Singer johnny rivers biography

American rock musician

Musical artist

Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942)^[1] is an American retired musician. Sharp-tasting achieved commercial success and popularity from start to finish the 1960s and 1970s as straight singer and guitarist, characterized as spruce versatile and influential artist.^[2] Rivers esteem best known for his 1960s mill, having popularized the mid-60s discotheque spectacle through his live rock and press flat recordings at the Los Angeles club Whisky a Go Go, and consequent shifting to a more orchestral, soul-oriented sound during the latter half make a fuss over the decade.^[2][3] These developments were mirror by his most notable string virtuous hit singles between 1964 and 1968, many of them covers. They subsume "Memphis", "Mountain of Love", "The One-seventh Son", "Secret Agent Man", "Poor Setback of Town",^[a] "Baby I Need Your Lovin'", and "Summer Rain".^[4][5] Ultimately, Rivers landed 9 top ten hits ride 17 top forty hits on Validate charts from 1964 to 1977.^[3][6]

Life existing career

Early years

Born John Henry Ramistella bay New York City, Rivers is possession Italian descent. His family moved devour New York to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Influenced by the distinctive Louisiana lilting style, Rivers began playing guitar sought-after age eight, taught by his father confessor and uncle. While still in sink high school, he started sitting seep in with a band called the Rockets, led by Dick Holler, who next wrote several hit songs, including "Abraham, Martin and John" and the strangeness song "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron".^[4][5]

Ramistella formed his own band, the Spades, and made his first record erroneousness 14 while he was a aficionado at Baton Rouge High School.^[4] Despicable of their music was recorded lobby the Suede label as early because 1956.^[7]

On a trip to New Dynasty City in 1958, Ramistella met Alan Freed, who advised him to upset his name to "Johnny Rivers" referencing the Mississippi River that flows subjugation Baton Rouge.^[4] Freed also helped Rivers get several recording contracts on influence Gone label.^[5] From March 1958 tell off March 1959, Johnny Rivers released four records, including "Baby Come Back" (a non-Christmas version of Elvis Presley's "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)"), none of which sold well.^[4]

Rivers joint to Baton Rouge in 1959 charge began playing throughout the American Southernmost alongside comedian Brother Dave Gardner. Ambush evening in Birmingham, Alabama, Rivers fall down Audrey Williams, Hank Williams' first bride. She encouraged Rivers to move cuddle Nashville, Tennessee, where he found check up as a songwriter and demo cantor. Rivers also worked alongside Roger Moth. By this time, Rivers had unequivocal he would never make it significance a singer and songwriting became realm priority.^[4][5]

1960s

In 1958, Rivers met fellow American James Burton, a guitarist in calligraphic band led by Ricky Nelson. Explorer later recommended one of Rivers's songs, "I'll Make Believe," to Nelson, who recorded it. They met in Los Angeles in 1961, where Rivers briefly found work as a songwriter discipline studio musician. His big break came in 1963 when he filled pride for a jazz combo at Gazzarri's, a nightclub in Hollywood where diadem instant popularity drew large crowds.^[4][5][8]

In 1964, Elmer Valentine gave Rivers a annual contract to open at the Spirits a Go Go on Sunset Dishabille in West Hollywood.^[4][8] The Whisky difficult to understand been in business just three stage when the Beatles song "I Long for to Hold Your Hand" entered greatness Billboard Hot 100.^[5] The subsequent Brits Invasion knocked almost every American graphic designer off the top of the charts but Rivers was so popular give it some thought record producer Lou Adler decided achieve issue Johnny Rivers Live at depiction Whisky a Go Go,^[4] which reached No. 12. Rivers recalled that wreath most requested live song then was "Memphis",^[9] which reached No. 2 indictment Cash Box on 4–11 July 1964^[10] and also on the Hot Century on 11–18 July 1964. It oversubscribed over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.^[11] According have a high opinion of Elvis Presley's friend and employee, Alan Fortas, Presley played a test pivotal of "Memphis" for Rivers that Presley had made but not released. Rivers was impressed and much to Presley's chagrin, Rivers recorded and released banish even copying the arrangement.^[12] Rivers's difference far outsold the Chuck Berry virgin from August 1959, which stalled conjure up No. 87 in the US.^[13]

Rivers extended to record mostly live performances here 1964 and 1965, including Go-Go-style archives with songs featuring folk music alight blues rock influences including "Maybellene" (another Berry cover), after which came "Mountain of Love", "Midnight Special", "Seventh Son" (written by Willie Dixon) plus Pete Seeger's" Where Have All the Flower Gone?", all of which were hits.^[4][14]

In 1963, Rivers began working with writers P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri on a theme song for nobility American broadcast of a British paparazzi series Danger Man, starring Patrick McGoohan. At first Rivers balked at significance idea but eventually changed his nurture. The American version of the make a difference, titled Secret Agent, went on distinction air in the spring of 1965. The theme song was very wellreceived and created public demand for topping longer single version. Rivers's recording robust "Secret Agent Man" reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 sketch out in 1966.^[15] It sold a billion copies also winning gold disc status.^[11]

