Trent "T.J." Johnson was born into the best of families, but not the best of
circumstances. His parents, while being quite wealthy, were at each
other's throats and very often, the kids got in the middle. Rob, his
father, seemed to hate T.J. from the time he was born, instead doting
on his older brother, Gary. Karen, his mother, rushed to compensate for
that rejection, but it still meant little to Trent. All he wanted was
his father's attention.
It seemed like he had finally gotten it when he got into playing little league and later music. Rob was extremely involved in getting his son heard by record companies and finally got him signed by Faraday Records when he was eleven. Two years later, Trent's debut album, instrumental Shakespeare's Fantasy released.
The remainder of Trent's teenage years were spent in a cloudy haze of drugs, alcohol and sex. By the age of fifteen, he had acquired a gram a day cocaine habit - that only grew worse as time went on. At twenty, it seemed Trent had hit rock bottom. After nearly losing his life from an intentional overdose, he sought refuge in his new friend Cecily Coleman. She informed him that if he wanted to have any sort of romantic relationship with her, he needed to clean himself up. With no hesitation, Trent complied, checking himself into a rehabilitation facility.
No one really put much stock behind his vow to clean up his life, but he truly meant it and has been drug and alcohol free ever since. He and Cecily moved in together in 1983, the same year Trent released the album of his career, Free. That was the very first time he had ever actually dared to sing on his records and reaction to it wasn't great at first, but T.J. was determined not to let the harsh criticisms bother him.
In 1984, his longtime label home Faraday was bought out by Joel Gibson, bring him over to JLN Records. His first album for that roster was a greatest hits project - and his first tour was a plum spot on the highest grossing JLN tour of all time - Phoenix's Solitude tour, along with Tony. 1984 is also the year he and Cecily were engaged and married the following spring.
Two years later, daughter Skyler Donaye Antonia was born and Trent discovered how powerful a father's love could be. He still found himself wishing that he could have experienced the same kind of love from his own father.
In early 1989, Trent's career seemed to explode, with the release of his film, Born to be Wild: The Rise and Fall of Adrian Sweeney. The critics couldn't seem to find a single nice thing to say about the film and it completely flopped at the box office, but still, it seemed to bring T.J. into a whole new realm professionally. That has paved the way for much more exposure, many more offers and a greater appreciation from the public, however it's not without cost. Some days, Trent would give anything to just be one of the normal people. The celebrity thing wears him out, but he still makes the genuine effort to connect with his audience.
In August of 1989, Cecily surprised T.J. on his 29th birthday with the news that she was expecting their second child. While elated by the news, he also had to wonder if it would be possible to fit a second child (and a rocky pregnancy) into their plans for the upcoming tour. Still, the couple is determined to make it work together... and to endear their daughter to the latest arrival sometime before it arrives, which should be in March, 1990.
It seemed like he had finally gotten it when he got into playing little league and later music. Rob was extremely involved in getting his son heard by record companies and finally got him signed by Faraday Records when he was eleven. Two years later, Trent's debut album, instrumental Shakespeare's Fantasy released.
The remainder of Trent's teenage years were spent in a cloudy haze of drugs, alcohol and sex. By the age of fifteen, he had acquired a gram a day cocaine habit - that only grew worse as time went on. At twenty, it seemed Trent had hit rock bottom. After nearly losing his life from an intentional overdose, he sought refuge in his new friend Cecily Coleman. She informed him that if he wanted to have any sort of romantic relationship with her, he needed to clean himself up. With no hesitation, Trent complied, checking himself into a rehabilitation facility.
No one really put much stock behind his vow to clean up his life, but he truly meant it and has been drug and alcohol free ever since. He and Cecily moved in together in 1983, the same year Trent released the album of his career, Free. That was the very first time he had ever actually dared to sing on his records and reaction to it wasn't great at first, but T.J. was determined not to let the harsh criticisms bother him.
In 1984, his longtime label home Faraday was bought out by Joel Gibson, bring him over to JLN Records. His first album for that roster was a greatest hits project - and his first tour was a plum spot on the highest grossing JLN tour of all time - Phoenix's Solitude tour, along with Tony. 1984 is also the year he and Cecily were engaged and married the following spring.
Two years later, daughter Skyler Donaye Antonia was born and Trent discovered how powerful a father's love could be. He still found himself wishing that he could have experienced the same kind of love from his own father.
In early 1989, Trent's career seemed to explode, with the release of his film, Born to be Wild: The Rise and Fall of Adrian Sweeney. The critics couldn't seem to find a single nice thing to say about the film and it completely flopped at the box office, but still, it seemed to bring T.J. into a whole new realm professionally. That has paved the way for much more exposure, many more offers and a greater appreciation from the public, however it's not without cost. Some days, Trent would give anything to just be one of the normal people. The celebrity thing wears him out, but he still makes the genuine effort to connect with his audience.
In August of 1989, Cecily surprised T.J. on his 29th birthday with the news that she was expecting their second child. While elated by the news, he also had to wonder if it would be possible to fit a second child (and a rocky pregnancy) into their plans for the upcoming tour. Still, the couple is determined to make it work together... and to endear their daughter to the latest arrival sometime before it arrives, which should be in March, 1990.