Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter who is a member of the Beach Boys.

While in high school, he arranged and played on his first hit record, Sandy Nelson's "Teen Beat" (1959), and also worked with musicians such as Kim Fowley and Phil Spector.

In 1965, Johnston joined the Beach Boys for live performances, initially filling in for the group's co-founder Brian Wilson.

He later contributed original material to the group's albums, including "The Nearest Faraway Place" on 20/20 (1969), "Tears in the Morning" and "Deirdre" on Sunflower (1970), and "Disney Girls (1957)" on Surf's Up (1971).

Born in Peoria, Illinois in 1942 at the Florence Crittenden Home, he was adopted as a child by William and Irene Johnston of Chicago and grew up in the wealthy Los Angeles neighborhoods of Brentwood and Bel-Air.

He performed in a few "beginning" bands during this time and then moved on to working with young musicians such as Sandy Nelson, Kim Fowley, and Phil Spector.

[9] The teenage Hot Rod film entitled "Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow" (1959), features the song "I Promise You" by Johnston and Judy Harriet.

In 1963 came the first collaboration with his friend Terry Melcher (Doris Day's son), a mostly instrumental covers album credited to the Hot Doggers.

[12] The two of them made a few recordings as Bruce & Terry and the Rogues, but Melcher began to focus more on his production career (with the Byrds, Paul Revere & the Raiders).

For contractual reasons, however, he was not credited on a Beach Boys album cover until Wild Honey (1967) though he was photographed as a touring band member on the back sleeve of Pet Sounds (1966).

[14] In May 1966, Johnston flew to London and played Pet Sounds (1966) for John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Keith Moon.

[17] In early 1967, Wilson discussed the extent of his personal relationship with Johnston to Melody Maker: "I'm afraid I only know Bruce superficially.

[22] Starting with the instrumental "The Nearest Faraway Place" from 20/20 (1969), Johnston's original compositions began appearing on the band's records.

"[23] Surf's Up (1971) included Johnston's most notable written composition for the band, "Disney Girls (1957)", which was subsequently recorded by, among others, Cass Elliot, Captain & Tennille, Art Garfunkel, Jack Jones, and Doris Day.

[25] From a performance standpoint, he later cited 1971 as his favorite year of the group musically because their set lists focused on newer songs.

Biographer Peter Ames Carlin approached Johnston during the writing of the 2006 book Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson.

Additionally, during this period Johnston wrote backing vocal arrangements and also sang on the recordings for Elton John including "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me".

[41] Bruce Johnston is one of the producers of The Weeknd's album Dawn FM (2022), in which he wrote and co-produced "Here We Go... Again" featuring rapper Tyler, the Creator.