Born to a Royal Air Force father in Salisbury, Wiltshire, Dean had a nomadic upbringing throughout the UK and Europe, followed by a brief period at art school, before becoming visible in the early 1990s Britpop scene.

He was a founder member of Menswear alongside Stuart Black in 1994; between then and 1998, when the band dissolved, they scored a number of UK Top 40 singles.

[1] In recent interviews, Dean has expressed the torment he experienced before his diagnosis, and his desire to raise awareness of the autism spectrum.

On Friday 7 June 2013, Dean made his first sold-out live appearance in 15 years with the Nuis@nce Band performing the songs of David Bowie to raise funds for The National Autistic Society in London.

[5] The sold-out event was in aid of the mental health charity PMA Sport's Academy and #TimeToChange campaign which Johnny Dean was invited to promote alongside The Saturdays' Frankie Sandford, Uri Geller and Ruby Wax.