Johnny Preston
PMP Network Presents
Johnny Preston, a singer, joins Mark Snyder from the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He discusses his birthday, which is tomorrow, and mentions his son's birthday is today.
Johnny Preston
Singer
About Johnny Preston
Johnny Preston was an American rock and roll singer best known for his 1959 international number one hit "Running Bear." Born John Preston Courville in Port Arthur, Texas, he achieved further success with "Cradle of Love" in 1960, which reached number seven on the Billboard chart and number two in the UK. He appeared on American Bandstand and The Buddy Deane Show, and was recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
In this interview
- Discusses his upcoming birthday on August 18 and his son's ninth birthday.
- Recalls the shock of losing a close friend who was instrumental in his music career.
- Reflects on being a Buddy Holly fan and incorporating his releases into performances.
- Mentions the impact of the day the music died on good music.
“He was instrumental in getting me into music business and besides we were friends it was just a hard time for me really.”— Johnny Preston, in this interview
Since this interview
Johnny Preston continued performing, including appearances with the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Touring Band in 2009-2010. He died on March 4, 2011 in Beaumont, Texas at age 71.
