Johnny Horton.........Remember Him ?

When I was very young - I heard "The Battle Of New Orleans"
That song was recorded in 1959
I heard it a short time after that -- maybe 1960 ?....maybe it was '59 ?
I had to be five/ six years old.....but I remember it !
( that song and "You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog")....didn't understand the lyrics but LOVED
that SOUND !
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Just this weekend -
I passed the $5 CD bin at Walmart --
shovelled thru and found one copy = "Johnny Horton's Greatest Hits"
Bought it ( and "live" Elvis CD ).
Lotsa songs on this CD - that I remember hearing.
"Sink The Bismark" / "North To Alaska" / "Honky Tonk Man"/ "Johnny Reb " etc
( we had a 45 rpm single of "Sink The Bismark" ) !!
BTW -
I LOVE the black + white striped tie + red jacket he's wearing on the cover -
looks like a back fin of a cadillac, partially in the photo shot !.....w/ the geasy. half pompadour ( sp ?)
( I read he was bald on top )
Man !....back in the day !........."rock + pop" was young !
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I "googled" Johnny Horton + read about him + his demise.
He told friends about his own death.....spiritual guy.
He had a great voice.
I would think he was a great rock-a-billy voice -- but have never heard
a complete selection of his recorded legacy.
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Any of you "old timers" remember ?

 

I am not an old timer by any means, but my parents always had on the "oldies" (when "oldies" didnt have their own station, and tookover my pop AM station for saturday eve) and I always liked the song "Battle of New Orleans" and "Sink the bismark"...I played Battle of New Orleans for my daughter befor our recent trip to NOLA last week.

 

I am an old timer and remember all the songs you mentioned. Another song of his was When Its Spring Time in Alaska (its 40 below).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtsHDcxZlx0

 

I remember him on the radio when I was very young. Don't know that much about him but the hits you mention.

 

I remember "Sink The Bismark" ,great song! Probably havent heard it in 40 yrs.

 

of course i remember it... if you remember, i am older than dirt

funny you mention 50's music.

this morning there was an article about a show in worcester ma with that featured the stars of that tour group that traveled by bus around the country...
Buddy Holly, Bobby Darin,etc.

here's a link in case anyone is interested....

http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/04/forgotten_concerts_buddy_holly.html#incart_river

that's a whole lotta talent.

 

I remember when those were new songs.

A few years later in high school, 10th Grade American History, I found out that the War Of 1812 was actually over when that battle was fought.

Interesting.

North To Alaska became a movie as did Sink The Bismark.

Like Casey Stengel used to say, "You can look it up."

I just recently watched "Walk The Line" a biopic about Johnny Cash and June Carter. DAAAAMMNN!!!! Those were some great songs.

 

When I was in elementary school I loved to listen to my Dad's Johnny Horton album. For some reason I thought he had died in a plane crash. Had no idea he had married Hank William's widow. Pretty creepy/eerie about the car wreck.

 

That was Buddy Holly that died in that plane crash, along with Richie Valens.

 

and the big bopper

the day the music died-american pie

 

You are correct, sir!

 

I knew about Buddy Holly and Richie Valens and the Big bopper my dad was a big fan of the Big Bopper. I think I got him confused with Audie Murphy The actor. My dad was a big fan of him too. Seems like a lot of actors and musicians were killed in plane crashes back then.

 

Fact #1......Johnny Horton did marry Hank Williams' wife.
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Fact #2......Johnny mentioned to friends that he, himself, would die in an auto accident.
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Not sure how Audie Murphy died ?
I loved Kevin Dillion's line in "Platoon" --
"Don't worry.....you're with Audie f-ing Murphy !"

 

some one mentioned a plane crash... that is correct.