Desmond Child facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Desmond Child
Child in 2019
Background information
Birth name	John Charles Barrett
Born	(1953-10-28) October 28, 1953 (age 71) Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock adult contemporary alternative rock hard rock heavy metal glam metal disco Latin pop
Occupation(s)	Songwriter record producer
Years active	1975–present
Associated acts	Aerosmith Alice Cooper Bon Jovi Kiss Bonnie Tyler

John Charles Barrett (born October 28, 1953), known as Desmond Child, is an American songwriter and music producer. He writes songs and helps artists make their music sound great. In 2008, he was honored by being added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has also been nominated for four Grammy Awards and won a Latin Grammy Award.

Desmond Child has written many famous songs. Some of his big hits include "I Was Made for Lovin' You" for Kiss, "I Hate Myself for Loving You" for Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, and several songs for Bon Jovi like "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer". He also wrote "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" and "Crazy" for Aerosmith, and "Livin' la Vida Loca" for Ricky Martin. Recently, he co-wrote "Karma" for JoJo Siwa.

Desmond Child's Music Journey

Desmond Child started his music career in 1975. He formed a pop-rock band called Desmond Child & Rouge. The band included singers Myriam Valle, Maria Vidal, and Diana Grasselli. They were known for their song "Last of an Ancient Breed" from The Warriors movie soundtrack in 1979. Their song "Our Love is Insane" also reached No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. The band released two albums, but they broke up in 1980.

After his band, Child worked with songwriter Bob Crewe. He has since worked with many famous artists. These include Cher, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Ricky Martin, and Kelly Clarkson. He even helped discover Troy Curtis Tuminelli, who later joined the band Menudo.

In 1991, Desmond Child had a Top 40 hit as a solo artist with "Love on a Rooftop." He co-wrote this song with Diane Warren. He also produced Meat Loaf's album Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose and co-wrote six songs on it.

Eurovision Song Contest Success

Desmond Child wrote the song "Believe in Me" for Bonnie Tyler in 2012. The next year, this song was chosen to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest. Bonnie Tyler won two awards for Best Song and Best Singer after the contest.

Child returned to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022. He co-wrote and produced "Jezebel" for Finland, performed by the Rasmus.

Honored for His Work

Desmond Child was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2013, he helped start the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame. He wrote a book about his life and music called Livin' on a Prayer: Big Songs Big Life, which came out in 2023.

Desmond Child's Life

Desmond Child lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He has twin sons with his husband, Curtis Shaw. Their journey to have children was shared in a documentary called Two: The Story of Roman & Nyro.

A song called "The Truth Comes Out" from his band's album Runners in the Night was about sharing his true feelings with his bandmate, Maria Vidal. He also recorded a song called "A Ray of Hope" as a tribute to his younger brother, Joey, who passed away in 1991 due to an illness.

Desmond Child found out when he was 18 that his biological father was Joseph S. Marfy, a Hungarian baron. His mother is Cuban songwriter Elena Casals. Because of his Hungarian family, he also became a citizen of Hungary in 2016. He wrote a song called "The Steps of Champions" for the Hungarian government. In 2016, he received the Artisjus Lifetime Achievement Award.

Music He Wrote and Produced

Desmond Child has worked on many songs and albums for various artists. Here are some of them:

Desmond Child and Rouge Albums

• Desmond Child & Rouge (Capitol Records) (1979)
• Runners in the Night (Capitol Records) (1979)

Solo Albums

• The Warriors: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (A&M Records) (1979)
• Discipline (Elektra Records) (1991)

Songs for Other Artists

Awards and Nominations

Desmond Child has been recognized with several awards and nominations for his work in music.

Grammy Awards

Latin Grammy Awards

Primetime Emmy Awards

See also

In Spanish: Desmond Child para niños