Valjean Johns (November 19, 1934February 10, 2003), who typically recorded under his first name only, was an American pianist best known for his recording of the theme song from the TV show ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama television series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member ...

''. Born in

Shattuck, Oklahoma Shattuck is a town in Ellis County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,249 at the time of the 2020 census, a change from the 1,356 reported in the 2010 census. History Shattuck is located in what was once the Cherokee Outlet.Everett ...

, Valjean studied music at the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

, graduating in 1958 and attaining a

Fulbright scholarship The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

. In 1962, he released a recording of

David Raksin David Raksin (August 4, 1912 – August 9, 2004) was an American composer who was noted for his work in film and television. Raksin had more than 100 film scores and 300 television scores to his credit. Some sources called him the "Grandfather of ...

's "Theme from Ben Casey", which hit #28 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was his sole Top 40 hit on the pop chart. That same year, he released a full-length album, also titled ''Theme from Ben Casey'', which peaked at #113 on the ''Billboard'' 200.

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

He also scored the 1969 counterculture thriller ''

The Big Cube ''The Big Cube'' is a 1969 American psychological-thriller film directed by Tito Davison and starring Lana Turner, Karin Mossberg, George Chakiris, Daniel O'Herlihy and Richard Egan. Its plot follows an aging former actress who is dosed with LS ...

'', which starred

Lana Turner Julia Jean "Lana" Turner ( ; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over a career spanning nearly five decades, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized personal life. ...

. Valjean also toured, making appearances with the

Dallas Symphony Orchestra The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Dallas, Texas. Its principal performing venue is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District, Dallas, Arts District of downtown Dallas. History The orchestra tr ...

and the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra among others.

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Johns, Val
^{Dead link December 15, 2013.} 1934 births 2003 deaths American male pianists Musicians from Oklahoma People from Shattuck, Oklahoma 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians University of Oklahoma alumni {{Oklahoma-stub