Biography
by
Jason Ankeny
Among the most successful yet underrated solo acts of the
1960s, Johnny Rivers reeled off a lengthy series of rock
favorites which together sold over 30 million copies.
Distinguished throughout by his reedy vocals and soulful
guitar leads, Rivers' body of work is characterized by a
rare consistency and versatility which stretches from his
earnest yet rousing covers of R&B classics to his later,
self-penned hits. Strongly influenced by the swamp-blues
sound of his hometown of Baton Rouge, LA, Rivers - born John
Ramistella in New York City on November 7, 1942 -- picked up
the guitar as a child and played with local groups
throughout his school years. After stints in New York (where
he met disc jockey Alan Freed, who suggested he change his
name to Rivers) and Nashville, he settled in Los Angeles. He
headlined at the newly opened Whisky-a-Go-Go, which became
one of the area's hottest nightspots and earned its star
attraction a rabid following among Tinseltown clubgoers. His
1964 debut Johnny Rivers Live at the Whisky-a-Go-Go featured
hits like the Chuck Berry covers "Memphis" and "Maybelline."
Over the years, Rivers returned to the club to record his
albums and most of his early hits were covers, including his
smash 1965 rendition of Willie Dixon's "Seventh Son," and
the traditional "Midnight Special." Over the next two years,
Rivers charted with hits like the theme to the television
spy thriller Secret Agent Man, the elegiac "Poor Side of
Town" (which he co-wrote with Lou Adler) and a pair of
Motown covers, "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" and "The Tracks of
My Tears." But after the subsequent "Summer Rain," he
disappeared from the Top 40 for the rest of the decade. For
the rest of his career, he returned to his roots. During the
'70s, he charted with his renditions of Huey "Piano" Smith's
"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu," Carl Perkins'
"Blue Suede Shoes" and the Beach Boys' "Help Me Rhonda." His
recording career wound down in the '80s, but he continued
touring into the '90s, increasingly returning to the blues
that inspired him initially. In 1998, Rivers reactivated his
Soul City imprint and released Last Train to Memphis, his
first new studio album in 15 years.
Content provided All Music Guide. Copyright 2008 All Media
Guide, LLC.
