Singer/songwriter Johnnie Wright has passed away at the age of 97 according to WSM 650 this morning. Wright spent much of his career working with Jack
Anglin in the popular duo Johnnie & Jack, and was
also the husband of Kitty Wells. He was born in
Mount Juliet, Tennessee, and first performed with Anglin in 1936. They teamed up
full-time in the 1940s and, except for the time Anglin spent overseas during the
war, remained together for over two decades. In 1952, the duo and Wells
were invited to join the Grand Ole Opry, where they remained for 15 years. Between 1951 and 1962, the duo released several singles on the RCA Victor
Records label, including the No. 1 "(Oh Baby Mine) I Get So Lonely."
Following Anglin's death in 1963, Wright continued performing and making
records. In 1964, he and his Tennessee Mountain Boys had a Top 25 hit with
"Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart." The following year, he
had success with "Hello Vietnam," a number one hit. In 1968, he and Wells
recorded an autobiographical duet, "We'll Stick Together," and continued playing
live shows together through the early '80s, when they left music to run a
souvenir shop.
No comments:
Post a Comment