Johnny rivers singer wiki

Johnny Rivers (7 November 1942-), born John Henry Ramistella, was an American rock singer-songwriter who was known for his string of hit singles from 1964 to 1968. Born in New York City in 1942, he was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he was influenced by Louisiana's music style. In 1958, Alan Freed convinced him to change his stage name in honor of the Mississippi River which flowed through Louisiana, and he moved to Nashville in 1959 and became a songwriter. His 1966 ballad "Poor Side of Town" was his only number-one hit, but he founded the successful Soul City Records company and released several successful covers during the late 1960s. In 1972, amid that year's presidential election and the Vietnam War, he released two get-out-the-vote songs in support of Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern and also wrote a heartfelt antiwar song ("Come Home America"). In 1981, he converted to Christianity, and he went on to perform 50 to 60 shows a year as a touring artist even after he stopped recording original music.

American rock musician

Musical artist

Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942)^[1] is an American retired musician. He achieved commercial success and popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a singer and guitarist, characterized as a versatile and influential artist.^[2] Rivers is best known for his 1960s output, having popularized the mid-60s discotheque scene through his live rock and roll recordings at the Los Angeles nightclub Whisky a Go Go, and later shifting to a more orchestral, soul-oriented sound during the latter half of the decade.^[2][3] These developments were reflected by his most notable string of hit singles between 1964 and 1968, many of them covers. They include "Memphis", "Mountain of Love", "The Seventh Son", "Secret Agent Man", "Poor Side of Town",^[a] "Baby I Need Your Lovin'", and "Summer Rain".^[4][5] Rivers had a total of nine top-ten hits and 17 top-forty hits on the US charts from 1964 to 1977.^[3]

Life and career

Early years

Born John Henry Ramistella in New York City, Rivers is of Italian descent. His family moved from New York to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Influenced by the distinctive Louisiana musical style,

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