John Loudermilk
| John D. Loudermilk | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John D. Loudermilk Jr. |
| Also known as |
|
| Born |
March 31, 1934 Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died |
September 21, 2016 (aged 82) Christiana, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1950—2016 |
| Labels | |
John D. Loudermilk Jr. (March 31, 1934 – September 21, 2016) was an American singer and songwriter. Although he had his own recording career during the 1950s and 1960s, he was primarily known as a songwriter. His best-known songs include "Indian Reservation", a 1971 U.S. No.1 hit for Paul Revere & the Raiders; "Ebony Eyes", a 1961 U.K. No.1 and U.S. No.8 for the Everly Brothers; "Tobacco Road", a 1964 Top 20 hit in both the U.S. and the U.K. for the Nashville Teens; "This Little Bird", a U.K. No.6 for Marianne Faithfull in 1965, and "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye", a U.S. Top Ten hit in 1967 for the Casinos and also a U.S. No.1 country hit for Eddy Arnold the following year.
John D. Loudermilk ("D" does not stand for anything) was born in Durham, North Carolina, to Pauline and John D. Loudermilk Sr., an illiterate carpenter. John D. Jr. grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army and was influenced by church singing. His cousins Ira and Charlie Loudermilk were known professionally as the Louvin Brothers. Loudermilk was a graduate of Campbell College (now Campbell University), a private North Carolina Baptist Convention-owned college in Buies Creek, North Carolina.
As a young boy he learned to play the guitar, and while still in his teens, wrote a poem that he set to music, "A Rose and a Baby Ruth". The owners of the local television station, where he worked as a graphic artist, allowed him to play the song on-air, resulting in country musician George Hamilton IV putting it on record in 1956. After Eddie Cochran had his first hit record with Loudermilk's song "Sittin' in the Balcony", Loudermilk's career path was firmly set.
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