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Created 1989 for THE BILLBOARD BOOK OF ONE-HIT WONDERS Book size restrictions excluded this Artist.

 

JOHNNY DEE

“Sittin’ in the Balcony”

Colonial 430

(JOHNNY DEE)

No. 38    April 6, 1957

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Johnny Dee was born JOHN D. LOUDERMILK, in Durham, North Carolina, on March 31, 1934.

Mama taught him how to play guitar when he was eight.   At 12, Dee made his debut on TV along

side Tex “High Noon” Ritter.   While in high school he formed a pickin’ band called the a Pine

Toppers.

When the school daze had ended the Pine Toppers broke-up and John hit the road.   For awhile he

worked it as a Salvation Army band man.   Therein he learned the ways of the saxophone, trumpet,

trombone, bass drum and the all important coin-gathering tambourine.

Johnny Dee’s big break came when a poem he had scribbled out and sang on some local country

show called “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” was heard by George HamiIton IV.   George recorded the

tender teen tune and Johnny Dee was off an running.   Colonial Records took an interest and

offered to cut him singing some of his other tunes.   First out was the echoy and “Sun Record”

soundin’ rockabilly number “Sittin’ in the Balcony.”

Unfortunately, rock’n’roll legend Eddie Cochran “covered” the song and Dee’s disk only rose to

number 38 on the charts.

Before John began his great metamorphosis, Colonial had issued :   “Teenage Queen,” “In a Simple

Way,” “Somebody Sweet” and even a novelty as by Ebe Sneezer called “Asiatic Flu.”   Nothing

further charted.

After a short stay with Columbia Records, John Dee emerged as John D. Loudermilk, country

singer and songwriter.   In the latter capacity, John D. would become known as one of the finest

young writers of the entire 60s.

*For further· details see the JOHN D. LOUDERMILK entry.