The Balladeer Johnny Horton
On 11-05-2009
at 6:10 pm
Death is not a respecter of person, musician or not. However, it does seem that the most talented artists are always taken in their prime. They either leave this world under extreme circumstances that are beyond their control, or by their own volition. Johnny Horton’s death falls under the category of the aforementioned. Horton, like Elvis Presley or Johnny Cash, could not be tied down to a specific genre. He is a Rockabilly Hall of Fame member, he was a mainstay on the Louisiana Hayride stage, and more importantly he was king of the “saga song.” He delivered edgy vocals, and a sound that has never been duplicated. He is an American original. Today marks the anniversary of his premature passing. Johnny was killed by a drunk driver 49 years ago in Milano, Texas, he was only 35 years ago. We dedicate this post to the great musical legacy that Mr. Horton has left behind.
Johnny Horton, like most country artists, was a by-product of hard-working, no-money-to-show-for-it-sharecroppers. He was born in Los Angeles on April 35, 1925, but lived most of his childhood in Rusk, Texas. He inherited his talent from his mother as she taught him how to play the guitar when he was 11 years old. After graduating from high school in 1944, he enrolled at a local Methodist Seminary. He soon realized that this was not for him, so he traveled the country, ending up in Alaska. It is here where he started to polish his songwriting skills. He eventually moved back to Texas, because let’s face it, Alaska isn’t known for its vibrant music scene. He entered in various talent shows around East Texas, most notably at the Reo Palm Isle Club, hosted by Jim Reeves(yes, that Jim Reeves). This is when, as a young artist, you learn what not to do. You see, he had no idea that Fabor Robison was a shoddy manager, so he hired him. Robison’s first mistake was having Horton sign a record contract for Corman Records. The record company folded before the ink could dry, leaving Johnny without a label. In 1951, Robison launched his own record label, and immediately rushed Johnny into the studio to cut a record. The singles did not go anywhere. Robison did eventually sign him to a reputable label, Mercury, but those singles did not fair any better. Robison soon smelled another sucker in Jim Reeves, so he bowed out as Horton’s manager.
By this time, Horton was a regular on the Louisiana Hay Ride, but still was unable to find his niche. The only real encouragement that he received was from the greatest honky tonker in the world, Hank Williams. Unfortunately, the friendship was short-lived, as Hank passed away on New Year’s Eve in 1952. It was after his passing that he struck up a relationship with Billie Jean, Hank’s widow. The two were married later that next year. Emotionally, he had the support of his new wife, however musically, he couldn’t buy chart success. Nonetheless, he actually started to show some business savvy when he hired Webb Pierce’s manager Tillman Franks. Franks persuaded Horton to cut ties with Mercury and sign with Columbia. This couldn’t have panned out any better for Johnny.
In 1955, Johnny cut his first recognizable hit. Most people cite Dwight Yoakam as the original source of this single, but nothing compares to it’s debut. Of course, we are talking about “Honky Tonk Man.” It was a top ten hit for Johnny. Throughout the next year he charted three more; “The Woman I Need” peaked at #9, “(I’m A) One Woman Man” peaked at #7, and “I’m Coming Home” peaked at #11. Then his hit-status started to drop off, almost to nothing. During this time he was billed as a rockabilly singer, but the style had run its course. There are many artists that have experienced this type of success. Ernie Ashworth, Jack Greene, and Sue Thompson had brief moments of incredible stardom, but their light began to fade quickly. This was not the case for Johnny Horton. He breathed new life into his career with the #1 ballad “When It’s Springtime in Alaska(It’s Forty Below).” This hit would pale in comparison to his next single. Everybody remembers the first time when they heard “Battle of New Orleans.” My father would sing it in the morning as kind of a wake-up call. It was a solid #1 hit on the country charts for 10 weeks, and a #1 hit on the pop charts for 6 weeks. The next two years proved very successful for Horton. He had two top ten hits with “Sink The Bismarck” and “Johnny Reb.” He enjoyed his last #1 hit in the fall of 1960 with “North to Alaska.” On that fateful day of the car accident, Johnny Cash received the call that Johnny Horton was killed in a car crash. Cash locked himself in his hotel room, and wept all day long.