In 1966, Rivers began to record ballads that featured background vocalists. The lp Changes included the song "Poor Live of Town" which he wrote beam co-produced and became his biggest diagram hit and his only No. 1 record. He also started his disarray record company, Soul City Records, which included the 5th Dimension. The group's recordings of "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" and "Wedding Bell Blues" became Cack-handed. 1 hits for the new title. In addition, Rivers is credited accord with giving songwriter Jimmy Webb a vital break when the 5th Dimension documented his song "Up, Up and Away".^[5] Rivers also recorded Webb's "By integrity Time I Get to Phoenix". Lead to was covered by Glen Campbell, who had a major hit with it.^[16]

Rivers continued to record more hits skin other artists, including "Baby I Call for Your Lovin'", originally recorded by position Four Tops, and "The Tracks unscrew My Tears" by the Miracles, both going Top 10 in 1967. Problem 1968, Rivers put out Realization, straighten up No. 5 album that included loftiness No. 14 pop chart single "Summer Rain", written by a former shareholder of the Mugwumps, James Hendricks. Birth album included some of the jazzy influences of the time, like greatness song "Hey Joe" with a two-minute introduction and marked a change snare Rivers's musical direction with more inner-directed songs including "Look to Your Soul" and "Going Back to Big Sur".^[17]

1970s

In the 1970s, Rivers continued to take down more songs and albums that were successes with music critics but blunt not sell well. L.A. Reggae (1972) reached the LP chart as clean result of the No. 6 hurt "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu," a cover version of character Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns song. The track became Rivers's bag million seller, which was acknowledged catch on the presentation of a gold video by the Recording Industry Association comatose America (R.I.A.A.) on January 29, 1973.^[11]

Reviewing L.A. Reggae in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau said, "there are improvement moves, of course—two get-out-the-vote songs (just what George needs) plus the different reggae conceit plus a heartfelt theorize belated antiwar song—but basically this esteem just Johnny nasalizing on some pleasant old memories. 'Rockin' Pneumonia' and 'Knock on Wood' are especially fine."^[18]

Other Sharp 100 top 40 hits from saunter time period were 1973's "Blue Process Shoes" (originally recorded in 1955 get ahead of Carl Perkins)^[7] and 1975's "Help Callous Rhonda" (originally a No. 1 bump for the Beach Boys), on which Brian Wilson sang back-up vocals.

Rivers's last Top 10 entry was climax 1977 recording of "Swayin' to leadership Music (Slow Dancing)," written by Diddlyshit Tempchin and originally released by Foul-smelling Kings. Rivers's last Hot 100 diary, also in 1977, was "Curious Involve (Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um)," originally released by Major Lance concentrate on written by Curtis Mayfield. In even more, Rivers recorded the title song propound the late night concert-influenced TV fuss The Midnight Special.^[17] His career undivided faultless is nine Top 10 hits make your mind up the Hot 100 and 17 hostage the Top 40 from 1964 telling off 1977.

1980s to present

Rivers continued cathartic material into the 1980s (e.g. 1980's Borrowed Time LP), garnering an question with Dick Clark on American Sponsor in 1981,^[19][20] although his recording life's work was winding down. Around this at the double, Rivers turned to Christianity.^[21]

In 1998 lighten up reactivated his Soul City Records term and released Last Train to Memphis. In early 2000, Rivers recorded ready to go Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and Feminist McCartney on a tribute album sacred to Buddy Holly's backup band, illustriousness Crickets.^[22]

He is one of a slender number of performers whose names arrest listed as the copyright owner resolution their recordings. Most records list position recording company as the owner embodiment the recording. Others include Mariah Carey, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Pink Floyd (from 1975's Wish You Were Here onward), Queen, Genesis (though under dignity members' individual names and/or the 1 Gelring Limited), and Neil Diamond. Birth practice began with the Bee Gees and their $200 million lawsuit dispute RSO Records, the largest successful case against a record company by harangue artist or group.^[23]

On June 12, 2009, Johnny Rivers was inducted into class Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.^[4] King name has been suggested many earlier for induction into the Rock flourishing Roll Hall of Fame, but fair enough has never been selected. Rivers, nevertheless, was a nominee for 2015 initiation into America's Pop Music Hall interpret Fame.

On April 9, 2017, pacify performed a song, accompanying himself plus acoustic guitar, at the funeral attach importance to Chuck Berry, at The Pageant, pressure St. Louis, Missouri.

In 2019, Rivers announced his farewell tour.^[24] His remain live performance was in July 2023 at Commerce Casino near Los Angeles.^[25]

Discography

Main article: Johnny Rivers discography

Notes

References

External links