Sammy Johns

{{short description|American singer and songwriter (1946–2013)}} {{For|the eponymous album by this singer|Sammy Johns (album)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = Sammy Johns | image = | caption = | image_size =  | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Sammy Reginald Johns | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date|1946|2|7}} | birth_place = Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2013|1|4|1946|2|7}} | death_place = Gastonia, North Carolina, U.S. | origin = | instrument = Vocals, guitar | genre = Folk rock, soft rock | occupation = Musician, songwriter | years_active = 1970–2013 | label = General Recording Corporation, Warner-Curb, New World, Elektra | associated_acts = | website = }}

'''Sammy Reginald Johns''' (February 7, 1946 – January 4, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter known for his 1975 hit song "Chevy Van", which was originally released in 1973. The song was certified gold by the RIAA on May 5, 1975.<ref>[https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=sammy+johns#search_section Sammy Johns] entries on the RIAA official website.</ref><ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book |last=Murrells |first=Joseph |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/114 |title=The Book of Golden Discs |publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd |year=1978 |isbn=0-214-20512-6 |edition=2nd |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/114 114] |url-access=registration}}</ref>

==Career== Johns was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Johns' father gave him a guitar when he was nine, and he founded his first band (the Devilles) in his teenage years.<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |first= |last= |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p25248|pure_url=yes}} |title=Biography by Linda Seida |publisher=Allmusic.com |accessdate=December 8, 2008}}</ref> The group performed locally and made a few records for Dixie Records.<ref name="AMG"/> Johns moved to Atlanta, where he signed with General Recording in 1973. His first solo recording was "Early Morning Love" (1973).<ref name="AMG"/>

"Chevy Van" (1975) reached No. 5 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and remained on the chart for 17 weeks.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/> The song had been recorded in 1973, but was initially shelved and only released after 18 months with the album.<ref name="CO"/> The song sold three million copies, and is credited for an increase in van sales the following year.<ref name="AMG"/> In Canada, the song reached No. 7 on the RPM Magazine charts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6158a.pdf|format=PDF|title=RPM Top Singles|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca|access-date=September 18, 2021}}</ref>

The song and an album led to a contract with Warner Curb Records to produce a soundtrack for the 1977 film ''The Van'' at the height of the Vansploitation genre. In an interview with WBT radio personality Keith Larson, Johns was paraphrased as saying ''"''the song wasn't about a specific woman he met – but a compilation of events''."''<ref name="CO">{{cite news|last=Lyttle |first=Steve |url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/entertainment/article9086024.html |title=Writer of 'Chevy Van' dies at 66 |newspaper=The Charlotte Observer |date=January 7, 2013 |accessdate=June 27, 2016}}</ref>

Johns switched to Elektra, where he issued singles such as "Common Man" and "Love Me off the Road". In his later career, he was mainly known as a composer rather than as a performer, as many covered versions of his songs became successful.<ref name="AMG"/> John Conlee's cover version of "Common Man" reached number 1. Conlee made the song his theme song.<ref name="AMG"/> Johns' songs have also been covered by Waylon Jennings, Sammy Kershaw, Conway Twitty (his final Billboard No. 1, "Desperado Love") and Fu Manchu. After Jennings sang Johns' song "America" at a celebration of the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in 1985, the single was nominated for country song of the year.<ref name="AMG"/>

==Death== Johns died on January 4, 2013, at Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia, North Carolina, at the age of 66.<ref name="CO"/>

==Discography==

===Albums=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Album ! style="width:45px;"| US ! Label |- | 1973 | ''Sammy Johns'' (LP) | style="text-align:center;"| 148 | General Recording |- | 1977 | ''Sammy Johns Sings "The Van" / Original Motion Picture Sound Track'' (LP) | style="text-align:center;"| — | Warner Brothers |- | 1994 | ''Golden Classics'' (CD) | style="text-align:center;"| — | Collectables |- | 2000 | ''Honky Tonk Moon'' (CD) | style="text-align:center;"| — | Southern Tracks |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" |- !rowspan="2"|Year !rowspan="2"|Single !colspan="5"|Chart Positions !rowspan="2"|RIAA !rowspan="2"|Album |- !width="50"|US<ref name="whitburn2010">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Top Pop Singles 1955–2010|publisher=Record Research, Inc|page=462|year=2011|isbn=0-89820-188-8}}</ref> !width="50"|US AC<ref name="Whitburn AC">{{cite book| last = Whitburn| first = Joel| title = Billboard Top Adult Songs 1961–2006| publisher = Record Research| year = 2007| isbn = 978-0-89820-169-7}}</ref> !width="50"|US Country !width="50"|AUS<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|authorlink=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=159}}</ref> !width="50"|CAN<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/list.aspx?OCRText=sammy+johns&| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - search results}}</ref> |- |rowspan=2|1974 |"Early Morning Love" |align=center|68 |align=center|19 |align=center|79 |align=center|56 |align=center|79 |align=center|— |rowspan=3|''Sammy Johns'' |- |"Chevy Van" |align=center|5 |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|74 |align=center|7 |align=center|Gold |- |1975 |"Rag Doll" |align=center|52 |align=center|34 |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |- | 1976 |"Peas in a Pod"<ref>{{cite journal|date=July 10, 1976|title=Picks of the Week|journal=Cash Box|page=16|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1976/Cash-Box-1976-07-10.pdf}}</ref> |align=center|—{{efn|"Peas in a Pod" reached number 131 on the Record World singles chart.<ref name="WhitburnRW">{{cite book| last = Whitburn| first = Joel| title = The Comparison Book Billboard/Cash Box/Record World 1954–1982| publisher = Sheridan Books| year = 2015| isbn = 978-0-89820-213-7}}</ref>}} |align=center|11 |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |''Sammy Johns Sings "The Van" '' |- |1980 |"Falling for You" |align=center|103 |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |rowspan=3 {{n/a}} |- |1981 |"Common Man" |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|50 |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |- |1988 |"Chevy Van" (re-release) |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|80 |align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |}

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==Quotes== {{Blockquote|text=That was the era of hippies, with free love and all that. I was sort of a hippie – a conservative hippie.|sign=Sammy Johns|source=interviewed by Keith Larson in May 2012 about recording ''Chevy Van''.<ref name="CO"/>}}

{{Blockquote|text=''Chevy Van,'' a song about a loose-loving man who picks up a woman while he's on the road, struck a loud chord with listeners in the sexually liberated '70s when Johns released it mid-decade.|sign=Linda Seida|source=Biography about Sammy Johns.<ref name="AMG"/>}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.famousinterview.ca/interviews/sammy_johns.htm Interview with Sammy Johns] * {{discogs artist|Sammy Johns}} * {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000834471}} * {{imdb name|0424362}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johns, Sammy}} Category:1946 births Category:2013 deaths Category:American male singer-songwriters Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:Writers from Charlotte, North Carolina Category:Musicians from Charlotte, North Carolina Category:Country musicians from North Carolina Category:Singer-songwriters from North Carolina