John Bush Shinn III (February 17, 1935October 16, 2020) was an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
singer, songwriter, and musician. Nicknamed the "Country
Caruso", Bush was best known for his distinctive voice and for writing the song "Whiskey River", a top 10 hit for himself which also became the signature song of fellow country artist
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...
. He was especially popular in his native
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
.
Early life
Bush was born John Bush Shinn III in the
Kashmere Gardens neighborhood of
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
.
He listened to the
western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands. It is dance music, often with an up-tempo beat, which attracted huge crowds to dance ...
music of
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and the
honky-tonk
A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano (tack piano) ...
sounds of artists such as
Ernest Tubb
Ernest Dale Tubb (February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984), nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, " Walking the Floor Over You" (1941), ...
,
Lefty Frizzell
William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell (March 31, 1928 – July 19, 1975) was an American country music singer-songwriter and honky-tonk singer.
He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982. Frizzell released many songs that charted ...
, and
Hank Thompson.
His uncle, the host of a local radio program on
KTHT
KTHT (97.1 FM "Country Legends 97.1") is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Texas, and serves the northern section of Greater Houston. The station airs a classic country radio format and is owned by Cox Radio, along with KGLK, K ...
, urged Bush and his brother to play on air, giving Bush his first experience of performing in public.
[ Bush subsequently moved to ]San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
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in 1952, beginning a solo career in area honky-tonks such as the Texas Star Inn, before switching to drums. During this period, he earned his stage name, when an announcer mistakenly introduced him as "Johnny Bush". As a drummer, he worked for bands such as the Mission City Playboys, the Texas Plainsmen, and the Texas Top Hands.
Career
Early years
Bush joined Ray Price's band, the Cherokee Cowboys, in 1963 along with a young Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...
and Darrell McCall
Darrell McCall (born April 30, 1940) is a country music performer, known for his honky tonk and traditional country musical style at the height of his career in the 1960s, and his return to popularity during the Outlaw country era in the late 1 ...
. His association with Price led Bush to Nashville and a contract to sing for record demonstrations. 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''.
Stardom and vocal problems
A series of regional hits on the Stop label, including "You Gave Me a Mountain
"You Gave Me a Mountain" (sometimes credited as "Lord, You Gave Me a Mountain") is a song written by country singer-songwriter Marty Robbins during the 1960s. It has been recorded by many artists, including Robbins himself, but the highest-charti ...
" (penned by Marty Robbins
Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, and NASCAR racing driver. Robbins was one of the most popular and succ ...
), "Undo the Right" (penned by Willie Nelson and Hank Cochran
Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran (August 2, 1935 – July 15, 2010) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Eddy ...
), "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 20. In 1972, he was signed to RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
whose Nashville division was headed by legendary guitarist Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...
. 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."
Bush lost half of his vocal range and was sometimes unable to talk. RCA dropped him in 1974 after three albums, he developed a drug habit and was often stricken with performance anxiety when he was able to perform at all. After several misdiagnoses, doctors diagnosed the cause in 1978 when they discovered he had a rare neurological disorder called spasmodic dysphonia
Spasmodic dysphonia, also known as laryngeal dystonia, is a disorder in which the muscles that generate a person's voice go into periods of spasm. This results in breaks or interruptions in the voice, often every few sentences, which can make a pe ...
. Although this did not prevent him from recording, Bush's career began to take a downturn. He worked with a vocal coach in 1985, and was able to regain 70% of his original voice.
Later years
Bush teamed with Darrell McCall in 1986, recording a successful honky-tonk album ''Hot Texas Country'' and began assembling a large country band (as did Willie Nelson) performing around South Texas. In 1994, the band released ''Time Changes Everything'', the same year that RCA released a greatest-hits album. A major tour soon followed. In recent years, Bush has continued to tour regularly, often performing with Nelson.
Several albums on local Texas labels soon followed. His renewed visibility made him a mentor figure to younger Texas musicians who revered the honky-tonk/hardcore country sound that Bush has done so much to keep in the public eye. Austin musicians such as Dale Watson Dale Watson may refer to:
* Dale Watson (FBI), former Assistant Director for the Counterterrorism Division of the FBI
* Dale Watson (singer) (born 1962), American country singer, guitarist, songwriter and author
* Dale Watson (Jamaican footballer) ...
and Cornell Hurd sought him out to play on their albums. In 2003, he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame with his lifelong friend Willie Nelson on hand to induct him. In 2007, he released his autobiography, with the aid of Rick Mitchell: ''Whiskey River (Take My Mind): The True Story of Texas Honky-Tonk'', published by University of Texas Press
The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is a university press that is part of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly books and journals in several areas, including Latin American studies, Texan ...
. A new album, ''Kashmere Garden Mud: A Tribute to Houston’s Country Soul'', was released on the Icehouse label at the same time.
With the success of his recent Botox
Botulinum toxin, or botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), is a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium '' Clostridium botulinum'' and related species. It prevents the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from axon endings at the neuromus ...
treatments for his vocal condition and his successful career revival, Bush was a spokesman for people afflicted with vocal disorders. In 2002, he was honored with the Annie Glenn Award from the National Council of Communicative Disorders for Bush's work in bringing attention to the condition of spasmodic dysphonia. Bush self-released ''The Absolute Johnny Bush,'' a full-length album of new recordings, in June 2017. It included collaborations with Dale Watson and Reckless Kelly
''Reckless Kelly'' is a 1993 Australian comedy film produced, written, directed and starring Yahoo Serious. It co-stars Melora Hardin, Alexei Sayle and Hugo Weaving. The story is a satirical take on a modern-day Ned Kelly, a famous Australian ou ...
.
Bush died at a hospital in San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
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, subdivision_name = United States
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, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
on October 16, 2020. He was 85, and suffered from pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
in the time leading up to his death.
Discography
Albums
Source: AllMusic
Singles
Source: AllMusic, unless otherwise stated.
References
Bibliography
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Sources
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External links
Official website
* Johnny Bushat Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
*
Johnny Bush
at CMT
Johnny Bush
at Lone Star Music
Lone Star Music, also called LSM, is a San Marcos, Texas-based music company which operates a website drawing half a million visitors a month,
Johnny Bush
at Find a Grave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bush, Johnny
1935 births
2020 deaths
American country singer-songwriters
Country musicians from Texas
Deaths from pneumonia in Texas
Musicians from Houston
Musicians from San Antonio
Singer-songwriters from Texas