Johnny Horton

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Tyler TX, United States

Johnny Horton had several top ten songs in the late 50’s and early 60’s and was on the verge of becoming one of the top stars of the 60’s when he met with tragedy.

He was born John Gale Horton in Los Angeles in 1925. He was raised in Tyler, Texas. Horton worked in the fishing industry in Alaska and California, and attended Seattle University. He worked for a while as a carpenter, and played basketball at Baylor University. He worked at a local radio station in East Texas and at the Hometown Jamboree in California. He did some recording with little success for the Abbott, Mercury, and Dot labels and picked up the nickname the Singing Fisherman. Horton became a regular on the Louisiana Hayride.

Johnny married Billie Jean Jones, the widow of country music legend Hank Williams. He sang country songs and signed a recording contract with Columbia, where he would achieve his greatest success. Some of his first hits included Honky Tonk Man, I’m A One-Woman Man in 1956, Coming Home in 1957 and All Grown Up in 1958. He topped the country charts in 1959 with When It’s Springtime In Alaska.

Johnny Horton then began to record a series of saga songs that crossed over to the pop charts. He covered Jimmy Driftwood’s The Battle Of New Orleans in 1959. The song topped the country charts and it reached number one on the pop charts, where it remained for a solid six weeks.
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  • johnnyamor

    Love the music of Johnny Horton, and have played the album my grandmother gave me for one of my birthdays when I was either eleven or twelve years old. Cried when he died, and still have his album. No record player to play it on, and in todays tough times not enough money to spend for any luxiouries. My retired husband went back to work to feed us. Wish I could buy his music here, but my sweet husband really, really gets upset if I spend money for extras, like music, etc. Maybe in a few months when I have earned a little of my own money. I am in a program for diabetes, which I have, and it takes me about 3 mths to earn fifty dollars. Then I can buy some of Johnny's music here that I can play, I hope. Have a CD player at least, from a few years ago. Johnny is my favorite singer of all time.

    December 2011

  • Anira_Sugar

    Lovers Rock

    December 2011

  • ot63

    'Murica

    April 2011

  • oi_quer_tc

    he's good :-)

    March 2011

  • CadillacJack

    people, the ship was named Bismarck, not Bismark :P

    January 2011

  • Rapture5212011

    Another one of my favorite artists from the 'baby boomer' generation. Played his songs every morning before attending school. Oh what memories. God bless~!

    August 2010

  • assderasse

    Like North of Alaska

    April 2010

  • izrox

    my fav song is 'the battle of new orleans'

    February 2010
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