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From: flashbell
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  • I think Johnny Horton was one of the greatest country singers that ever lived. For shame trying to blemish this gentleman. I knew him personally and one of the finest men you could ever meet.

  • Johnny you will never be forgotten

  • johnny horton is a goddamn legend...in milano, outside of rockdale..he was hit head on and died on that overpass bridge...I suggest anyone whos a fan to travel there and visit that site..don't let the south die..you can feel the liveliness..the energy in the air...visit it and pay your respect

  • johnny horton was awesome

  • for all you people that try to fuc* up horton legacy why dont you tell us your adress so i can kick you ass because he was not there was a singer named johnny rebel that was raciest

  • 100% Rockabilly (Hillbilly-Rock)

  • I meant- Man, his vibrato KILLS! In a good way.

  • Man, his vibrado KILLS! In a good way.

  • Hey flashbell, killer job on the information that goes with this video. I have listened to Johnny Horton since I was about 3 or 4 years old. My Dad listened to him all the time. I know he married Hank's wife, but the other stuff I didn't know. Really a good job. And I'm not sure if anybody knows for fact about the racist thing concerning Horton, but I think the people are right about getting him confused with Johnny Rebel. He had that song 'Lookin' For A Handout'. It was racist. Later.

  • Johnny Horton died in 1960. He did not do any racist songs. That was Johnny Rebel, a psuedonym of a singer who released some racist songs in the mid 60's. Look up that name on Wikipedia. Please stop smearing Johnny Horton with untrue statements, he was a wonderful man and singer. Your confusion is probably mistakenly based on the fact that Johnny Horton was famous for a song called Johnny Reb, a song about the Civil War

  • I think the confusion is that Johnny Horton sang a song called Johnny Reb, he did not do a racist song, that was a song by Johnny Rebel, a different singer

  • Flashbell, my compliments, not only for the great song, but the excellent write-up too. Very informitive. I grew up with Johnny, and Eddy,( Arnold ), Bobby Bare, I could go on for hours. We never knew much about them back in the day. Didnt even know what most of them looked like. But we knew the voices. Thanks again for the posting. I will share it with my grandchildren.

  • can somebody please explain to me why he was reportedly racist ..All i know about Jhonny is his music i have seldom heard about him as a man

  • Johnny HOrton was a great singer. What a voice. What a tragedy.

  • Can we STFU about racism and listen to music.

  • @FBIHank , I wish they would...They just spewing stuff they have no knowledge of. I knew Horton's manager, Tillman Franks and I cn tell you Johnny was upstanding.

  • His last gig was at Nat's in Milano, the place is still there along with his spirit and soul...

  • @flashbell Thanks for the good words about Johnny and Tillman. I knew them both personally, and I can guarantee you that he was not racist in any sense of the word. There was no better performer or singer than Johnny in his day.

  • my dad said stupid things to but he is not a racist know what a racist is before ya call some one that, did you know his heart I know black people that are racits with theri own kind and they mean it.

  • I have the Buddy Holly cd with the supposed racist song he sang in his early career. I also have a 45 on the Red Rebel label by Johnny Rebel and it's exactly the same! Same song, same voice! It's NOT Buddy Holly! The song itself sounds like the late Roger Miller's Dang Me, and that was years later. The voice on the cd sounds nothing like Buddy! I don't know why they printed that nonsense on the back of the cd casing. Sam Cooke was on the same bill as him, and they were best of friends. Joe S.

  • @GJoeJ010841 I think the offensive track on the CD was suppose to have had Buddy on guitar, not that he sang it. However, he was dead when that track was recorded so to smear him is cowardly and racist in itself. Johnny Horton is probably lumoed in because he recorded "Johnny Reb", hardly a controversial song. I guess the politcially correct view anything to do with the Confederacy as racist. Of course, political correctness is just liberal bigotry under a new name.

  • it is amazing how small minded and shallow some people can be to call some one a racist with out knowing what they are talking about. Johnny Horton was not nor was he ever known to have been a racist, and I think people who shoot off at the mouth with out their facts, should be blocked with out hesitation, at least! Grow up.

  • @headhunter0420 , You need to get yourself educated on this singer. He wasn't a racist. Warning, you are on the fringe of violating our channel policy. Don't go over the edge or you will be blocked from this channel.

