| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| − | i love reagan
| + | [[Johnny Horton]] was born in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]] on April 30, 1925, |
| | + | raised in Tyler, [[Texas]], returned to California to work and spent some |
| | + | time in [[Alaska]] as a commercial [[fishing|fisherman]] before winning a talent contest by then-radio announcer Jim Reeves in Longview, Texas. |
| | + | |
| | + | His rapid rise to stardom began with his arrival at the Louisiana Hayride |
| | + | in Shreveport in 1951 where many American music icons such as |
| | + | Hank Williams Sr., [[Elvis Presley]], [[Johnny Cash]], [[George Jones]], Faron Young, |
| | + | Webb Pierce, Kitty Wells, [[Jim Reeves]], Doug Kershaw, Lefty Frizzell, |
| | + | Tillman Franks and dozens more, began their careers. |
| | + | |
| | + | Johnny Horton was initially billed as "The Singing Fisherman". In a recording career that spanned only five years, Horton’s first success began with a country top ten hit “Honky-Tonk Man” followed by |
| | + | “I’m A One Woman Man” in 1956. In 1959 he topped the country music |
| | + | Hit Parade with “When It’s Springtime in Alaska (It's 40 Below)” and soon after landed on |
| | + | both the country and pop charts at number one with his Grammy winning |
| | + | multi million world-wide seller “The Battle of New Orleans”, |
| | + | followed by another chart topper, “Sink The Bismarck”. |
| | + | |
| | + | All was not well though as Johnny kept having premonitions of his death. |
| | + | He'd started telling friends and family that he would soon die at the hands of |
| | + | a [[drunk driving|drunk driver]]. On November 5, 1960, as his “North To Alaska” was headed |
| | + | to the top of the Hit Parade, Johnny Horton died while heading home to |
| | + | Shreveport following an appearance in Austin, Texas. |
| | + | His Cadillac was hit by a truck driven by an intoxicated teenager. |
| | + | Johnny Horton was just 35 years of age. |
| | + | {{DEFAULTSORT:Horton, Johnny}} |
| | + | [[Category:Male Singers]] |