Which Johnny Was It Trivia Quiz

Answer: Johnny Preston

Johnny Preston will always be remembered for his breakthrough hit late in 1959, "Running Bear". The song was famously written by JP (The Big Bopper) Richardson, who had planned to record it. Richardson had discovered Johnny Preston and decided to have him record the song.

The song was recorded in late 1958 with Richardson and George Jones singing backup. It was released in August 1959 and made the top of the charts in December where it stayed into early 1960. "Running Bear" made it to number two in Australia and number one in the UK.

Answer: Johnny Tillotson

"Talk Back Trembling Lips" was a top ten hit for Johnny Tillotson in 1963 rising to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. The record reached number 25 in Australia but did receive a lot of airplay. It failed to chart in the UK. The song was written by the popular John D Loudermilk and originally recorded by Ernest Ashworth who had a number one country hit with his version.

Answer: John Leyton

A reluctant pop star - although he liked to sing, John Leyton preferred acting. However, "Lonely Johnny", "Johnny Remember Me" and "Wild Wind" were top twenty chart hits for him during the early part of the 1960s. He acted in the British 1960 series "Biggles" playing the part of Ginger.

He then acted in "The Great Escape" and "Von Ryan's Express". His pop music career was overwhelmed by the Merseybeat onslaught of the early sixties. "Johnny Remember Me" was a number one in the UK, a number 35 hit in Australia and did not chart in the USA.

Answer: Johnny Rivers

The biggest hit in Australia for Johnny Rivers, "Summer Rain" reached number nine on the local chart. Released in 1967, it made the top ten in early 1968. In the USA the record reached number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Cashbox. The song was written by folk rocker James Hendricks.
On many of his studio tracks he used the rhythm section of the wrecking crew: Joe Osborn or Carol Kaye on bass, Larry Knechtel on keyboards and Hal Blaine on drums.

Answer: Johnny Tillotson

"Poetry In Motion" by Johnny Tillotson was indeed a breakthrough smash hit for this pop idol. The song went to number two on all the national charts of the day in the USA. On Cashbox and the Billboard Hot 100 it was kept out of the premier spot by Ray Charles with "Georgia on my Mind". The song was a top ten hit in Australia and a number one hit in the UK.

Answer: John Leyton

"Deep in the heart of a lonely city, I wandered sad and all alone" are the opening line of "Lonely City" a number fourteen hit on the UK chart for Johnny Leyton. The record did not chart in the USA and made it to number 40 on the Australian charts in 1962. Johnny (or John as he preferred) Leyton worked with producer Joe Meek on his 1960s UK hits.

In the movie "Telstar - The Joe Meek Story" Leyton played a small part while actor Callum Dixon played John Leyton.

Answer: Johnny Rivers

Johnny Rivers first and only number one on the Billboard Hot 100 "Poor Side of Town" topped the charts in 1966. The record did not chart in the UK. In Australia the song was covered by a couple of local acts, as a result Johnny Rivers version did not chart well, hanging around the bottom of the top forty for a couple of weeks. in 1967 his record "Summer Rain" was his biggest hit in Australia making thetop ten. Johnny Rivers was and still is one of my favourite performers of the 1960's, I have two precious albums by him "Live at the Whiskey A Go-Go" and "Changes".

The latter features "Poor Side of Town" and the original version of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix".

Answer: Johnny Tillotson

A number three hit for Johnny Tillotson on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1962, "It Keeps Right on A Hurtin'" was his third top ten hit. The record made it to number twenty in Australia and number 31 in the UK. The song was written by Johnny Tillotson and has been recorded by a number of other artists, I have versions of this by Bobby Darin, Elvis Presley and Shelley Fabares.

Answer: Johnny Preston

"Cradle of Love" was the follow up to Johnny Preston's big hit, "Running Bear". Released in 1960 the record reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. In Australia the song reached the top ten peaking at number three. Over in the UK the song was a number two hit for three weeks, kept out of the top spot by the Everly Brothers who occupied the number one slot for seven weeks with "Cathy's Clown".

Answer: Johnny Rivers

Recorded by Johnny Rivers as the theme song for the British TV series "Danger Man" the song was a top ten entry on the Billboard Hot 100 rising to number three. The song was a only a top forty hit for a few weeks in Australia. Oddly, Johnny Rivers placed thirty records on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1964 through 1977 but he never charted in the UK.