  • @headhunter0420 really and where is your facts not

  • @goberrich my facts?  how bout that he wrote a song called "i hate n****rs"....seems a bit racist to me.

  • @headhunter0420 your dad is a racist you son of a chicken!

  • @headhunter0420 I think your head is up your ass,maybe thats where you should look if you cant find it.

  • I Saw Johnny Horton In Concert In 1955. He Was Not Only A Good Singer But Also An Outstanding Showman With A Great Stage Presence!

  • k i dont understand the dates at the begining, what are they?

  • @MaybeBaby1231 They are his birth date and death date.

  • I wanna be a native american honky tonk.

  • re;racist.....look at the world today and the rappers who are mostly afro american/ black/ colored ,etc..... they are certainley more volatile and more racist than what i can remember any'racist' in the 60's /70's in the south that i remember. great article btw

  • i love this song

  • I LOVE Johnnys Music. Excellent!

  • A great legendary singer Rest in Peace Johnny Horton

  • Johnny Rebel has been on the Howard Stern Show. they neither look nor sound anything like each other

  • great song the only mistake is one of the lyrics are they ran through the briars not through the wires

  • @MrFrankiek39 And it was Old Hickory, not Old Hitcreek

  • Great article, good read! Great song too, but that goes without saying!

  • I'm sorry, I don't understand why you're saying he's racist! My mom certainly wasn't and in the late 50's that's the country (along with Hank) that I listened to. Where's the racism? PS My Mom also (in the 60's)) had to listen to my John Lennon's. We loved each other, that's why I have no prejudice, my mom brought me up proper!

  • Want to slam a racist singer (if that's what you want to call him) Then slam Kanya West and leave the true Americans along.

  • @donttrustme13 Yes I agree leave the true Americans alone. Most of them have already gone to their great reward.

  • the racist songs are by a guy named johnny rebel. NOT johnny horton. learn the facts before you slander people. elvis has to tolerate this kind of BS talk too.

  • today it's 50 years since he left

  • Today is the 50th anniverery of his death,but the music lives on.

  • Quistoman,

    You don't know what you're talking about any more than those who credit those racist songs to Johnny Cash.

    If you don't believe the wikipedia story, google Johnny Rebel Nick Pittman. You will find a very indepht acount of the career of Clifford Trahan, alias Johnny Rebel written by a writer from Lafayette, La.

    pittman actually interviewed Trahan so there can be no doubt that you have got the wrong Johnny.

  • EErie demise lol had nothing to do with it.

  • folks just want to say country is racist, stupid is as stupid does, racist is those who want to believe in races,there is the human race and no other,

  • Some racist songs are incorrectly associated with Horton. These songs are actually by "Johnny Rebel".

  • Love Johnny!

  • I just happened to pick up a tape with the "I hate N*ggers" song on it and Horton labeled as the person that sang it so when I found the same song on line with the same artist I assumed it was him, I think most people would have as well.

    hypersensitivity seems just as rampant as misinformation on the web. If Im wrong O well its not some smear campaign or some organized plot to degrade county music its simply a mistake. To me it sounds like some of you need medication 2 deal w/y paranoia

  • @quistoman

    Yeah its a conspiracy you lunitic and yes lets do reference Wikipedia with all of the inaccuracy's that site has it cant be called a reference anyway.

    Songs got kicked around from artist to artist frequently so its no surprise to see others sing the song thats not proof he did or didn't sing it. Lets not be ignorant about my statement, Im not on some anti Horton smear campaign

  • One of the racist tunes mentioned below was also on a Buddy Holly bootleg CD even though Buddy had been dead long before the song was cut. His wife is Puerto Rican as well so I doubt that he was of any such racist mindset. Now it seems the same PC Nazis want to smear Johnny Horton. Pathetic.

  • @harvey1954 , It took me all day to research and write this article on Johnny. quistoman smears against Johnny and gets more attention then I have regarding my article, go figure!

  • @harvey1954 Wonderfully written and VERY well researched. The story of Johnny Horton is one of those tragic losses we all suffer from. And yet it's never made it to either the big screen or the little screen. It has all the makings of a fantastic movie. Much like your article. Do you do this for a living?

