Johnny Lee (singer)
| Johnny Lee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Lee Ham[1] |
| Born | July 3, 1946 |
| Origin | Alta Loma, Texas, USA |
| Genres | Country, Pop, Countrypolitan |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels |
Asylum Records Warner Bros. Records Curb Records |
| Associated acts | Mickey Gilley |
| Website | www.theofficialjohnnylee.com |
John Lee Ham (born July 3, 1946) known professionally as Johnny Lee is an American country music singer. His 1980 single "Lookin' for Love" became a crossover hit, spending three weeks at number 1 on the Billboard country singles chart while also appearing in the Top 5 on the Billboard Pop chart and Top 10 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. He racked up a series of country hits in the early and mid-1980s.
Biography
John Lee Ham grew up on a dairy farm in Alta Loma, Texas. In high school he formed a rock n' roll band, "Johnny Lee and the Roadrunners". After graduation Lee enlisted in the United States Navy and served a tour of duty on the USS Chicago, a guided missile cruiser. After his discharge, he played cover tunes in Texas nightclubs and bars throughout the 1960s.
Lee worked 10 years with Mickey Gilley, both on tour and at Gilley’s Club in Pasadena, Texas. The soundtrack from the 1980 hit movie Urban Cowboy, which was largely shot at Gilley's, catapulted Lee to fame. The record spawned several hit singles, including Lee's "Lookin' for Love."
In addition to "Lookin' for Love", Lee had five songs reach the top of the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart: "One in a Million" (1980); "Bet Your Heart on Me" (1981); "The Yellow Rose" (1984, a duet with Lane Brody and the theme song to the NBC TV-series of the same name); and "You Could Have Heard a Heartbreak" (1984). His other major hits include "Pickin' Up Strangers" (1981), "Prisoner of Hope" (1981), "Cherokee Fiddle", "Sounds Like Love", "Hey Bartender" (1983), "Rollin' Lonely", and "Save the Last Chance" (1985).
From 1982 to 1984, Lee was married to Dallas actress Charlene Tilton, with whom he had a daughter Cherish (born 1982). He later had a son with ex-wife Deb whom he married in 1986,[2] named Johnny Lee Jr. (1990-2014). After Johnny Lee, Jr. died at the age of 23 of a drug overdose, Lee became active in combating the illegal drug epidemic.[3]
In the fall of 2008 Lee began performing regularly in Branson, Missouri.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | RIAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [4] |
CAN Country [5] | |||
| 1977 | For Lovers Only | — | — | — |
| 1980 | Lookin' for Love | 8 | 6 | Gold |
| 1981 | Bet Your Heart on Me | 9 | — | — |
| 1982 | Sounds Like Love | 32 | — | — |
| 1983 | Hey Bartender | 15 | — | — |
| Greatest Hits | 41 | — | — | |
| 1984 | Til' the Bars Burn Down | 23 | — | — |
| 1985 | Keep Me Hangin' On | 36 | — | — |
| Workin' for a Livin | 23 | — | — | |
| 1989 | New Directions | — | — | — |
| 1989 | Buckmasters Presents Woods & Water | — | — | — |
| 1990 | Greatest Hits Volume 2 | — | — | — |
| 1990 | The Best of Johnny Lee | — | — | — |
| 1995 | Country Party | — | — | — |
| 1996 | Ramblin' Rose | — | — | — |
| 1999 | Live at Gilley's | — | — | — |
| 2001 | At His Best | — | — | — |
| 2002 | Live at Billy Bob's Texas | — | — | — |
| 2003 | The 13th of July | — | — | — |
| Greatest Hits | — | — | — | |
| 2005 | Santa Claus Is Lookin' for Love | — | — | — |
| 2006 | Country Candy Store | — | — | — |
| 2016 | You Ain't Never Been To Texas | |||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [6] |
US [7] |
CAN Country [8] | |||
| 1976 | "Sometimes" | 59 | — | — | N/A |
| "Red Sails in the Sunset" | 22 | — | — | Country Party | |
| 1977 | "Ramblin' Rose" | 37 | — | — | |
| "Country Party" | 15 | — | 50 | ||
| "Dear Alice" | 58 | — | — | ||
| 1978 | "This Time" | 43 | — | — | |
| 1980 | "Lookin' for Love"[A] | 1 | 5 | 18 | Lookin' for Love |
| "One in a Million" | 1 | 102 | 8 | ||
| 1981 | "Pickin' Up Strangers" | 3 | — | 4 | |
| "Prisoner of Hope" | 3 | — | 4 | ||
| "Rode Hard and Put Up Wet" | 52 | — | — | Urban Cowboy 2 | |
| "Bet Your Heart on Me" | 1 | 54 | 5 | Bet Your Heart on Me | |
| 1982 | "Be There for Me Baby" | 10 | — | 5 | |
| "When You Fall in Love" | 14 | — | 46 | ||
| "Cherokee Fiddle" | 10 | — | 24 | Sounds Like Love | |
| 1983 | "Sounds Like Love" | 6 | — | 9 | |
| "Hey Bartender" | 2 | — | 1 | Hey Bartender | |
| "My Baby Don't Slow Dance" | 23 | — | 13 | ||
| 1984 | "The Yellow Rose" (with Lane Brody) | 1 | — | 1 | 'Til the Bars Burn Down |
| "One More Shot" | 42 | — | 26 | ||
| "You Could've Heard a Heart Break" | 1 | — | 2 | Workin' for a Livin' | |
| 1985 | "Rollin' Lonely" | 9 | — | 9 | |
| "Save the Last Chance" | 12 | — | 12 | Keep Me Hangin' On | |
| "They Never Had to Get Over You" | 19 | — | 57 | ||
| 1986 | "The Loneliness in Lucy's Eyes (The Life Sue Ellen Is Living)" |
56 | — | — | Dallas: The Music Story |
| "I Could Get Used to This" (with Lane Brody) | 50 | — | — | N/A | |
| 1989 | "Maybe I Won't Love You Anymore" | 59 | — | — | New Directions |
| "I'm Not Over You" | 69 | — | — | ||
| "I Can Be a Heartbreaker Too" | 53 | — | — | ||
| "You Can't Fly Like an Eagle" | 66 | — | — | ||
| 1990 | "Heart to Heart Talk"[9] | — | — | — | |
| "Money in My Pocket"[10] | — | — | — | The Best of Johnny Lee | |
| 2016 | "Never Been to Texas" | — | — | — | You Ain't Never Been to Texas |
B-sides
| Year | B-side | Chart Positions | Original A-side |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [6] | |||
| 1984 | "Say When" | flip | "The Yellow Rose" |
- Notes
- A^ Peaked at No. 20 on the RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and No. 54 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada.
References
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 198.
- ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19891015&id=lrgiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M7UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1438,3313200&hl=en
- ↑ http://bransontrilakesnews.com/news_free/article_a748a0a2-58c9-11e5-b979-3b9506590e35.html
- ↑ "Johnny Lee Album & Song Chart History - Country Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
- ↑ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada - Country Albums". RPM. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
- 1 2 "Johnny Lee Album & Song Chart History - Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
- ↑ "Johnny Lee Album & Song Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
- ↑ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada - Country Singles". RPM. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
- ↑ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. March 24, 1990.
- ↑ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. October 20, 1990.
- "Johnny Lee Biography". CMT.com. Retrieved May 27, 2005.
- "Johnny Lee - Biography". Official Johnny Lee Fan Club website. Retrieved May 27, 2005.
- Johnny Lee with Randy Wyles. 1989. Lookin' for love. Diamond Books.