Film Producing Partnership Announced

STORYSMART to Help Filmmaker Art Holliday Finish Johnnie Be Good Documentary 22 Years in the Making

The Story Behind the Story

Most people know Chuck Berry. Far fewer know Johnnie Johnson, the pianist who hired him to join his band and, in doing so, helped change the course of music history.

Johnson’s piano helped shape the sound of some of the most influential recordings in rock and roll history. 

Johnson’s musical partnership with Berry began in 1952 when Johnson hired the young guitarist to fill in for a New Year’s Eve performance after his saxophone player suffered a stroke.

The partnership with Chuck Berry that followed helped change music forever.

Johnson’s rhythmic piano style became a defining part of the sound that influenced generations of musicians, from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to countless artists who followed. While Berry became one of the most recognizable performers in popular music, Johnson spent much of his career working in the background.

While musicians knew exactly who he was, the public often did not. That disconnect became one of the driving forces behind Art Holliday’s decision to tell Johnson’s story.

A Film Twenty-Two Years in the Making

Independent documentary filmmaking is rarely a straight line. Films often take a long time to come together, especially when you have a demanding day job like Holliday, who recently retired after more than 50 years in television news. 

The best projects often evolve over years as filmmakers build trust, conduct interviews, uncover archival materials, and continue refining their understanding of the story. That process is particularly evident in Johnnie Be Good.

Over twenty-two years, Holliday documented not only Johnson’s life and career, but also the perspectives of many of the musicians, filmmakers, friends, family members, and cultural figures who understood Johnson’s significance.

The result is a remarkable collection of voices that includes a who’s who of the music and entertainment industry including Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Bob Weir, Joe Perry, Michael McDonald, Taylor Hackford, John Goodman, Paul Shaffer, Bruce Hornsby, Chuck Leavell, John Sebastian, Malcolm McDowell, Frances Johnson, and many others. 

Together, they help answer a simple but powerful question: How can someone help shape the sound of rock and roll and remain largely unknown?

More Than a Music Story

While music sits at the center of the film, Johnnie Be Good is about much more than records and performances.

It is a story about creativity and collaboration. It is a story about race, recognition, and history. It is a story about who gets remembered and who gets overlooked. It is a story about resilience, redemption, and legacy.

The film also explores Johnson’s service as one of the historic Montford Point Marines, the first Black Marines to serve in the previously segregated United States Marine Corps.



The film examines Johnson’s struggles with alcoholism, his late-career resurgence, and the continuing debate surrounding his contributions to some of rock and roll’s most iconic songs.

Most importantly, it seeks to ensure that future generations understand the role Johnson played in shaping American music.

How This Fits for STORYSMART

We believe stories create real value. Not only economic value, but cultural value, historical value, and human value. That’s why I’m using this chapter of my career to build a studio focused on telling true stories that matter. 

I’ve always admired Art Holliday. I grew up watching him on TV. I’m old enough to remember him starting at KSDK doing sports, and I watched him advance over the years.

I also enjoyed working with him when I had the chance as the lead PR guy for the local baseball team.



Art and I recently connected to talk filmmaking. I knew he had been working on the Johnson documentary for some time, but like a lot of people, I wasn’t familiar with Johnson’s story. 

When I first reviewed a rough cut of Johnnie Be Good, I saw a project that already possessed the elements filmmakers spend years trying to build. 

There is a compelling story, extraordinary access, world-class participants, a substantial body of footage, a completed rough cut, and, most importantly, a passionate talented filmmaker who had dedicated more than two decades to getting the story right.

I also saw something else. I see a project that deserves the resources and support necessary to reach global audiences. That belief led to this partnership. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect as we lean into developing our studio. 

I see this project as one of the projects in our pipeline as we launch our studio in the coming months.  While projects that we originate will be the cornerstone of our work, I also see projects that others originate and bring to us as being a big part of our work.  Gifted storytellers, filmmakers, and journalists like Art are exactly who we hope to partner with as we build our work.

