Finding Johnny Horton

by Kelly Hagy

Johnny Horton was at the top of both the Country and Pop charts in 1959 with the song "The Battle of New Orleans," made appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dick Clark Show, and recorded the title song for the John Wayne movie North to Alaska. His career was finally taking off when a car crash on November 5, 1960, ended it all.

Finding Johnny Horton tells Horton's story through the eyes of a journalist searching for the man behind the music. Stories shared by family and friends provide a detailed look into his life before and after becoming "The Singing Fisherman."

Contains never-before-seen photos and interviews with Claude King, Merle Kilgore, Jerry Kennedy, and more.

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2024

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hagy's inaugural work is a triumph in which she's gone to fantastic lengths to share the story of country legend Johnny Horton. The interviews, stories, and photographs in this biography paint a picture that even someone relatively unfamiliar with Horton (like myself) will end up wrapped up in, journeying through every emotion along the way. The research is thorough, and the treatment of the material both entertaining and respectful. Highly recommend.

[geneva ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and easy to read, very informative and interesting, and generally investigative journalism at its best (especially the last chapter).