Johnny Bush
Template:Short description Template:Similar names Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
John Bush Shinn III (February 17, 1935Template:SpndOctober 16, 2020) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Nicknamed the "Country Caruso", Bush was best known for his distinctive voice and for writing the song "Whiskey River", a top-20 hit for himself that also became a signature song of fellow country artist Willie Nelson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Shelburne">Template:Cite web</ref> He was especially popular in his native Texas.<ref name="Shelburne"/>
Early life
Bush was born John Bush Shinn III in the Kashmere Gardens neighborhood of Houston.<ref name="KTRK">Template:Cite news</ref> He listened to the western swing music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and the honky-tonk sounds of artists such as Ernest Tubb, Lefty Frizzell, and Hank Thompson.<ref name="johnnybush.com">Template:Cite web</ref> His uncle, the host of a local radio program on KTHT, urged Bush and his brother to play on air, giving Bush his first experience of performing in public.<ref name=KTRK/> Bush subsequently moved to San Antonio in 1952, beginning a solo career in area honky-tonks such as the Texas Star Inn, before switching to drums. During this period, he earned his stage name, when an announcer mistakenly introduced him as "Johnny Bush". As a drummer, he worked for bands such as the Mission City Playboys, the Texas Plainsmen, and the Texas Top Hands.<ref name="johnnybush.com"/>
Career
Early years
Bush joined Ray Price band, the Cherokee Cowboys, in 1963, along with a young Willie Nelson and Darrell McCall. His association with Price led Bush to Nashville and a contract to sing for record demonstrations. He also played in Nelson's band, the Record Men. With Nelson's financial backing, Bush recorded his first album in 1967, The Sound of a Heartache.<ref name="Shelburne"/><ref name="johnnybush.com"/><ref name="AllMusicGuide">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Stardom and vocal problems
A series of regional hits on the Stop label, including "You Gave Me a Mountain" (penned by Marty Robbins), "Undo the Right" (penned by Willie Nelson and Hank Cochran), "What A Way To Live", and "I'll Be There" soon followed. Rock critic Robert Christgau said that Bush's version of "You Gave Me a Mountain" "brings a catch to the throat and a tear to the eye." These songs did well in Bush's native Texas, and reached the national top 20. In 1972, he was signed to RCA Records, whose Nashville division was headed by guitarist Chet Atkins. His first RCA single, "Whiskey River", was climbing the charts with airplay on countless radio stations when his voice began faltering. Bush even felt he was being punished by God for his sins. Bush has since said: "I thought because of my promiscuous behavior and bad choices and being raised as a Baptist, that it was a punishment from God."<ref name="Shelburne"/><ref name="johnnybush.com"/><ref name="AllMusicGuide"/><ref name="Wolff">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Bush lost half of his vocal range and was sometimes unable to talk. RCA dropped him in 1974 after three albums, he developed a drug habit, and was often stricken with performance anxiety when he was able to perform at all. After several misdiagnoses, doctors diagnosed the cause in 1978 when they discovered he had a rare neurological disorder called spasmodic dysphonia. Although this did not prevent him from recording, Bush's career began to take a downturn. He worked with a vocal coach in 1985, and was able to regain 70% of his original voice.<ref name="Shelburne"/><ref name="johnnybush.com"/><ref name="AllMusicGuide"/><ref name="Wolff"/>
Later years
Bush teamed with Darrell McCall in 1986, recording a successful honky-tonk album Hot Texas Country and began assembling a large country band (as did Willie Nelson) performing around South Texas. In 1994, the band released Time Changes Everything, the same year that RCA released a greatest-hits album. A major tour soon followed. In recent years, Bush has continued to tour regularly, often performing with Nelson.<ref name="Shelburne"/><ref name="johnnybush.com"/><ref name="AllMusicGuide"/><ref name="Wolff"/>
