Johnny Lee (singer)
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Johnny Lee | |
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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) is an American country music singer known professionally as Johnny Lee. 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
Lee 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). Johnny Lee Jr. died at the age of 23.
In the fall of 2008 Lee began performing regularly in Branson, Missouri.
Discography
Albums
Year | Album | Chart Positions | RIAA | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Country [3] |
CAN Country [4] |
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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 | — | — | — |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Country [5] |
US [6] |
CAN Country [7] |
|||
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 | — | — |
B-sides
Year | B-side | Chart Positions | Original A-side |
---|---|---|---|
US Country [5] |
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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
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- "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.