  • @harvey1954 There are some people who just want to start rumors. If enough of the rumors get started they take a life of their own. There was a rumor that Captain Kangaroo was a Marine NCO at Iwo Jima. It's still being repeated on the Internet as well as the rumor that Mr. Rogers was A Navy Seal. Both not true. Only the dim witted pass on these type of rumors. Unfortunely there are thousands of dim witted people out there. My feelings lie with the south. Ha! I'm a mexican redneck. A red-mex.

  • @fffreddie

    the story about "Captain Kangaroo" being a Marine NCO at Iwo Jima was started by the late actor Lee Marvin.

  • @Babyhowdy233 Yeah he was drunk on the Johnny Carson show when he said it. It's to bad that it was not true. It would have been a good story.

  • @harvey1954 What's with all this nonsense about Johnny Horton being a racist? Oh, I know. He's dead and dead people can't defend themselves 'cuz they're dead! Johnny was a true rocker, a true country star & his records were crossing over long before Kenny Rogers! Rest In Peace, Johnny.

  • OK I feel stupid, I said I wasn't a Historian, Johnny Horton's name was attributed to the racist titles I just posted before I had all the facts. I am happy to say Johnny Horton was a good man by all accounts, all the titles I put up are by Johnny Rebel and David Cole. My apologies to all. I do have the cd with horton's name on the songs, though.

  • @kwwbinc1 hey i also saw that Racist title and it had johnny's name by it.... but it wasnt johnny at all... it was David Cole that sang that song... Johnny was also dead when they recorded that song.... thank you PRYOR line backer for standing up for the greatest country music artist that ever lived!!!

  • I'm NOT a musical historian but I did grow up with Johnny Horton music all around me and love him to this day but he most certainly did produce some dark lyric. How about these titles that I still own, "N****r Hatin' Me" produced with David Allen Cole, "I Hate N*****rs", "Kajun KKK", or "Some N*****rs Never Die, they just smell that way". These are all real titles and lyrics attributed to Mr. Horton. I still love his music but the fact is he most cetainly was a southern born black hatin' man.

  • @kwwbinc1 That's David Allen Coe, not Cole, and the attribution/liner notes are incorrect; I believe those songs are his. Certainly, he's written other similarly controversial material, and I have seen those titles on some of his [Coe's] commercially-released cassette tapes.

  • The comments about Horton singing racist songs are Not correct. Check the wikipedia entry on Horton for the truth... Stop slandering a great singer....

  • @PryorLineBacker , when someone makes a statement like (quistoman) without backing up the statement with facts, it is just hot air. I am a country music historian and have researched and written dozens of articles on Horton and not one time have I came across racial remarks/behavior in Johnny's life.

  • @PryorLineBacker Yea i agree. There is often confusion between Johnny Horton, and another singer named Johnny Rebel. Johnny Rebel is the racist singer, and as far as singing is concerned Johnny Rebel sings like crap! Long live Johnny Horton it's a shame we lost him so early and young. But his music will always live on!

  • To Flashbell: ahem-yessir,yessir, yessir,yessir,yessir-my supervisor at work told everybody during preshift that derogatory comments and remarks are not allowed (at work) and that you might have been raised differently at home, S.-this, M.F.-that, but to be sure to leave that stuff behind and NOT come to work with that language or attitude- so yessir to your comment and policy!

  • @quistoman not johnny song at all... scammers!!!

  • Most people don't know that johnny was marrie to Billie Jean Eshlimar, Hank Williams Sr. Second Wife. Both men died in cars and both men had played the same texas clubs before their untimely deaths...

  • amazing singer!

    the good ole days'

  • Approximately 35 days before Hank Williams, Sr. passed away; Hank and Johnny were both appearing at the Louisiana Hayride (Hank had never saw Johnny before this night). Hank had a premonition and told his (Hanks) wife that someday she would marry that young man (Johnny). When Hank dies; who does his wife marry? No other than Johnny Horton!! Amazing but factual!!

  • Great song :) i bet taylor swift can't top this!!!

  • Grady martin sure was the coolest guitar slinger!

  • Thanks for uploading this songs. I am the fan of Johnny Horton since the 60's, well thanks again.

  • Great stuff. Wonder who Johnies lead guitar player was?

