John M. Shanks is a well known rock music guitarist, writer and producer.
Born in
New York City, Shanks moved to
Los Angeles when he was 17.
He 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 by getting cuts with
Bonnie Raitt, Joe Cocker and Tuck & Patti. He also landed his first publishing deal.
He 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 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".
He has also produced or written for other projects with
SHeDAISY, Carlos Santana, Sting, The Corrs, Chris Isaak, Vertical Horizon, Unwritten Law, Will Hoge, Stroke 9, 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.
http://www.vh1.com/shows/events/grammys/2005/nominees/awards.jhtml?nomCat=production In 2005 Shanks regrouped with Ashlee Simpson, producing her second album,
I Am Me, and co-writing all of its 11 songs with Simpson and DioGuardi. Shanks also worked in 2 major albums of 2005, the
Backstreet Boys' Never Gone and
Bon Jovi's Have a Nice Day.
