Johnny Cook (March 22, 1949 – May 14, 2000) was a

Southern Gospel Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music. Its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States. Its lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as ...

singer. He led a group, the Johnny Cook Trio, in the 1980s. Cook was a tenor and also sang with

The Happy Goodmans The Happy Goodman Family is a Southern gospel group that was founded in the 1940s by Howard Goodman (gospel singer), Howard "Happy" Goodman and performed together for several decades. The Happy Goodmans achieved significant popularity in the 1960s. ...

and

The Statesmen Quartet The Statesmen Quartet (also known as Hovie Lister and The Statesmen Quartet) were an American southern gospel quartet founded in 1948 by Baptist Minister Hovie Lister. Along with the Blackwood Brothers, the Statesmen Quartet were considered the ...

. Cook may be best remembered for his years singing with The Happy Goodmans, where he and

Vestal Goodman Vestal Goodman (December 13, 1929 – December 27, 2003) was a singer who performed in the Southern gospel genre for more than half a century. She was known for her work as a solo performer and as a member of the Happy Goodman Family—which orig ...

would often engage in friendly contests to see who could sing higher; Cook usually won singing the song ''Looking For A City''. In 1974 and 1975, Cook won the award for Favorite Tenor from the Singing News Fan Awards. Cook released three albums in the 1970s. His first album was ''Voice Extraordinaire''. In the late 70's Cook also released the Johnny Cook tape club where he preaches and sings the good news to his fans. In 1993 Cook was featured in two Gaither Homecoming videos, Old Friends and Turn Your Radio On because of his involvement with the Statesman during that time. A collection of 169 of Cook's videos has been archived on www.youtube.com.

Death

Johnny Ray Cook died on May 14, 2000, in Huntsville, Alabama, as a result of congestive heart failure. He was survived by three sons and his mother. He is interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Milan, Tennessee.

Albums

* The SongMasters- The Happy Sounds of The SongMasters * The Meadows Brothers-Laying Up Treasures * The Goodman-Covered In Warmth * The Goodmans-The Goodman Greats * The Goodmans-Happy Goodman Family Hour * The Goodmans-Refreshing * The Goodmans-Southern Gospel Treasury * The Goodmans DVD-Texas Live * The Goodmans-Goin Higher * Johnny Cook-Full Circle * Johnny Cook-A Johnny Cook Christmas * Johnny Cook-He's The Real Thing * Johnny Cook-Real Goodness * Johnny Cook-Spirit * Johnny Cook-The Voice * Johnny Cook-The Voice (rare) * Johnny Cook-The Voice Extraordinaire * Johnny Cook Trio-Stepping Out * Johnny Cook Trio-You Make It Happen * Johnny Cook & The Voices Triumphant-Unforgettable * The New Statesmen-Revival * The New Statesmen-Oh My Lord What A Time * The New Statesmen-Oh What A Savior

References

1949 births 2000 deaths Southern gospel performers 20th-century American singers {{US-singer-stub