Sammy Johns
| Sammy Johns | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Sammy Reginald Johns |
| Born |
February 7, 1946 Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Died |
January 4, 2013 (aged 66) Gastonia, North Carolina |
| Genres | Folk rock, soft rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1970–2013 |
| Labels | General Recording Corporation, Warner-Curb, New World, Elektra |
Sammy Johns (February 7, 1946 – January 4, 2013) was an American country singer-songwriter, best known for his million-selling 1975 hit single, "Chevy Van".[1]
Career
Sammy Reginald Johns was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Johns' father gave him a guitar when he was nine, and he founded his first band (the Devilles) in his teenage years.[2] The group performed locally and made a few records for Dixie Records.[2] Johns moved to Atlanta, where he signed with General Recording in 1973. His first solo recording was "Early Morning Love" (1973).[2]
"Chevy Van" (1975) reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart[1] and remained in the chart for 17 weeks. It was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. on 4 May 1975.[1] The song and an album (also titled "Chevy Van") led to a contract with Warner Curb Records to produce a soundtrack for the 1977 film The Van. In an interview with WBT radio personality Keith Larson, he was parphrased as saying "the song wasn’t about a specific woman he met – but a compilation of events."[3]
Johns switched to the Elektra label, where he issued singles such as "Common Man" and "Love Me off the Road".[2] John Conlee's cover version of "Common Man" reached number 1. Conlee made the song his theme song.[2] Johns' songs have also been covered by Waylon Jennings, Sammy Kershaw, Conway Twitty and Fu Manchu. After Jennings sang Johns' song "America" at a celebration of the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in 1985, the single was nominated for country song of the year.[2]
Death
Johns died on January 4, 2013, at Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia, North Carolina, at the age of 66.[4]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | US | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Sammy Johns (LP) | 148 | General Recording |
| 1994 | Golden Classics (CD) | — | Collectables |
| 2000 | Honky Tonk Moon (CD) | — | Southern Tracks |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | RIAA | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US[5] | US Country | ||||
| 1974 | "Chevy Van" | 5 | — | Gold | Sammy Johns |
| "Early Morning Love" | 68 | 79 | — | ||
| 1975 | "Rag Doll" | 52 | — | — | |
| 1980 | "Falling for You" | 103 | — | — | N/A |
| 1981 | "Common Man" | — | 50 | — | |
| 1988 | "Chevy Van" (re-release) | — | 80 | — | |
References
- 1 2 3 Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 114. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Biography by Linda Seida". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 8 December 2008.
- ↑ http://www.charlotteobserver.com/entertainment/article9086024.html
- ↑ Lyttle, Steve (2013-01-04). "Writer of Chevy Van dies at 66". CharlotteObserver.com. Retrieved 2013-01-08.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Singles 1955–2010. Record Research, Inc. p. 462. ISBN 0-89820-188-8.
External links
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