in the band, according to Ellis.[4]
Shanks began playing inMelissa Etheridge's band in 1988 and toured with her for several years.[5] Shanks enjoyed his first writing success in the early 1990s with tracks forBonnie Raitt,Joe Cocker and Tuck & Patti. He also landed his first publishing deal.[6]
Shanks reunited with Etheridge in 1995 when he collaborated with her on songs forYour Little Secret.[7] He worked with her for several years and co-produced her subsequent album,Breakdown, in 1999.[8]Breakdown received four Grammy nominations, including Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album.[9]
In 2001, Shanks produced several tracks for theStevie Nicks albumTrouble in Shangri-La and co-wrote the first single, "Every Day", withDamon Johnson.[citation needed]
In January 2001, Shanks began working withMichelle Branch. Together, they wrote four songs for the hit albumThe Spirit Room, including the first single, "Everywhere". He also produced the album.[10] In the fall of the same year, Shanks co-wroteSheryl Crow's single, "Steve McQueen".[11]
Shanks started working withTake That in 2005, on their comeback albumBeautiful World, and he also produced their next albumThe Circus in 2008.[12]
Shanks has also produced or written for other projects withCarlos Santana,Celine Dion,Sting,The Corrs,Chris Isaak,Hilary Duff,Keith Urban, andAlanis Morissette.[13] He producedAshlee Simpson's hit 2004 albumAutobiography and is credited with co-writing ten of the album's 12 songs with Simpson. On seven of those,Kara DioGuardi is also credited.[14] That same year, Shanks produced three songs forKelly Clarkson's hit albumBreakaway, including the title track "Breakaway", and worked withAnastacia on two songs for herself-titled album, including the single "Welcome To My Truth".[15]
Shanks won theGrammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2005 for his work onAutobiography, the Kelly Clarkson song "Breakaway", Hilary Duff's "Fly",Robbie Robertson's "Shine Your Light" and Alanis Morissette's albumSo-Called Chaos.[16]Clive Davis described Shanks as “the father of that guitar-driven kind of pop sound”, as his work with Branch, Clarkson, Duff and Simpson employed many acoustic guitars in contrast to the synthesizer-heavy sound of the pop music of the period.[17]
In 2005, Shanks regrouped with Ashlee Simpson, producing her second album,I Am Me, and co-writing all of its eleven songs with Simpson and DioGuardi.[citation needed] Shanks also worked on two major albums of 2005, theBackstreet Boys'Never Gone andBon Jovi's ninth album,Have a Nice Day. In 2007, Shanks also worked to produce the Bon Jovi's tenth album,Lost Highway, and in 2009 he also worked and produced on Bon Jovi's eleventh album,The Circle.[18]
In 2010 and 2011, Shanks collaborated with Irish vocal groupWestlife with their albumsGravity andGreatest Hits where it charted at the top of UK and Irish Albums Charts. He also produced (withSteve Robson),Everybody Hurts a charity single for Helping Haiti.
In January 2011, Shanks stated that he began work with rock bandVan Halen on its first album with original lead singerDavid Lee Roth since the landmark LP1984 (1984).[citation needed] Released in February 2012, Van Halen'sA Different Kind of Truth debuted at #2 in the United States, and in the Top 10 on five continents. In 2013, Shanks produced Bon Jovi's twelfth album,What About Now.[citation needed]
In 2014, he producedAnthony Jasmin's EPStick Together and also worked onTake That's albumIII. In 2015, Shanks withJon Bon Jovi produced Bon Jovi's thirteenth studio albumBurning Bridges and also performed aslead guitarist for the entire album.[citation needed]
Shanks produced Bon Jovi's fourteenth album,This House Is Not for Sale, and became the touring rhythm guitarist for Bon Jovi in 2016 to support the band'sThis House Is Not for Sale Tour.[19]
Shanks has owned several guitars over the years; including a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard that was the basis for the Gibson Custom Shop Collector's Choice #7 "Shanks" reissue.[20][21] He has been married to Colleen Coffey since September 10, 1994.[22] They have two sons together.[23]
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