Johnny Darrell (July 23, 1940[1] – October 7, 1997)[2] was an American country music artist. Darrell was born in Hopewell, Alabama but grew up in Marietta, Georgia.[3] After a stint in the army, he moved to Nashville and began managing a Holiday Inn near Music Row, when he was discovered by Kelso Herstin, a producer working for United Artists, on the recommendation of Bobby Bare.[1] In his recording career, Darrell established a trend of introducing "lyrically adventurous" songs that later became major hits for other artists.[2]
Johnny Darrell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | July 23, 1940 Hopewell, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | October 7, 1997 (aged 57) Kennesaw, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1960s–1997 |
| Labels | United Artists Capricorn |
His first single, a version of Curly Putman's "Green Green Grass of Home" was issued in 1965, followed by "As Long as the Wind Blows" in 1966, which made the country Top 30 and saw Darrell being named "Most Promising Male Artist" by Cashbox.[4] He was the first to record the Mel Tillis song "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town", which became a top ten hit for him in 1967 and later a hit for Kenny Rogers.[3] This was followed by his performance of Dallas Frazier's "The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp" in 1968, and the crossover hit "With Pen in Hand",[1] which would later become a hit for Vikki Carr. In the 1970s, Darrell was associated with the Outlaw country movement. Darrell suffered from diabetes, a disease which would impair his health and ability to perform. Darrell died from the disease at age 57 in Kennesaw, Georgia, and was survived by his wife Jody.[2]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | |||
| 1966 | As Long as the Winds Blow | — | — | United Artists |
| 1967 | Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town | 37 | — | |
| 1968 | The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp | 37 | — | |
| With Pen in Hand | 23 | — | ||
| 1969 | Why You Been Gone So Long | 33 | 172 | |
| 1970 | California Stop Over | — | — | |
| The Best of Johnny Darrell | — | — | ||
| 1975 | Water Glass Full of Whiskey | — | — | Capricorn |
| 2000 | Singin' It Lonesome: The Very Best...1965–1970 | — | — | Raven |
| 2002 | The Complete Gusto/Starday/King Recordings | — | — | King |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | CAN Country | |||
| 1965 | "Green Green Grass of Home" | — | — | — | As Long as the Winds Blow |
| "As Long as the Wind Blows" | 30 | — | — | ||
| 1966 | "Johnny Lose It All" | 44 | — | — | |
| "She's Mighty Gone" | 72 | — | — | Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town | |
| 1967 | "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" | 9 | — | — | |
| "My Elusive Dreams" | 73 | — | — | The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp | |
| "Come See What's Left of Your Man" | 37 | — | — | Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town | |
| "The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp" | 22 | — | — | The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp | |
| 1968 | "With Pen in Hand" | 3 | 126 | — | With Pen in Hand |
| "I Ain't Buying" | 27 | — | — | Why You Been Gone So Long! | |
| "Woman Without Love" | 20 | — | — | ||
| 1969 | "The Coming of the Roads" (with Anita Carter) | 50 | — | — | single only |
| "Why You Been Gone So Long!" | 17 | — | — | Why You Been Gone So Long! | |
| "River Bottom" | 23 | — | 12 | ||
| "Trouble Maker" | — | — | — | single only | |
| 1970 | "Mama Come'n Get Your Baby Boy" | 68 | — | — | California Stop Over |
| "Brother River" | 75 | — | — | ||
| "They'll Never Take Her Love from Me" | 74 | — | — | singles only | |
| 1971 | "Look Out Cleveland" | — | — | — | |
| "Don't It Seem to Rain a Lot" | — | — | — | ||
| 1973 | "Crazy Daddy!" | — | — | — | |
| "Dakota the Dancing Bear" | 66 | — | — | ||
| 1974 | "Orange Blossom Special" | 63 | — | — | Water Glass Full of Whiskey |
| 1975 | "Glendale Arizona" | — | — | — | |
| "Rose Colored Gin" | — | — | — | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Country Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 106/7. ISBN 0-85112-726-6.
- ^ a b c "Alabama Music Hall of Fame: Johnny Darrell". Archived from the original on August 7, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ a b "Johnny Darrell | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ Wadey, Paul (November 15, 1997). "Obituary: Johnny Darrell". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2020.