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Biography
About|1=the 1950s and 1960s singer|2=the former Archbishop|3=John TillotsonInfobox musical artist| name = Johnny Tillotson| image = Johnny Tillotson 1965.jpg| alt = Johnny Tillotson 196| caption = Johnny Tillotson, 1965.| image_size = 200px| background = solo_singer| birth_name =| alias =| birth_date = birth date and age|1938|4|20|mf| birth_place = Jacksonville, Florida | origin =| death_date = | death_place =| genre = country music|country , pop music|pop | occupation = singing|singer , songwriter | instrument =| years_active = Since 1957| label = Cadence Records MGM Records | associated_acts =| website = http://www.johnnytillotson.com JohnnyTillotson.com| notable_instruments = Johnny Tillotson (born April 20, 1938 in Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville , Florida ) is an United States|American singing|singer and songwriter . He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored 9 Top 40|top-ten hit record|hits on the pop, country and adult contemporary billboard charts including " Poetry in Motion (song)|Poetry In Motion " and the self-penned "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'". He also sang "Yellow Bird", an adaptation of the Haitian song, Johnny's version is quoted as being a favorite of the former head of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, because he and his wife had enjoyed it during their honeymoon. (BBC Interview)
Biography
He is the son of Doris and Jack Tillotson, (Jack owned a small service station on the corner of 6th and Pearl in Jacksonville, he also acted as the station's mechanic, at the age of 9 he was sent to Palatka, Florida .cite web |first= |last= |url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p22625|pure_url=yes |title=Biography by William Ruhlmann |publisher=Allmusic.com |accessdate=10 February 2009 to take care of his grandmother and returned to Jacksonville each summer to be with his parents when his brother Dan would go to his grandmother. He began to perform at local functions as a child, and by the time he was at Palatka Senior High School he had developed a reputation as a talented singer. http://www.classicbands.com/tillotson.html Biographical article at ClassicBands.com He became a regular on the Toby Dowdy regional TV show in Jacksonville, and then had his own TV show on WTLV|WFGA-TV . http://www.johnnytillotson.com/index_files/Page706.htm Television appearances at JohnnyTillotson.com In 1957, while studying at the University of Florida , a local disc jockey, Bob Norris sent a tape of Johnny's singing to the Pet Milk talent contest, where he was chosen as one of the six National finalists, this gave him the opportunity to perform in Nashville, Tennessee , on WSM (AM)|WSM the Grand Ole Opry , which led Lee Rosenberg a Nashville publisher to take a tape to Archie Bleyer , owner of the independent Cadence Records . http://www.classicbands.com/JohnnyTillotsonInterview.html Interview with Tillotson by Gary James Bleyer signed Tillotson to a three-year contract, and issued his first single, "Dreamy Eyes" / "Well I'm Your Man" in September 1958. Both songs had been written by Tillotson, and both made the Billboard Hot 100 , "Dreamy Eyes" peaking at # 63. After graduating in 1959 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Communications, Tillotson moved to New York City to pursue his music career. http://www.johnnytillotson.com/index_files/Page1370.htm Biography on official Johnny Tillotson website
From late 1959, a succession of singles - "True True Happiness," "Why Do I Love You So," and a double-sided single cover version|covering the R& B chart|R& B hits " Earth Angel " and " Johnny Ace|Pledging My Love " - all reached the bottom half of the Hot 100. His biggest success came with his sixth single, the up-tempo " Poetry in Motion (song)|Poetry in Motion ", written by Paul Kaufman and Mike Anthony, and recorded in Nashville with session musicians including saxophonist Boots Randolph and pianist Floyd Cramer , Released in September 1960, it went to # 2 on the Hot 100 in the United States|US , and # 1 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1961. On Bleyer's advice, Tillotson focused primarily on his recording career, but also appeared on television and began to be featured as a teen idol in magazines. His follow-up record, "Jimmy's Girl," reached # 25 in the US charts and # 43 in the UK; after that, "Without You" returned him to the US Top Ten but failed to make the UK charts. He also toured widely as part of Dick Clark 's Cavalcade Of Stars.
