Johnny Horton
b. 30 April 1925, Los Angeles, California, USA, d. 5 November 1960, Milano, Texas, USA. Horton was raised in Tyler, Texas, where his sharecropping family settled in search of work. He learned the guitar from his mother and, owing to his athletic prowess, won scholarships at Baylor University and later the University of Seattle. For a time he worked in the fishing industry but began his singing career on KXLA Pasadena in 1950, quickly acquiring the nickname of "The Singing Fisherman". He recorded for Cormac in 1951 and then became the first artist on Fabor Robinson's Abbott label. In 1952 he moved to Mercury Records but was soon in conflict with the company about the choice of songs. He married Hank Williams' widow, Billie Jean, in September 1953, who encouraged him to better himself. With Tillman Franks as his manager, Horton moved to Columbia Records, and their co-written "Honky Tonk Man" marked his debut in the US country charts. Horton recorded "Honky Tonk Man" the day after Elvis Presley recorded "Heartbreak Hotel" and Presley's bass player, Bill Black, was on the session. The song was successfully revived by Dwight Yoakam in 1986, while George Jones revived another song recorded that day, "I'm A One Woman Man", in 1989. Other fine examples of Horton's rockabilly talents are "All Grown Up" and the hard-hitting "Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor".
Listen to Johnny Horton
at Finetune.
Albums
Top Tracks
- The Battle of New Orleans
- North to Alaska
- Sink the Bismarck
- Whispering Pines
- Johnny Reb
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Comments
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WhiteBobcatCanada on 2008-03-19 17:21:23.347:
I heard his death put Johnny Cash into a depression so he just did more pills [dope]. -
roki7777 on 2007-02-03 02:41:11.807:
What a shame, to be killed so young in a tragic car crash. How many more good songs would he have sung? I can relate, because I was hit headon by a Buick the year before he was killed.