Music Appreciation
Related: About this forumOn this day, November 5, 1960, Johnny Horton died in an automobile accident.
Last edited Sat Nov 5, 2022, 07:34 AM - Edit history (1)
Johnny Horton
Born: April 30, 1925; Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: November 5, 1960 (aged 35); Milano, Texas, U.S.
John LaGale Horton (April 30, 1925 November 5, 1960) was an American country music, honky tonk and rockabilly singer and musician, during the 1950s and early 1960s, best known for his saga songs that became international hits beginning with the 1959 single "The Battle of New Orleans", which was awarded the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. The song was awarded the Grammy Hall of Fame Award and in 2001 ranked No. 333 of the Recording Industry Association of America's "Songs of the Century". His first No. 1 country song was in 1959, "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)".
Horton's music usually encompassed folk ballads based on American historic themes and legend. He had two successes in 1960 with both "Sink the Bismarck" and "North to Alaska," the latter utilized over the opening credits to the John Wayne film of the same name. Horton died in November 1960 at the peak of his fame in a traffic collision, less than two years after his breakthrough. Horton is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
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Death
On the night of November 45, 1960, Horton and two other band members, Tommy Tomlinson and Tillman Franks, were travelling from the Skyline Club in Austin, Texas, to Shreveport when they collided with an oncoming truck on a bridge near Milano in Milam County, Texas. Horton died en route to the hospital, and Tomlinson (19301982) was seriously injured; his leg later had to be amputated. Franks (19202006) suffered head injuries, and James Davis, the driver of the truck, had a broken ankle and other minor injuries.
The funeral was held in Shreveport on November 8, 1960, officiated by Tillman Franks' younger brother, William Derrel "Billy" Franks, a Church of God minister. Johnny Cash did one of the readings, choosing Chapter 20 from the Book of John. Horton is interred, with a cemetery bench in his honor, at the Hillcrest Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Haughton, east of Bossier City in northwestern Louisiana.
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Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show. April 02, 1960. Re-post of a previous upload.
regnaD kciN
(26,044 posts)...never realized the singer had already died by that point. Yet another in a countless number of celebrities who met an early end in an accident in the '50s and '60s.
634-5789
(4,175 posts)OneBlueSky
(18,536 posts)mahatmakanejeeves
(57,425 posts)He was on a show hosted by Dick Clark show four times: twice on "American Bandstand," and twice on "The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show." He was on "The Ed Sullivan Show" twice too.
http://www.tv.com/people/johnny-horton/
S 3: Ep 230AB-782: Johnny Horton
7/15/60
S 3: Ep 206AB-758: Johnny Horton
6/13/60
The Ed Sullivan Show Himself
S 12: Ep 31May 1, 1960: Charlton Heston, Johnny Horton, Dean Jones, Pinky Lee, Renato's Boogie Jazz Combo
5/1/60
S 11: Ep 38June 7, 1959: James Cagney tribute, Johnny Horton, Al Martino, Jack Carter
6/7/59
The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show Himself
S 3: Ep 31Sandra Dee; Johnny Horton; Connie Francis; Lloyd Price; Johnny Ferguson
4/2/60
S 2: Ep 52From Hollywood: Tab Hunter; Connie Stevens; Johnny Horton; The Diamonds; The Four Preps
Of course, you can check for individual shows. For example:
The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show Season 3 Episode 31
The Encyclopedia Britannica didn't stand a chance.
OneBlueSky
(18,536 posts)(oops . . . forgot the link . . .). . . quick edit . . .
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,425 posts)I'm not a big John Wayne fan, but I can always make an exception for Johnny Horton.
Yeah, I remember all his hits.
OneBlueSky
(18,536 posts)watching that video, I thought I recognized several of the actors who weren't John Wayne . . . not sure, but I think his partner George is Stewart Granger . . . I am pretty sure that "brother Billy" is pop singer Fabian (if I recall correctly, his full name is Fabian Forte) . . . and I believe I spotted Ernie Kovacs as one of the gamblers . . .
this was all from memory sparked by the clip . . . corrections are certainly welcome . . .
Sewa
(1,255 posts)last year. I was surprised he had even heard the the song.
voteearlyvoteoften
(1,716 posts)Every time a Johnny Horton song comes on.
( Johnny Winter too)