John Bettis

Induction Year: 2011

Birth Name: John Gregory Bettis

Birth Date: 10-24-1946

Place of Birth: Long Beach, California

John Bettis is unique among his peers in that his songs have repeatedly topped the popularity charts in the pop, country, R&B, and adult contemporary genres. He has also written television and movie themes as well as for the Broadway stage. His hits span decades as well as genres, and more than 200 different artists have recorded his works. He grew up in southern California, but his family's roots are in Missouri's Ozark Mountains. He began singing and playing ukulele when he was eight and playing guitar in high school. In college at California State University, he met Richard Carpenter, who became his first songwriting partner and mentor. They began collaborating in 1966 and were briefly in a band together called Spectrum, which played in the Los Angeles area.

Bettis, who is mainly a lyricist, began spending half his time in Nashville in 1971. He initially gained fame with pop songs for the Carpenters and scored his first country success in 1973. He moved to Nashville permanently in 1996.

His biggest Nashville hits include "Only One Love in My Life" (Ronnie Milsap), "One of a Kind Pair of Fools" (Barbara Mandrell), "Heartland" (George Strait) and "Top of the World" (Lynn Anderson). "Slow Hand," which he wrote in Nashville, became a hit for both the Pointer Sisters and Conway Twitty.

His theme-song work includes the theme to the TV sitcom Growing Pains ("As Long As We Got Each Other") and the theme to the 1988 Summer Olympics ("One Moment in Time"), which earned an Emmy.

Other enduring copyrights include "Crazy for You," "One Moment in Time" and "Yesterday Once More." His "Human Nature," originally recorded by Michael Jackson, has also been sampled on the huge R&B hits "Right Now" by SWV and "So Sick" by Ne-Yo.

In 2011, he was inducted into both the national Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

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Song Catalog

 

"Can You Stop the Rain"

(written with Walter Afanasieff)

Peabo Bryson1991 #1 R&B, #11 adult contemporary, #52 pop

"Crazy for You"

(written with Jonathan Lind)

Madonna1985 #1 pop
 

"Goodbye to Love"

(written with Richard Carpenter)

The Carpenters1972 #2 adult contemporary,#7 pop
Johnny Mathis1994 
 

"Heart of the Night"

(written with James Clark)

Juice Newton1982 #4 adult contemporary, #25 pop, #53 country
 

"Heartland"

(written with Stephen Dorff)

George Strait1993 #1 country

"Human Nature"

(written with Steve Porcaro)

Michael Jackson1983 #2 adult contemporary, #7 pop, #27 R&B
 

"I Need to Be in Love"

(written with Richard Carpenter, Albert Hammond)

The Carpenters1976 #1 adult contemporary, #25 pop
 

"If You Go Away"

(written with Walter Afanasieff, Lloyd Smith)

New Kids on the Block1992 #16 pop
 

"Like No Other Night"

(written with Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, Jim Vallance)

38 Special1986 #14 pop
 

"One Moment in Time"

(written with Albert Hammond)

Emmy Award

Whitney Houston1988 #1 adult contemporary, #5 pop, #22 R&B
 

"One of a Kind Pair of Fools"

(written with D. H. Shipley)

Barbara Mandrell1983 #1 country
 

"Only One Love in My Life"

(written with D. H. Shipley)

Ronnie Milsap1978 #1 country
 

"Only Yesterday"

(written with Richard Carpenter)

The Carpenters1975 #1 adult contemporary,#4 pop

"Slow Hand"

(written with James Clark)

The Pointer Sisters1981 #2 pop, #6 adult contemporary, #7 R&B
Conway Twitty1982 #1 country
 

"The Woman in Me"

(written with Michael Clark)

Donna Summer1983 #17 adult contemporary, #30 R&B, #33 pop
 

"Too Hot to Sleep"

(written with D. H. Shipley)

Louise Mandrell1983 #10 country

"Top of the World"

(written with Richard Carpenter)

Lynn Anderson1973 #2 country
The Carpenters1973 #1 pop,#2 adult contemporary
 

"When You Tell Me That You Love Me"

(written with Albert Hammond)

Diana Ross1991 #26 adult contemporary, #37 R&B
Dolly Parton & Julio Iglesias1994 

"Yesterday Once More"

(written with Richard Carpenter)

The Carpenters1973 #1 pop,#1 adult contemporary
Floyd Cramer1973 
 

"You Won't Be Lonely Now"

(written with Brett James)

Billy Ray Cyrus2000 #17 country

Other Media

John Bettis

Induction Year: 2011