A finish-line partnership similar to this one is an example of what I hope will become a core part of the STORYSMART STUDIOS model we're actively building right now. 

Filmmakers spend years crafting a story, then need a little help getting over the finish-line.  The win for them is obvious - getting the film in front of audiences.  The win for us is stepping in once most of the work is done to bring an amazing story to audiences. 

What Is a Finish-Line Producing Partnership?

Not every great film needs development or production help. Some films simply need support crossing the finish line. In this instance, most of the hard work is done. But make no mistake, making a film isn’t easy. 

Every film is like running a start-up. Being a great storyteller is just part of it. You also need legal, sales, marketing, accounting, business, and so many other skills to get a film like this in front of an audience. Talk to any experienced producer. It's hard work, requiring constant management of countless small and large details that all matter. 

A finish-line producing partnership brings a filmmaker like Art strategic resources, producing expertise, communications support, audience development, and industry relationships to projects that have already completed substantial development and production work.

Our goal is simple: help exceptional stories reach audiences.

As Executive Producer and strategic producing partner, we will support completion planning, fundraising strategy, communications, rights and licensing coordination, festival positioning, audience development, distribution planning, team building, and whatever else it takes to get this film in front of audiences. 

The creative vision of Johnnie Be Good remains rooted in Art Holliday’s decades-long commitment to telling Johnnie Johnson’s story.

Our role is to help that work reach its full potential by doing what we can to help him cross the finish-line and get this amazing story in front of audiences. The world deserves to know Johnnie’s story. 



What Comes Next

The project is currently focused on the work required to complete the film, including editorial refinement, footage upscaling, music licensing, rights clearances, sound finishing, color correction, festival preparation, marketing and distribution.

If all goes well, we hope to complete the project by late 2028 or early 2029. 

In the months ahead, we will be sharing additional updates, behind-the-scenes content, opportunities to support the film, and information about future screenings and events.

Please Join Our Johnnie Be Good Team

Johnnie Johnson’s influence can be heard throughout the history of rock and roll. His story deserves to be heard as well.

We invite you to follow our journey, explore the film, and help us ensure that one of music’s most important stories reaches the audience it deserves.

Because some stories are too important to remain unfinished. 

We encourage you to sign up for updates at storysmart.net/johnnie and if you’d like to financially support the film, you can do so by purchasing merchandise or making a tax-deductible donation at jjthemovie.com. 

ABOUT ART HOLLIDAY

Art Holliday recently retired following a 46-year career at KSDK-TV, where he served as sportscaster, anchor, reporter, executive producer, storyteller, and news director. A member of four halls of fame, Holliday is an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker whose previous documentary, Before They Fall Off the Cliff: The Ripple Effect of Schizophrenia, screened at multiple film festivals and was utilized by mental health organizations and law enforcement training programs. Johnnie Be Good is one of several documentary projects currently in development by Holliday.

ABOUT STORYSMART

Founded by filmmaker, author, and media entrepreneur Ron Watermon, STORYSMART develops and produces true-story intellectual property across film, television, publishing, and emerging media. Through STORYSMART STUDIOS, which is currently on the launch pad, the company is building a slate of documentary and narrative projects while pioneering collaborative models designed to help creators preserve ownership, participate in success, and bring meaningful stories to audiences.

About Our STORYSMART Perspective

At STORYSMART, we approach storytelling, filmmaking, and media development as a long-term, rights-first business rather than a project-by-project creative exercise.

Our focus is on understanding how stories create value over time through ownership, disciplined development, audience relationships, and thoughtful risk management.

The articles, commentary, and educational materials published here are intended to contribute to broader conversations about storytelling, media, and intellectual property. They are provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or financial advice.

Nothing contained in this publication is intended to promote or solicit investment in any specific project, company, or security. Any discussions regarding potential business or investment opportunities are conducted separately and, where applicable, pursuant to appropriate agreements and offering materials.