Johnson is also known for his collaborations with Rory Lee Feek of Joey + Rory, with whom he founded an organization called the Song Trust, in which works by new artists were all credited to that name. Song Trust's first release was "Bring Him Home Santa" in 2008.[3][4] He was also on the board of the Nashville Songwriters Association International, and co-produced the first two albums by Blaine Larsen. Johnson and Feek also owned the Giantslayer Records label.
Johnson was the co-founder of Songwriter Institute which connected hit songwriters with amateur songwriters by way of retreats and private appointments. In this venture, Johnson produced the educational video Pro vs Am with fellow hit songwriter Clay Mills.
Born in Noti, Oregon, Johnson grew up elk hunting in the shadows of the Cascade Mountains, and attended Willamette University located in Salem, Oregon before transferring and graduating from the University of Oregon. Before moving to Nashville to pursue songwriting, Johnson spent five years in Japan teaching English as a foreign language. Until his death in October 2012, Johnson resided with his wife Megan Green Johnson and two children in Franklin, Tennessee.[5]