Sammy Johns
February 7. 1946 – January 4, 2013
Sammy Johns was a folk and country-rock singer-songwriter who scored a major ’70s pop hit with 1975’s “Chevy Van.” Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Johns was just nine when he picked up the guitar. By the time he was a teenager, he was fronting his own band, the Devilles. After a few records with the Devilles, Johns moved to Atlanta and signed a solo deal with General Records who released his self-titled debut in 1973. The album’s “Chevy Van” took about a year or so to catch on, but when it did, it became one of the biggest singles of the ’70s. Reaching #5 on the Billboard pop charts, the record sold more than 1 million copies in the US alone. It was later covered by Eric Church, Sammy Kershaw, and Waylon Jennings to name a few. The long list of artist who have recorded songs written by Johns includes Conway Twitty, John Conlee, and Fu Manchu. Sammy Johns was 66 when he passed away on January 4, 2013. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Thanks to Henk de Bruin for the assist.
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