Johnny Bush
| Johnny Bush | |
|---|---|
Johnny Bush at the 2007 Texas Book Festival.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Bush Shinn III |
| Also known as | The Country Caruso |
| Born |
February 17, 1935 Houston, Texas, US |
| Genres | Country, honky-tonk, western swing |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, drums, fiddle |
| Years active | 1952–present |
| Labels | Stop, Million, Starday, RCA, Delta, TCE, Watermelon, Texas Music Group, BGM, Heart of Texas, Icehouse Music |
| Associated acts | Ray Price, Willie Nelson, Darrell McCall |
| Website | www |
Johnny Bush (born February 17, 1935 as John Bush Shinn III in Houston, Texas) is a country music singer, songwriter, and drummer. Bush, nicknamed the "Country Caruso," is best known for his distinctive voice and as the writer of "Whiskey River," a top-ten hit for himself and Willie Nelson's signature song. He is still popular in his native Texas.
Born John Bush Shinn III in the blue-collar neighborhood of Kashmere Gardens in Houston, Texas, Bush listened to the western swing music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and the honky-tonk sounds of artists like Ernest Tubb, Lefty Frizzell, and Hank Thompson. Thanks to a disc jockey uncle, Bush got a taste for performance. In 1952 he moved to San Antonio, Texas, where he began solo career in area honky-tonks like the Texas Star Inn before switching to drums. It was during this period that he earned his stage name, when an announcer mistakenly introduced him as "Johnny Bush." As a drummer he worked for bands like the Mission City Playboys, the Texas Plainsmen and the Texas Top Hands.
In 1963, Bush joined Ray Price's band, the Cherokee Cowboys along with a young Willie Nelson and Darrell McCall. His association with Price led Bush to Nashville and a contract to sing for record demos. He also played in Nelson's band, the Record Men. With Nelson's financial backing, Bush recorded his first album in 1967, The Sound of a Heartache.
A series of regional hits on the Stop label, including Marty Robbins's "You Gave Me a Mountain", "Undo the Right", "What A Way To Live" and "I'll Be There", soon followed. Rock critic Robert Christgau said that Bush's version of "You Gave Me A Mountain" "brings a catch to the throat and a tear to the eye." These songs did well in Bush's native Texas, and reached the national top twenty. In 1972 he was signed to RCA Records, whose Nashville division was helmed by legendary guitarist Chet Atkins. His first RCA single, "Whiskey River," was climbing the charts with airplay on countless radio stations when his voice began faltering. Bush even felt he was being punished by God for his sins. Bush has since said: "I thought because of my promiscuous behavior and bad choices and being raised as a Baptist, that it was a punishment from God."
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