Several albums on local Texas labels soon followed. His renewed visibility made him a mentor figure to younger Texas musicians who revered the honky-tonk/hardcore country sound that Bush has done so much to keep in the public eye. Austin musicians such as Dale Watson and Cornell Hurd sought him out to play on their albums. In 2003, he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame with his lifelong friend Willie Nelson on hand to induct him. In 2007, he released his autobiography, with the aid of Rick Mitchell: Whiskey River (Take My Mind): The True Story of Texas Honky-Tonk, published by the University of Texas Press. A new album, Kashmere Garden Mud: A Tribute to Houston’s Country Soul, was released on the Icehouse label at the same time.<ref name="Shelburne"/><ref name="johnnybush.com"/><ref name="AllMusicGuide"/><ref name="Wolff"/>
With the success of his recent botox treatments for his vocal condition and his successful career revival, Bush was a spokesman for people afflicted with vocal disorders. In 2002, he was honored with the Annie Glenn Award from the National Council of Communicative Disorders for Bush's work in bringing attention to the condition of spasmodic dysphonia.<ref name="Shelburne"/><ref name="johnnybush.com"/><ref name="AllMusicGuide"/><ref name="Wolff"/> Bush self-released The Absolute Johnny Bush, a full-length album of new recordings, in June 2017. It included collaborations with Dale Watson and Reckless Kelly.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Bush died at a hospital in San Antonio on October 16, 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was 85, and suffered from pneumonia in the time leading up to his death.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | US Country<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | The Sound of a Heartache | 38 | Stop |
| Undo the Right | 22 | ||
| 1969 | You Gave Me a Mountain | 29 | |
| 1970 | Johnny Bush | — | |
| 1972 | Bush Country | — | |
| The Best of Johnny Bush | 35 | Million | |
| Here's Johnny Bush | — | Starday | |
| 1973 | Whiskey River/There Stands the Glass | 38 | RCA |
| Here Comes the World Again | — | ||
| Texas Dance Hall Girl | — | ||
| 1979 | Johnny Bush and the Bandoleros Live at Dance Town, U.S.A. |
— | Whiskey River |
| 1982 | Live from Texas | — | Delta |
| 1994 | Time Changes Everything | — | TCE |
| 1998 | Talk to My Heart | — | Watermelon |
| 2000 | Lost Highway Saloon | — | Texas Music |
| Sings Bob Wills | — | ||
| 2001 | Green Snakes | — | |
| 2004 | Honkytonic | — | BGM |
| 2006 | Texas State of Mind | — | |
| Devil's Disciple | — | ||
| 2007 | Texas on a Saturday Night | — | Heart of Texas |
| Kashmere Gardens Mud | — | Icehouse | |
| 2013 | Reflections | — | Heart of Texas |
| 2017 | The Absolute Johnny Bush | — | BGM |
Source: AllMusic<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | CAN Country<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |||
| 1967 | "You Oughta Hear Me Cry" | 69 | — | Sound of a Heartache |
| 1968 | "What a Way to Live" | 29 | — | Undo the Right |
| "Undo the Right" | 10 | — | ||
| 1969 | "Each Time" | 16 | — | You Gave Me a Mountain |
| "You Gave Me a Mountain" | 7 | — | ||
| "My Cup Runneth Over" | 26 | — | Bush Country | |
| 1970 | "Jim, Jack, and Rose" | 56 | — | |
| "I'll Go to a Stranger" | flip | — | ||
| "Warmth of the Wine" | 25 | 42 | The Best of Johnny Bush | |
| "My Joy" | 44 | — | ||
| 1971 | "City Lights" | 53 | — | |
| 1972 | "I'll Be There" | 17 | — | |
| "Whiskey River" | 14 | 7 | Whiskey River/There Stands the Glass | |
| 1973 | "There Stands the Glass" | 34 | 60 | |
| "Here Comes the World Again"Template:Sfn | 38 | 53 | Here Comes the World | |
| "Green Snakes on the Ceiling" | 53 | — | ||
| 1974 | "We're Back in Love Again"Template:Sfn | 37 | 83 | Greatest Hits |
| "Toy Telephone"Template:Sfn | 48 | — | ||
| "From Tennessee to Texas"Template:Sfn | flip | — | ||
| 1977 | "You'll Never Leave Me Completely" | 78 | — | Template:N/a |
| 1978 | "Put Me Out of My Memory" | 99 | — | Whiskey River |
| "She Just Made Me Love You More" | 89 | — | Template:N/a | |
| 1979 | "When My Conscience Hurts the Most" | 83 | — | Whiskey River |
| 1981 | "Whiskey River" (re-release) | 92 | — | |
Source: AllMusic,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> unless otherwise stated.
References
Bibliography
Sources
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External links
- Official website
- [[[:Template:AllMusic]] Johnny Bush] at Allmusic
- Template:Discogs artist
- Johnny Bush at CMT
- Johnny Bush at Lone Star Music