Born: November 13, 1934, Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Died: December 8, 2012, London, England.
Buried: Hither Green Crematorium, London, England.
John was the son of Salvation Army (SA) officers. He served as the 16th General of the SA, 1999–2002.
With John Larsson, he co-authored several musicals. He also wrote three volumes of poetry and an autobiography, There’s a Boy Here.