Walk, Don't Run: A Rockin' and Rollin' Memoir

Steven Jae Johnson

Aug 2015 · Kallisti Publishing

About this ebook

“An epic story of show-biz dreams.”

—Mike Foley

“It’s this generation’s American Graffiti — it’s Happy Days slammed into Resurrection Boulevard.”

—Rick Marcelli

“Johnson’s memory for the adventures we shared breaking into show business is seamless.”

—Edward James Olmos

Kids, This Is Rock ‘N’ Roll: A Rockin’ and Rollin’ Memoir Made on the 1960s Sunset Strip in Hollywood

Here is a story that is glamorous, inspiring, and gritty — a marvelous fusion of the ups, downs, and in-betweens of life and music and passion in 1960s Hollywood, California, the place where dreams are made and chased and, sometimes, die.

When Steven “Rusty” Johnson, Eddie Olmos, and Joey Zagarino met in high school in 1962, the sky was the limit and rock ‘n’ roll stardom was a record deal away. These three friends forged a life-long friendship that would take them through triumph and tragedy, victory and defeat, success and failure — all in the pursuit of reaching the rock ‘n’ roll dream.

This is not only the story of three dreamers, it is a true tale that shows that success — and life — is about taking it from the top, catching a good groove, and taking it one beat at a time.

SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE! (See inside for details.)

Live the Dream: www.WalkDontRunTheBook.com

Ratings and reviews

A fun look back at the 1960s Hollywood music scene through the eyes of three friends, Walk, Don't Run is a great end-of-summer read. It starts with Rusty, Joey, and Eddie (James Olmos, of Battlestar Galactica and Stand And Deliver fame) playing in high school bands and follows them through gigs at Gazzarri's, playing for Robert Kennedy, and mixing albums for Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones. There is plenty of hijinks, love, heartbreak, and a fair share of the exploration of the dark side of the music industry. I recommend Walk, Don't Run for music lovers, baby boomers, and those who like a good coming of age story.

About the author

Steven Jae Johnson has enjoyed life as a musician, an actor, a screenwriter, and now as an author. He and Edward James Olmos have enjoyed a forty year working relationship. They met in high school when they were both young musicians with dreams of stardom. Their friendship and working relationship has continued ever since. Steven is the archivist of their history as struggling musicians and actors in Hollywood through four decades.

At Olmos Productions, Steven and Edward produced several documentaries concerning gangs, drugs, guns, and domestic violence for the United States. It Ain’t Love is their most recent work together. Former President Clinton recorded the introductions for each of these documentaries when they aired on NBC. Steven also was a columnist for Olmos Productions from 1989 to 1996.

From 1984 to 1988 he worked with Michael Landon on the television series “Highway to Heaven” as an actor, a musical cue arranger, and a photo double. Steven has appeared in over seventeen films, twenty-seven television programs, and countless theater productions as an actor, music composer, and writer.

Besides acting in the film A Million To Juan with his friends Edward James Olmos and Paul Rodriquez, Steven composed the music score for the Samuel Goldwyn and Prism Motion Picture. At Paramount Pictures Steve was hired to teach actor Jeff Daniels how to play the drums for the character Daniels was playing in The Butcher’s Wife, which also starred Demi Moore.

Rusty has written music and lyrics for live theater productions at the Los Angeles Actors Theater and has served at the staff composer and lyricists for the MET theater, Dexter Freeman’s company in Hollywood. He has composed music and lyrics for countless live theater production by director Jim Kennedy with Edward James Olmos and Darrell Fetty. He has been the house composer and lyricists for The Cellar Theater. Steve wrote, sang, and acted with Georgia Brown, Steve Allen, and Jim Boothin in the play The Al Chemist Show at the Los Angeles Actors Theater.