  • @goffbum Studio: Grady Martin, who later played for Willie Nelson. On tour: Tommy Tomlinson.

  • @jimmccoy1964 was lucky enough to get guitar lessons from tommy... didn't help me much though lol

  • now thats music

  • brill stuff thanks,

  • my fav since i was little im 37 now great music luv u johnny

  • dang this is catchy (:

  • Great song - I love Johnny Horton

  • the engineer from tf2 will sing this in the game ......btw:GREAT SONG!!!

  • This is real country right here!

  • real muscic and great

  • One of the great masters of music! Wonderful rendition of this song.

  • Jhonny HOrton #1

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  • Now thats rockabilly!

  • I will be 18 this year and I love johnny horton :-) my dad got me into johnny horton songs

  • I apologize for my English, thank a wonderful power to please us

  • Real Rocking Country

  • all you americans today say that diffrent presidents and, diffrent people brought your country together, but in my eyes johnny horton should be very high on the list and he never is cuz people are ignorant no a days

  • Pardon Me "mam, would you like to dance? :)

  • Holy crap! I thought Dwight Yoakam wrote this. Color me surprised.

  • I love this it r song eminds of my parents

  • Good stuff....Really good...

  • Thank you for downloading this wonderful music, I love it, my parents listened to all the old country music all the time, wonderful

  • Rest in peace Johnny you died way to young :(

  • Real country music!

  • @flashbell Yep not like that junk they play on the country stations today.

  • @flashbell Cross-over. Country & Western into Rockabilly into Rhythm & Blues into Rock & Roll. Ya just gotta love it!

  • My grandfather listens to this ALL THE TIME in the car. 0.0

  • love this song even im pretty young you just gotta love the oldies they should get the young youth a taste of the oldies

  • whispering pines my aunt and i fav song

  • That cut features Bill Black, Elvis' bass player, on upright bass.

  • I love Dwight, but, there is one and only one, Johnny Horton!

  • I love Johnny Horton,,my favorite is Whispering pines

  • my name is Johnny Horton no joke my full name is Johnathon Perry Horton

  • @adamjavoski yeah i know wat you meen

  • @adamjavoski i agree music now is nothin compare to the crap they play nowadays back then they cared about the music nowadays they care about the money

  • man what kinda music you listening to? look up Razakel

  • @Reaphisoul i listen to all oldies but my favorites are johnny horton, hank williams sr., and jimmie rodgers..ill check it out

  • Great, Dwight Yoakam also sings this song!

  • Cooooooooool!!

  • you cannot compare these two eras of music nor can you compare their genres. Its comparing apples to oranges it doesn't work it may end up as fruit but its two different types.

  • sorry dude, abr, gotta love em.. but music today. doesnt compare to anything dated before 2000. 90's is the last know area of good music.....

  • i'm the honky tonk man, i'm cool, i'm cocky i'm bad

  • Sorry son, I got carried away, I didn't know you were twelve...

  • *facepalm*

    another dunno-$#!+ poseur who grew up too late to know what the f*** real music is....the late great Mr. Horton is real heartfelt music, not a bunch of simpering smug schmucks like ABR who feel they have to fill every millisecond with a wall of noise. Music is what you DON'T play as well as that which does get played.

  • I was 17-years old in 1956 when I first heard this great old song. I'm 70 now and it's amazing how often I find myself whistling this wonderful song!!

  • @JGMagoo it's interesting to see the age of some youtube users :) many old people avoid the internet and the computer

  • @JGMagoo

    Mr Magoo

    I hope your still kicking well too

    Its the music of or youth that gives us our memories

    So keep the music alive It keeps our brains working

    Let it in on Forever

  • @JGMagoo

    this was only one of his many great songs. i have listened since my grandfather and my father hooked me on horton's great voice. live long and enjoy all his songs sir!!!

  • @JGMagoo 

  • too bad he past away so young ...imagine how many more great songs he would of had ...

  • King Of Country Music

  • Conway Twitty to me is the King Of Country Music, and to the Media today George Strait is the King Of Country Music.

  • great song. i love it so much

  • Ainhoa no cambies nuca el cocheeee!!! jejej ( no me bajes la nota por esto )

  • Is this the 1st real rockabilly record? Anyone?

  • Nahhh, I'd say this was maybe about 1-1/2 years or so after rockabilly had been brought screaming into this world.

