Handbook of Texas Online - HORTON, JOHNNY

HORTON, JOHNNY (1925–1960). John Gale “Johnny” Horton, singer, was born in Los Angeles, California, on April 30, 1925. He was the son of John Lolly and Ella Claudia Horton. His parents moved back and forth from Los Angeles to East Texas during his early years. Johnny graduated from high school in Gallatin, Texas, and attended junior college in Jacksonville and Kilgore. He earned a basketball scholarship to Baylor University in Waco and went from there to Seattle University. After college, Horton worked in Alaska and California in the fishing industry.

In 1950 he began singing country music on KXLA, Pasadena, Texas, and then proceeded to Cliffie Stone's "Hometown Jamboree" on KLAC–TV. He joined the “Louisiana Hayride” in 1955 and performed under the name the Singing Fisherman. Companies he recorded with included Mercury, Dot, and Columbia. Horton was known for his versatility, but his specialty was honky-tonk. In 1956 he had his first hit, "Honky Tonk Man." His first number-one recording in the country was "When It's Springtime in Alaska," released in 1959. At that time both country and popular-music radio stations began playing his music.

He became famous for his saga songs, and influenced a brief trend of popularity for these historical and patriotic numbers. He achieved national recognition when some of his songs made the popular hit parade. His more popular saga songs, including "The Battle of New Orleans" and "Sink the Bismarck," reached positions on both country and pop charts. Despite his crossover appeal, Horton remained entrenched in the country music scene and had only moderate success.

On November 5, 1960, in Milano, Texas, he died in an automobile accident while traveling to Shreveport, Louisiana. His wife, Billie Jean (Jones) Horton, became a widow for the second time, as she had been married previously to Hank Williams. He was also survived by two daughters. Horton was buried in Hillcrest Cemetery in Haughton, Louisiana. His song, "The Battle of New Orleans" won the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Recording, and in 2002 it won a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. He was an inductee in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music (New York: Harmony Books, 1977). John Morthland, The Best of Country Music (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1984). Rockabilly Hall of Fame: Johnny Horton (http://www.rockabillyhall.com/JohnnyHorton1.html), accessed April 8, 2008. Melvin Shestack, The Country Music Encyclopedia (New York: Crowell, 1979).

Jill S. Seeber

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