Johnny Rivers, a multifaceted musician, has contributed his distinctive, smooth, reedy, and soulful voice to a diverse range of songs across various genres such as blues, folk, rhythm and blues, and inspired covers of rock-and-roll oldies.
Born John Henry Ramistella on November 7, 1942, in New York City, Rivers grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He began playing the guitar at the age of eight, learning from his father. Rivers formed his own group, The Spades, while still in junior high school in 1956 and even recorded a few songs on the Suede label.
After brief stints in New York and Nashville, Rivers settled in Los Angeles, where he became a popular headliner at the famous nightclub The Whisky-a-Go-Go. His 1964 album "Johnny Rivers Live at the Whisky-a-Go-Go" peaked at #12 on the album charts and spawned a #2 hit single with his cover of Chuck Berry's "Memphis."
Rivers followed with a steady succession of hit covers, including "Maybelline," "Midnight Special," and "Seventh Son." He scored his only #1 hit with the elegiac "Poor Side of Town," which he also co-wrote, and was followed by the exciting "Secret Agent Man."
In addition to his covers, Rivers started his own record company, Soul City Records, which was instrumental in launching the career of the vocal group The 5th Dimension. He also gave then-burgeoning songwriter Jimmy Webb a big break by recording the Webb composition "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" on his album "Changes."
Johnny continued to churn out hit singles in the '70s, including covers of "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu," "Blue Suede Shoes," and "Help Me Rhonda," all of which did well. Rivers' last top 10 hit was the soothing and sensuous "Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancin')."
Although his career waned a bit in the '80s, Johnny Rivers continues to both tour and record the occasional new album to this day.
