1. Johnny Tillotson was an American singer-songwriter.
15 Facts About Johnny Tillotson
1. 2.
At the age of nine, Johnny Tillotson was sent to Palatka, Florida, to take care of his grandmother.
3.
Johnny Tillotson returned to Jacksonville each summer to be with his parents when his brother Dan would go to his grandmother.
4.
Johnny Tillotson began to perform at local functions as a child, and by the time he was at Palatka Senior High School he had developed a reputation as a talented singer.
5.
Johnny Tillotson became a semi-regular on WJXT's McDuff Hayride, hosted by Toby Dowdy, and soon landed his own show on WFGA-TV.
6.
In 1957, while Tillotson was studying at the University of Florida, local disc jockey Bob Norris sent a tape of Johnny's singing to the Pet Milk talent contest, and he was chosen as one of six national finalists.
7.
On Bleyer's advice, Johnny Tillotson focused on his recording career, appearing on television and being featured as a teen idol in magazines.
8.
Early in 1962, Johnny Tillotson recorded a song he wrote, "It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin'", inspired by the terminal illness of his father.
9.
Johnny Tillotson continued to record country-flavored and pop songs in 1963, and "You Can Never Stop Me Loving You" and the follow-up, the Willie Nelson song "Funny How Time Slips Away", both made the Hot 100.
10.
Johnny Tillotson sang the theme song for the 1965 Sally Field television comedy Gidget.
11.
Johnny Tillotson appeared in the 1963 British music film Just for Fun; the 1966 camp comedy The Fat Spy starring Jayne Mansfield; the Japanese movie Namida Kun Sayonara, named after his Japanese hit of the same name; and the 1976 made-for-TV film The Call of the Wild.
12.
Johnny Tillotson appeared in concert, appearing in theaters, at State Fairs and Festivals, and in major hotels in Las Vegas and elsewhere.
13.
Johnny Tillotson recorded with Tommy Roe and Brian Hyland, again for Michael Lloyd for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie, "We Can Make It".
14.
On March 23,2011, Johnny Tillotson was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, which is the highest honor that the State of Florida bestows on an artist.
15.
Johnny Tillotson died on April 1,2025, from complications from Parkinson's disease, as was announced by fellow singer Fabian Forte on his Instagram.