John Shanks

John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist.

Early life and education

John Matthew Shanks was born in New York City. Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17 years old. He was in a band called Line One with future author Bret Easton Ellis.

Career

Shanks began playing in Melissa Etheridge's band in 1988 and toured with her for several years. Shanks enjoyed his first writing success in the early 1990s with tracks for Bonnie Raitt, Joe Cocker and Tuck & Patti. He also landed his first publishing deal.

Shanks reunited with Etheridge in 1995 when he collaborated with her on songs for ''Your Little Secret''. He worked with her for several years and co-produced her subsequent album, ''Breakdown'', in 1999. ''Breakdown'' received four Grammy nominations, including Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album.

In 2001, Shanks produced several tracks for the Stevie Nicks album ''Trouble in Shangri-La'' and co-wrote the first single, "Every Day", with Damon Johnson.

In January 2001, Shanks began working with Michelle Branch. Together, they wrote four songs for the hit album ''The Spirit Room'', including the first single, " Everywhere". He also produced the album. In the fall of the same year, Shanks co-wrote Sheryl Crow’s single, "Steve McQueen".

Shanks started working with Take That in 2005, on their comeback album '' Beautiful World'', and he also produced their next album '' The Circus'' in 2008.

Shanks has also produced or written for other projects with Carlos Santana, Celine Dion, Sting, The Corrs, Chris Isaak, Hilary Duff, Keith Urban, and Alanis Morissette. He produced Ashlee Simpson's hit 2004 album ''Autobiography'' and is credited with co-writing ten of the album's 12 songs with Simpson. On seven of those, Kara DioGuardi is also credited. That same year, Shanks produced three songs for Kelly Clarkson's hit album '' Breakaway'', including the title track " Breakaway", and worked with Anastacia on two songs for her self-titled album, including the single "Welcome To My Truth".

Shanks won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2005 for his work on ''Autobiography'', the Kelly Clarkson song "Breakaway", Hilary Duff's "Fly", Robbie Robertson's "Shine Your Light" and Alanis Morissette's album '' So-Called Chaos''. 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.

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. Shanks also worked on two major albums of 2005, the Backstreet Boys' '' Never Gone'' and Bon Jovi's ninth album, ''Have a Nice Day''. In 2007, Shanks also worked to produced the Bon Jovi's tenth album, '' Lost Highway'', and in 2009 he also worked and produced on Bon Jovi's eleventh album, '' The Circle''..

In 2010 and 2011, Shanks collaborated with Irish vocal group Westlife with their albums ''Gravity'' and ''Greatest Hits'' where it charted at the top of UK and Irish Albums Charts. He also produced (with Steve Robson), ''Everybody Hurts'' a charity single for Helping Haiti.

In January 2011, Shanks stated that he began work with rock band Van Halen on its first album with original lead singer David Lee Roth since the landmark LP '' 1984'' (1984). Released in February 2012, Van Halen's '' A 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''.

In 2014, he produced Anthony Jasmin's EP ''Stick Together'' and also worked on Take That's album '' III''. In 2015, Shanks with Jon Bon Jovi produced Bon Jovi's compilation album '' Burning Bridges'' and also performed as lead guitarist for the entire album.

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's This House Is Not for Sale Tour.

Personal life

Shanks has been married to Colleen Coffey since September 1994.

Songwriting discography

*''Safe'' by Westlife
*''Closer'' by Westlife
*''Tell Me It's Love'' by Westlife
*''I Get Weak'' by Westlife
*''No One's Gonna Sleep Tonight'' by Westlife
*''Difference in Me'' by Westlife
*''Too Hard To Say Goodbye'' by Westlife
*''Lighthouse'' by Westlife
*'' Beautiful World'' by Westlife
*''Over and Out'' by Westlife
*''Wide Open'' by Westlife
*''Poet's Heart'' by Westlife
*''Portrait'' by Cardiknox
*''White Light'' by The Corrs
*''Do It All for Love'' by Take That
*''Flaws'' by Take That
*''Get Ready for It'' by Take That
*''I Like It'' by Take That
*''Almost Home'' by Alex & Sierra
*''Here We Go'' by Alex & Sierra
*''Since I Saw You Last'' by Gary Barlow
*''Chapman Square'' by Lawson
*''Feels Like Home'' by Sheryl Crow
*"Real Gone" by Sheryl Crow
*''Magnetic'' by Goo Goo Dolls
*'' What About Now'' by Bon Jovi
*''Child of the Universe'' by Delta Goodrem
*''Every Day'' by Stevie Nicks
*''Somebody's Me'' by Enrique Iglesias
*''Somebody Like You'' by Keith Urban

