"They saw me as a risk" - Former WWE Composer Jim Johnston reveals he wasn't officially signed to the company

Former WWE Composer Jim Johnston has revealed that he was not officially "signed" to the company for many years.

In an interview with Lucha Libre Online, the mastermind behind some of the most iconic entrance themes in WWE history explained how he and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon operated on the basis of a handshake agreement, as opposed to an actual contract. However, this would change when WWE chose to go public before the turn of the millennium and, as Jim Johnston put it, "lawyers" became involved.

Here's what Jim Johnston had to say on the issue:

"When I said I wasn’t really signed, for a long time, years and years and years, Vince and I operated purely on a handshake. I honestly don’t think either one of us ever thought a thing about it. Like “Oh my God, this is not good to just be operating on a handshake, we need to get some paper.” It really wasn’t until the company went public and lawyers got involved, and they saw me as a risk. “You can’t have this important guy in the organization out there like a wildcard with no contract." Then I became an ‘official’ employee… Not that that ever changed my relationship with Vince, but I don’t know."

Jim Johnston became the driving force behind wrestlers' music in WWE

During the interview, Jim Johnston would also open up on his and Vince McMahon's positive relationship, describing himself and the Chairman as "two peas in a pod."

He would also go into detail on how crafting music for certain wrestlers was a totally new concept at one time, given that only babyfaces had entrance themes:

"It just sort of happened. Vince would say “Do you think we should give music to this guy?” and there was no music!"

"One of my favorite stories that I believe is true, I don’t know if its true, but it sounds true, is right after Vince took over and started having music in the show, his dad said “if you keep putting music in these shows, you’re going to ruin this product!”"

"Early on it was only babyfaces got music. The heels didn't get music. That kind of became the trademark. If you came out without music, you were a loser."

Johnston was released by WWE in 2017 after serving 32 years with the company.