John Batdorf Perspective on I’m Not Givin’ Up

John Batdorf is a singer-songwriter solo artist and one half of Las Vegas Rock and Roll Hall Of Famers folk-rock duo Batdorf & Rodney and 70’s hit band Silver whose hit song Wham Bam became a part of the Guardians Of The Galaxy ll blockbuster movie. He’s also a successful film and TV composer, session vocalist, and inspirational musician in the substance recovery community.

In his five-decade career, he’s worked with icons such as Ahmet Ertegun, David Geffen, Clive Davis, Roger Birnbaum, Adele, James Horner, Jimmie Haskell, Bill Conti, Bob Ezrin, Tom Werman, Bill Halverson, America, Rod Stewart, Dave Mason, Donna Summer, Dwight Yoakum, David Lee Roth, and Motley Crüe, plus many others. In the realm of film and TV incidental music, he’s lent his voice and compositional skills to beloved shows such as Tom and Jerry Kids, Garfield and Friends, Touched By An Angel, Promised Land, and Doctor, Doctor, and Book of Days. Most recently Wham Bam, a hit by John’s band Silver in 1976 is now part of the soundtrack to Guardians Of The Galaxy ll. With legendary Utah-based singer, composer, and filmmaker, Michael McLean, under Batdorf & McLean, he’s launched a unique substance abuse survival platform, and released the CD Soundtrax2Recovery.

Batdorf has also released new music collaboratively with his old partner Mark Rodney and James Lee Stanley. Since 2004, he’s released nine solo albums on his own imprint, BATMAC MUSIC.

Since 2017, John has released three new CDs including, Me and My Guitar, a 17-song rearranged and unplugged collection of songs John has recorded in his 52 year career, Last Summer and An Extraordinary Ordinary Life, Side ll, I’ll Let Roy’s Song Carry Me Home, I’m Not GivinUp and latest release, Sixty Year Old Groove were all written, recorded and released during the great pandemic of 2020/2024

Since I have been recording since I was age 18 and now age 72 proves that I will never give up as long as I am inspired.

From my earliest years, I was always surrounded by music. My grandparents played, my parents played,my uncles played, and now I play and have been for over 50 years.

At age 12, when I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show, I knew what my destiny was and I have accomplished that and more

The best way to describe my music is original West Coast folk rock. It's the sound I grew up with, and I've always loved it.

I just think every year I live I learn more about life and try to translate it into music.

I tried to write my songs about real life and on one occasion I did a project with my friend Michael McLean entitled Soundtrax3Recovery. The songs were meant to help people in a time of need. I have performed at several recovery conferences and really love doing those shows.  

Paul McCartney, Stephen Stills and or Peter Gabriel 

Inspiring enough to make me wanna write more songs

The Beatles of course. They set the highest bar so why go any lower?

Very good melodies and honest lyrics with some great singing and acoustic guitar playing mixed in.

Way too many at this point.

Beethoven, Paul McCartney and Peter Gabriel 

I've already done it. Carnegie Hall at age 20.

Any of the greats no matter the genre.

Warm and fuzzy! Music is so powerful and I want people to walk away from my show feeling happy they came.

A true survivor.

In a room, one on one face to face and unplugged.

I mainly just rehearse.

A standing ovation at Carnegie Hall

Longevity

A conscience and a story teller

Having to re-invent myself which I have several times. An artist can never be afraid to fail.

To just always do my best work and never settle.

Get rid of streaming so artists have more options for supporting their career. Streaming has killed a once valuable income source....CDs

Studio Singer, music composer, staff songwriter, and just about everything else.

Yes. Writing new music always gets me out of my funk!

I have to. Music keeps coming and it's duty to except the challenge to write and play it for eveyone else

I did a show way up at the top of Washington state and no one came.

Seeing the glass as half full.

Don Henley, Phil Collins and Brian Adams. At least vocally.

My wife of 50 years!!!

Never give up!