Producer discography

*''Love Thy Will Be Done'' by Delta Goodrem
*''If the World Turned Upside Down'' by Goo Goo Dolls
*''Beautiful Day'' by Jon Bon Jovi
*''The Spirit Indestructible'' by Nelly Furtado
*''A Different Kind of Truth'' by Van Halen
*''Gravity'' by Westlife
*''Greatest Hits'' by Westlife
*''Everybody Hurts'' by Various Artists
*''Daydream'' by Katherine Jenkins
*''Tell me I'm Not Dreaming'' by Katherine Jenkins
*''Gravity'' by Katherine Jenkins incorrect
*''Can't Make This Over'' by Pixie Lott
*''Fearless Love'' by Melissa Etheridge
*''So-Called Chaos'' by Alanis Morissette
*''Can't Be Tamed'' by Miley Cyrus
*'' Real Gone'' by Sheryl Crow
*''LIberté'' by The Doobie Brothers

Collaborations

* '' Well...'' - Katey Sagal (1994)
* ''Your Little Secret'' - Melissa Etheridge (1995)
* '' Love and Money'' - Eddie Money (1995)
* '' Head Over Heels'' - Paula Abdul (1995)
* ''When We Were the New Boys'' - Rod Stewart (1998)
* ''Screamin' for My Supper'' - Beth Hart (1999)
* ''Breakdown'' - Melissa Etheridge (1999)
* ''Trouble in Shangri-La'' - Stevie Nicks (2001)
* ''The Spirit Room'' - Michelle Branch (2001)
* '' Respect Yourself'' - Joe Cocker (2002)
* '' C'mon, C'mon'' - Sheryl Crow (2002)
* '' Hotel Paper'' - Michelle Branch (2003)
* '' One Heart'' - Céline Dion (2003)
* '' Blue Skies'' - Diana DeGarmo (2004)
* '' Breakaway'' - Kelly Clarkson (2004)
* '' So-Called Chaos'' - Alanis Morissette (2004)
* '' Lucky'' - Melissa Etheridge (2004)
* ''Anastacia'' - Anastacia (2004)
* ''Wildflower'' - Sheryl Crow (2005)
* '' Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time'' - Rod Stewart (2006)
* '' The Great Escape'' - Ilse DeLange (2006)
* ''Right Where You Want Me'' - Jesse McCartney (2006)
* ''Delta'' - Delta Goodrem (2007)
* ''Taking Chances'' - Céline Dion (2007)
* '' Songs for You, Truths for Me'' - James Morrison (2008)
* ''Pebble to a Pearl'' - Nikka Costa (2008)
* ''Everything Comes and Goes'' - Michelle Branch (2010)
* ''Fearless Love'' - Melissa Etheridge (2010)
* '' Child of the Universe'' - Delta Goodrem (2012)
* ''The Spirit Indestructible'' - Nelly Furtado (2012)
* ''Since I Saw You Last'' - Gary Barlow (2013)
* '' Something Worth Saving'' - Gavin DeGraw (2016)
* ''Walls'' - Barbra Streisand (2018)
* '' The Medicine Show'' - Melissa Etheridge (2019)
* Soul - Elisa (2019)
* ''Liberté'' by The Doobie Brothers (2021) - Guitars, dobro, bass, synths, keyboards, piano, organ, drum programming.

References

External links

Official Web site of John Shanks

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shanks, John
1964 births
American rock guitarists
American male guitarists
Record producers from New York (state)
Songwriters from New York (state)
Living people
Grammy Award winners
Musicians Institute alumni
Guitarists from New York (state)
20th-century American guitarists
20th-century American male musicians
American male songwriters