Early in 1962, Tillotson recorded a song he had written himself, "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'," inspired by the terminal illness of his father. It became one of his biggest hits, reaching # 3 in the US pop chart and becoming the first of his records to make the country music charts, where it peaked at # 4. It earned him his first Grammy Award|Grammy nomination, for Best Country & Western Recording, and was later recorded by over 100 performers including Elvis Presley and Billy Joe Royal , whose version was a country hit in 1988. Tillotson then recorded an album, It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin ', on which he covered several country standards including Hank Locklin 's "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" and Hank Williams ' "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)," which also became hit singles. He continued to record both country-flavored and pop songs in 1963, and "You Can Never Stop Me Loving You" and its follow-up, the Willie Nelson song "Funny How Time Slips Away," both made the Hot 100. He also appeared in the 1963 movie Just for Fun .
With the demise of the Cadence label, he formed his own production company and moved to MGM Records , starting with his version of the recent country charted #1 song by Ernest Ashworth , "Talk Back Trembling Lips," reached # 7 in January 1964 on Billboard's Hot 100. He earned his second Grammy nomination for "Heartaches by the Number," nominated for Best Vocal Performance of 1965, which reached #4 on the Adult Contemporary Charts. He also sang the theme song for the 1965 Sally Field television comedy Gidget . While his fortunes waned with changing musical tastes in the late 1960s, he continued to record, before moving to California in 1968. Besides concert and recording he also appeared in several films. He appeared in the 1966 camp comedy The Fat Spy starring Jayne Mansfield , which was featured in the 2004 documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (#46). He also appeared in "Just For Fun" a British music film, the Japanese movie "Namida Kun Sayonara" after his number 1 Japanese hit of the same name and the Made for TV "The Call of the Wild".
In the 1970s, he recorded for the Amos Records|Amos , Buddah Records|Buddha , Columbia Records|Columbia and United Artists Records|United Artists labels. He also performed in concerts, appearing in theaters, at State Fairs and Festivals, and in major hotels in Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas and elsewhere.
In the early 1980s he charted briefly with "Lay Back In The Arms Of Someone" on Reward Records and it was during the 80's that his hits South East Asia had him appearing in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand on a regular basis along with tours in Japan and Hong Kong. In 1990 he signed with Atlantic records where he again charted briefly with "Bim Bam Boom."
In May 1991 his 22 year old daughter Kelly was killed in a car accident which devastated Johnny as well as his surviving son and family.
Johnny recorded for Charity in 1990's several Christmas songs with Freddy Cannon and Brian Hyland for the Children's Miracle network, produced by Michael Lloyd. "Come On A Sleigh Ride With Me" written by Michael is a new Christmas favorite. He also recorded with Tommy Roe and Brian Hyland, again for Michael Lloyd for Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer The Movie (1998), "We Can Make It."
In 2006 he was honored by the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications with the Alumni of Distinction award. At that time less than one hundred persons had been so honored.
After a decade long absence in 2010 Johnny released a single "Not Enough" which is a tribute to the Military, Police, Fire and all uniformed personnel of the United States. It reached # 1 on the Indie country chart and the top 25 on the New Music weekly charts and was also a breakout single on the Music Row chart in Nashville. Johnny continues to write and perform in concert.
On March 23, 2011 Johnny Tillotson was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame alongside painter James F. Hutchinson . This is the highest honor that the State of Florida bestows on an individual citizen. Only 48 others have been so honored to date. Their plaques are on permanent display in the Florida State Capitol .
Discography
Albums
Year
Album
US
1959
This Is Johnny Tillotson
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1960
Johnny Tillotson (EP)
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1962
It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin'
8
1963
You Can Never Stop Me Loving You
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1964
Talk Back Trembling Lips
48
The Tillotson Touch
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She Understands Me
148
1965
''That's My Style
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Johnny Tillotson Sings
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1966
No Love at All
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The Christmas Touch
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Johnny Tillotson Sings Tillotson
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1967
Here I Am
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1969
Tears on My Pillow (Johnny Tillotson album)>Tears on My Pillow
"Poetry in Motion" (re-issue) / "Princess Princess"
—
—
—
—
—
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67
Singles only
1984
"Lay Back in the Arms of Someone"
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—
91
—
—
—
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References
Reflist
External links
http://www.johnnytillotson.com/ Johnny Tillotson official website
Persondata | NAME =Tillotson, Johnny | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =1939-04-20 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Jacksonville, Florida | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Tillotson, Johnny Category:1939 births Category:Living people Category:People from Jacksonville, Florida Category:Country musicians from Florida Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:American pop singers Category:Songwriters from Florida Category:MGM Records artists Category:Apex Records artists Category:People from Palatka, Florida Category:University of Florida alumni Category:Cadence Records artists
