Johnny Bond
Johnny Bond (born June 1, 1915 as Cyrus Whitfield Bond in Enville , Oklahoma ; † June 12, 1978 ) was an American country singer and songwriter who was also known as "Singing Cowboy" in numerous western films of the forties and fifties was seen.
Life
Beginnings
After finishing school, Johnny Bond went to Oklahoma City , where he met Jimmy Wakely and Scotty Harrell and formed the band Bell Boys with them . They earned their first money at a local radio station. In 1939 the three musicians appeared in a Roy Rogers film. The trio then moved to California in hopes of a career in the film business .
In Los Angeles they were hired by Gene Autry for his radio show Melody Ranch . They worked as the accompanist until the show was canceled in 1956.
Career
Parallel to his appearances on the Melody Ranch show, Bond and Jimmy Wakely tried each other as soloists. Bond began recording records for the Columbia label in 1941. Again and again he took on smaller film roles, mostly at the side of Autry or Wakeley, who had become the leading actor. Since his voice was not perceived as expressively enough, the sales figures for his records were not particularly convincing. Nevertheless, he got some top 10 hits, e. B. Oklahoma Waltz , Love Song in 32 Bars and Divorce Me COD As a songwriter he was successful, well-known titles like Tomorrow Never Comes or Cimarron are from his pen.
In 1951, his record deal with Columbia ran out. He changed labels a few times, but was initially unable to place himself in the charts. It was not until 1964, after a break of more than ten years, that he made a comeback with Ten Little Bottles : The song, which he had previously recorded unsuccessfully for the Columbia label, moved up to number two on the country charts. His next singles also dealt with the topic of drinking and alcohol and had a lasting impact on his image.
He also produced records in the 1970s. He also started writing books. He has written biographies on Gene Autry (never published) and Tex Ritter and worked on a work on western music. From 1969 to 1970 he was the successor to Tex Ritter as President of the Academy of Country Music . In 1970, Bond was honored with induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame .
Johnny Bond died on June 12, 1978. He was posthumously inducted into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 .
Discography
- 1961: That Wild, Wicked But Wonderful West
- 1964: Hot Rod Lincoln-Three Sheets In The Wind
- 1965: Ten Little Bottles
- 1965: Famous Hot Rodders I Have Known
- 1966: The Man Who Comes Around
- 1966: Bottles Up
- 1967: Ten Nights In A Barroom
- 1967: Little Ole Wine Drinker Me
- 1968: Drink Up And Go Home
- 1969: Great Songs Of The Delmore Brothers
- 1970: Something Old, New, Patriotic And Blue
- 1971: Here Come The Elephants
- 1971: Three Sheets In The Wind
- 1974: How I Love Them Old Songs
- 1975: Rides Again
literature
- Irwin Stambler, Grelun Landon: Encyclopedia Of Folk, Country And Western Music. St. Martin's Press, New York / London 1969, pp. 30f.
- Melvin Shestack: The Country Music Encyclopaedia. Omnibus Press, London 1977, p. 23.
- Fred Dellar, Roy Thompson: The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Country Music. Foreword by Roy Acuff. 2nd edition: Salamander Books, London 1979, p. 27.
- Walter Fuchs: History of Country Music. Centers, styles, resumes. Gustav Lübbe Verlag, Bergisch Gladbach 1980, p. 204f.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bond, Johnny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bond, Cyrus Whitfield (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country singer and songwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 1, 1915 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Enville , Oklahoma |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 12, 1978 |