He was born John Gale Horton in Los Angeles, California, on April 3, 1925. He was raised as a member of a sharecropping family who had moved to Tyler Texas in search of work. His mother taught him how to play the guitar, and he also demonstrated his athletic ability by winning a basketball scholarships to Baylor University and then to the University of Seattle. Before he completed his degree, however, his interest in fishing led him to Alaska, where he worked in that industry.
Johnny Horton began his singing career in 1950 on KXLA in Pasadena. Soon he appeared on KLAC, performing on Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree. Because of his talent for fishing he became known as "The Singing Fisherman." He made his first recordings for Cormac in 1951 and then for Fabor Robison's Abbott Records. Later, he went to Dot and then to Mercury, with little success.
In 1953, Johnny married Hank William's widow, Billy Jean. Through her efforts, both with money and encouragement, he was able to better himself. As a result of his growing reputation, he became one of the leading artists on the Louisiana Hayride in 1955. He took on Tillman Franks as his manager in 1956, and his first hit came on Columbia with the song "Honky Tonk Man" (a major hit for Dwight Yoakam in 1986). This was quickly followed with the song "I'm a One Woman Man" (recorded by George Jones in 1989). At this time, Johnny made many appearances throughout the United States, including the Grand Ole Opry. He also had his own radio show in Tyler, Texas, on KLIV. More hit songs followed in 1957, such as I'm Coming Home, The Woman I Need, and All Grown Up. Despite his success, Johnny was still looking for a signature sound, and also his first Number One Hit.
He achieved both in 1959, with the release of the song "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)." Saga songs such as this became his forte, and when he next released Jimmy Driftwood's "The Battle of New Orleans," he became a household name in Country Music. This song was a big hit both on the country and pop charts, and became the biggest song of 1959. It even became a moderate hit in the UK, where it was banned on the BBC for its mentioning "the bloody British." This song was followed by a string of hits, including "Johnny Reb" and "Sink the Bismark." The title song to the John Wayne movie, North to Alaska, would prove to be Johnny's last hit while he was alive.
The Skyline Club in Austin was the last place he, like Hank Williams, performed at. Amidst an atmosphere supposedly filled with premonitions of his death, after this show he left by car with Tillman Franks and Tommy Tomlinson, his bass player. Tragically, early on the morning of November 5, 1960, Johnny Horton was killed when a drunk driver hit his car head on near Milano, Texas. The other passengers suffered serious injuries and eventually recovered. The driver of the other vehicle, James Davis (age 19) also died. Johnny was buried in Hillcrest Cemetery in Bossier City, Lousiana.
During the years after his death, Johnny Horton remained quite popular. Hits continued to be released posthumously during the early 1960's, such as "Sleepy Eyed John" and the re-issue of "Honky Tonk Man." His albums continued to be sold well into the 1990's, with several different compilations being released. Although his complete catalog of recordings is not very large, his CDs are still available for purchase today.
Like so many others that have been lost to tragedy, Johnny Horton's loss was deeply felt by his many fans. There is no telling how popular he might have become had he not been taken from us so soon. Let us not forget the man and the contributions he made to Country Music.
Several compilations are now available from Music Mill Entertainment featuring live performances from the Louisiana Hayride show which were broadcast on Shreveport, Louisiana's KWKH from 1948-1960. These are a must for any serious collector of classic country music!
Another fine Classic Country Music site may be found at gentleman-jim.com
