On this day (November 5) in 1960, Johnny Horton died after a head-on car wreck in Milano, Texas. He had success as a country and rockabilly artist starting in the early 1950s. Today, he is best remembered for his history-based hits like “The Battle of New Orleans” and “Sink the Bismarck.” He also penned hit songs that were later recorded by George Jones, Dwight Yoakam, and his longtime friend, Johnny Cash.
On the night he died, Horton was traveling with his band members Tommy Tomlinson and Tillman Franks from Austin, Texas, to Shreveport, Louisiana. They hit an oncoming truck head-on while crossing a bridge near Milano, Texas. Horton died on the way to the hospital. While his bandmates survived, they didn’t walk away unscathed. Tomlinson’s leg was later amputated due to his injuries. Franks sustained head injuries. The driver of the other vehicle suffered a broken ankle and other minor injuries.
According to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, Franks’ brother, William, officiated Horton’s funeral. Cash flew in on a chartered jet and read John chapter 20 which details the resurrection of Jesus.
Johnny Horton: Fisherman, Songwriter, Legend
Johnny Horton started writing songs in the 1940s, while he was in Alaska panning for gold. When he returned to the Lower 48, those songs allowed him to appear on Cliffie Stone’s radio show, Hometown Jamboree. He also landed his own half-hour show called The Singing Fisherman, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Later, he and his band toured under the name The Singing Fisherman and the Rowdy Trio. They eventually became Johnny Horton and the Roadrunners.
In 1954, his record deal with Mercury expired. By then, he had already found success with the best-selling “All for the Love of a Girl.” He didn’t start looking for another record deal, though. Instead, he was content to walk away from music and work at a tackle shop. However, Tillman Franks landed them a deal with Columbia Records. So, he traveled to Nashville and continued his career.
After returning to the studio, Horton released a run of self-penned hits. “Honky-Tonk Man” reached No. 9 in 1956. It was his first top 10 hit. He followed that with “I’m a One-Woman Man,” which reached No. 7. Two years later, he notched his first No. 1 with the Tillman Franks-penned “When It’s Springtime in Alaska (It’s Forty Below).”
Dwight Yoakam covered “Honky-Tonk Man” on his 1988 debut album, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. His rendition also reached No. 9 on the country chart. Four years later, George Jones took “I’m a One-Woman Man” to No. 5.
Johnny Cash recorded “When It’s Springtime in Alaska” and dedicated it to Horton. It was finally released on the posthumous album Personal File.
A Tough Loss
Johnny Horton’s sudden death was a heavy blow to the country music world. He was in one of the most successful periods of his career when it all ended. His final single, “North to Alaska,” was released on August 22, 1960. It spent the first five weeks of 1961 at No. 1.
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The post 66 Years Ago Today, We Lost the “Singing Fisherman,” a Country Legend Whose Songs Were Covered by Johnny Cash, George Jones, and Dwight Yoakam appeared first on American Songwriter.