  • The first real Rockabilly song is Elvis Thats All Right Mama (1954)

  • sayin hey hey momma can your daddy come home?

  • reverb

  • Great old tune! and thanks for the info; didn't know JH died so young.

  • i love this song and im only 10 whoo

  • such an underrated performer...left us way to early

  • good song

  • greem beans

    poo poo dee doop

  • He was born in 1925 not 29

  • I only recently found out that Johnny had done this song.

    Of course, Dwight Yoakam does a very respectful and great version of this song.

    Johnny was mostly known for his patriotic songs, but he could do straight up country and even rock a bit. Shame to see such talent snuffed out so early.

    Didn't know that Dwight Yoakam was influenced by Johnny.

  • he was only 31 when he died what happend? ... seriously cause i dont know!

  • Killed in a head-on collision by a drunk driver.

  • that sucks he was a legend

  • In early 11/60 he began having strong premonitions of an early & violent death. He told people 'the spirits had told him he'd die w/in a week'. He thot it'd be in TX & by a drunk. He became adament & quickly accepted it. On 11/4/60 he left a gig in Austin on the way to Shreveport, LA. On a bridge o/side of Milano, TX a drunk driver hit both sides of the bridge before plowing into their car. Johnny died on the way to the hospital. The other two people survived.

  • You're absolutely correct about the accident. The other peope wereTillman Franks his manager and his guitar player.

  • Tommy Tomlinson. ...ran out of room for names. Tommy had said that the truck went down the side of their Cadillac like a can opener.

    Another bit of trivia for whomever; Johnny married Hank Williams widow, Billie Jean. After they went thru Hanks money she told him to get his ass out and make some more.

    And, the last gig for Hank was the Skyline Club in Austin, TX - Johnny's last gig almost eight years later.

  • @flashbell EXCUSE ME,,BUT,, WHAT 'HONKY TONK' MEANS??

  • @citationxbjfv

    "A honky tonk (also called a honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is a type of bar with musical entertainment common in the Southern and Southwestern United States. The term has also been applied to various styles of 20th-century American music."

    "The origin of the term honky tonk is unknown." - wikipedia.

  • @citationxbjfv I grew up in the South, where the word was in common usage. I think it means a real cheap bar, or "dive" or "juke joint".

  • @flashbell

    He thought it would be a head on collision too and said he'd always go into a ditch-but the accident was on a bridge. If he really thought he was gonna die in a car crash he should not driven so much.

  • I read in Johnny Cash's autobiography that Mr. Horton told him that he felt something bad was going to happen.

  • Really good song.

    5 stars from SWEDEN

  • that man's had more talent in his toe nails, than most of today's artists have in all of their bodys.

  • You got that right Roy...... And the sad thing is we lost him to Damn Drunk Driver!!!!

  • drunk, some body hit him or how? i don't know too much about his life, gotta do some homework about that.

  • This is a pure classic. always loved this song.

  • Nice rockabilly song! I feel the beat! Johnny Horton RIP! Thanx fur sharin'!

  • I´m also honky tonk man

  • I'm addicted to searching out all the old country artists I grew up on. I love this guy.

  • My top ten favorite singers of all time are: 1. Johnny Cash 2. Elvis Presley 3. Ricky Nelson 4. Carl Perkins 5. Jerry Lee Lewis 6. Roy Orbison 7. Conway Twitty 8. Charlie Rich 9. Willie Nelson 10. Waylon Jennings I love the classics also.
  • i love that shirt! the song is sswweeeeet

  • Comment removed

  • jimmccoy, you seem to know alot about the players. are you one those Nashville Cats? that played on some records?

  • I wish. I've played guitar since I was 10, but I've been nowhere near these guys. Work in radio though. A nice way to tie together my passion for music and sports. Horton, Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins inspired me to learn to play. At 44, I was born about 4 years after Horton was killed.

  • I Love these Classics! They live on forever and are timeless..

  • I just happen to have his Broadcast Music Incorperated (BMI) Citation of Achievement for this song 'Honky Tonk Man' that he received in 1956. I also have a picture of Billie Jean Horton (Williams) signed.. I do like this song a lot. It;s gotta be worth quite a bit to the right collector. His music will live on forever!