From The Undertaker to Stone Cold Steve Austin, Jim Johnston was the man behind some of WWE’s most memorable entrance themes, helping turn a wrestler’s arrival into an event of its own. But despite still creating music today, Johnston doesn’t expect WWE to come calling again anytime soon.
Speaking with Access Entertainment, Johnston discussed his work with vocalist Chris Warren on some of Triple H’s most memorable entrance music. The conversation then turned to Johnston’s relationship with Paul Levesque and why WWE eventually stopped calling him to create new themes.
According to Johnston, the relationship changed as Levesque moved from being an active wrestler into a much more influential backstage position. Johnston believes Levesque wanted to build his own circle of people and viewed him as someone closely connected to Vince McMahon.
I don’t think he’s a very big fan. I think when he was coming into sort of out of wrestling into more of a behind-the-scenes role, he clearly wanted his own guys and he perceived me as Vince’s guy. So, I think that’s why I’m not being asked to write themes anymore.
Johnston remains open to returning if WWE ever approached him, but he believes that possibility is extremely unlikely especially with Triple H in charge
I’d be happy to do it. But you have to be asked, and I think that the chances that Hunter’s—that Paul’s going to ask are close to zero. That the WWE Music Group is going to call me up, I think is zero, and that the guy who’s currently doing the themes for WWE, I think is zero. Why would you invite me in or invite somebody else in?
What’s interesting is that Johnston hasn’t stopped creating. He says he still spends time in his studio and regularly comes up with potential wrestling themes while playing guitar.
For all those guys, I mean, I still come up with theme ideas all the time, you know, just me toying around on the guitar and like, that’s a really good theme idea.
Johnston also said wrestlers outside WWE have occasionally contacted him, while WWE talent hasn’t. Although he acknowledged that this is only his suspicion, he believes WWE wrestlers may have been discouraged from reaching out.
I occasionally get contacted by a wrestler, but never from WWE, and I think that’s because they’ve been told not to.
So the man responsible for some of WWE’s most iconic musical moments is still creating and would happily return. He just doesn’t expect Triple H or WWE to make that call.
Would you like to hear Jim Johnston create WWE entrance themes again? Sound off in the comments below
