Songwriter Desmond Child is a lot like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain–he’s created miracles by writing or co-writing an astounding number of rock, hard rock, pop, and country melodies and lyrics for numerous superstars, but to many music fans, his identity is still a mystery. For 30 years, Child’s pen has been a magic wand that has conjured up hit after hit of music and lyrics that have scored 70 Top 40 singles, sold more than 300 million albums globally, and earned truckloads of Grammy Awards. The vast list of artists he’s collaborated with or written music and lyrics for includes Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, KISS, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, Cher, Trisha Yearwood, Joss Stone, Kelly Clarkson and Garth Brooks.
Music seemed to be written in Child’s DNA. He grew up in a single-parent home, where his mother taught him how to play the piano, and was constantly writing her own songs and lyrics. Then, at age 14, Child heard a Laura Nyro album, and that was it: he knew he wanted to write music and lyrics that emotionally impacted people the way hers did.
Child formed several groups, and one called Desmond Child & Rouge was signed to Capitol Records. The band released two albums filled with Child’s innovative R&B-influenced pop-rock music and lyrics. Unfortunately, the music and lyrics were so ahead of their time that they were misunderstood by listeners, and the albums were snubbed by radio and record buyers. The band broke up.
After the breakup, Child sank into a deep depression, until a fan of his old band approached him and asked him to help co-write a song and its lyrics. That fan was Paul Stanley of KISS. This was during the disco era, and the two agreed they wanted to write a song that combined rock with disco. The result of their collaboration was the music and lyrics of the chart-topping “I Was Made for Loving You,” which became KISS’ best-selling single. (Since then, he’s co-written numerous KISS songs and lyrics, including “Heaven’s on Fire,” and “Let’s Put the X in Sex.”)
Stanley connected Child with Bon Jovi, KISS’ opening act at the time, and Child, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora began writing in Sambora’s parents’ basement. They collaborated on the music and lyrics of “You Give Love a Bad Name,” which charted as Bon Jovi’s first #1 single. They also co-wrote the music and lyrics of two other Bon Jovi smash hits, “You Give Love a Bad Name,” and “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Thanks to Child–and his continuing contributions to the band–Bon Jovi emerged from the basement and never went back.
After the success of the music and lyrics he co-wrote for Bon Jovi, Child became a highly in-demand songwriter. He wrote numerous hit songs for Aerosmith, including “Angel,” whose music and lyrics singer Steve Tyler raved about with the compliment that Child had written them in a mere hour and 45 minutes. Among his vast songwriting credits, Child has collaborated on music and lyrics for Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” Cher’s “We All Sleep Alone,” and Alice Cooper’s entire “Trash” album, including its hit single, “Poison.”
Asked why he prefers to collaborate when writing music and lyrics, Child has said it’s because he had a very lonely childhood, and he is not inspired to write alone. Now acclaimed worldwide and adored by countless musicians who deeply admire and respect him and his songwriting abilities, loneliness is one worry Child can definitely cross off his list.