Died On This Date (April 15, 2005) John Fred / Had Hit With “Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)”

John Fred Gourrier
May 8, 1941 – April 15, 2005

John Fred was one of the earliest practitioners of “blue-eyed soul.”  His biggest hit, “Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)” was in fact a parody of the Beatles’ “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.” Released in 1968, it became an immediate smash and has since sold over 5 million copies. John Fred & the Playboy Band suddenly broke far beyond his beloved Gulf Coast region. Unfortunately, because of the song, he was unfairly branded a novelty and never had another hit. And it wasn’t until many years and legal battles later, that he was able to collect full legal rights to and royalties from the song. Fred became a fixture in Baton Rouge as he stayed active in the local music scene, hosted his own radio show, and even coached the high school basketball and football team. He released his final album in 2002, but fell ill just a couple of yeas later resulting in a kidney transplant. His health continued to fail until his 2005 death due in part to complications from that transplant. In 2007, he was inducted into the The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.