Vocal with acoustic guitar. Here is the verse and chorus of one of the hit songs introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1932 Paramount film, The Big Broadcast. Music and lyrics by the great team of Leo Robin & Ralph Rainger.
Never had any idea he was such a gifted singer with such a great sense of humor. He has had a full, successful, happy life, far more than most child actors.
Only recently did I come to know that Johnny Crawford was a phenomenal talent like no other. Omg, how the world could use his beautiful voice and person now; he surely would be a superstar. I know he is sick with Alzheimer's Disease these days at 72 years of age, but I pray he uses massive Vitamin C doses that has been known to knock out Alzheimer's. After all these years, I'm giddy like a kid when I hear him sing even though I'm 75 myself. ciao, God bless Johnny.
Today 4/29/21 at the age of 75, Johnny has joined his "Rifleman" co-star Chuck Conners in the big ranch in the sky. They;re riding horses together as they used to and Johnny is singing ad playing his guitar. Thanks for all the great memories Johnny, you did great!
It's simply wonderful to see Mr. Johnny Crawford sing the songs from the albums his grandparents left him when they were younger it never goes out of style. 🎵🎼🎶🎙
Johnny!! I never knew. You are a crooner too. Nice, very nice job. Remember back around '65 or '66, most likely not, the couple you unexpectedly "bumped into" while walking into the wax museum in Hollywood? It was my date and I. The four of us talked throughout touring the museum. We then walked around to several nearby sites together when we parted ways after visiting the Grauman's Chinese Theater. My girlfriend at the time was so star struck she could not speak for days. I was in the business as a dancer with a few credits to my name but you were her idol and star. You made her evening and made me a big shot in her eyes. I never had the opportunity to thank you. Now, I can. Thank-you for being really gracious.
We can wish for him to sing what we'd like but his heart is in "big band era" and his voice fits so well into it. I was amazed when I heard him and his band bring some of the "old time stuff" back to life.
Since They've Launched Me TV I Watch The Rifleman Twice A Day,I Loved That Show As A Kid As An Adult I Appreciate It At Another Level My Word "Johnny Crawford" Is Such A Talented Actor He Was brilliant....I Myself Being A Musician and Songwriter was Delighted To Find Out "Johnny Crawford" Is Still Playing Music. I'm Happy For Him, And I Hope To See Him Gig Sometime...I Really Think He's Great!!!
Dreamy! Terrific rendering of one of the great songs of the most golden of song eras. Goodness, you have the chops for it - what range and tone - sweet!
Ur right....I haven't ever heard him sing the big band stuff tho I will now. As long as he has a passion for it that's all that matters. I still like him alot.
Tedd Armstrong I disagree with your post about those Del-Fi records of Johnny Crawford's being "mediocre" and the production "terrible." If anything, the production was too slick in some cases, but hardly lacking in professionalism. And though the sides were, for the most part, obviously aimed at a younger niche market based on Crawford's fan base from his years in "The Rifleman" and "The Mickey Mouse Club," they nevertheless drew upon some of the best in the business for material. "Rumors" is a good record, written by the Brill Building team of Howard Greenfield & Helen Miller. Greenfield had been Neil Sedaka's primary songwriting partner, and with Miller he also composed lyrics for Aldon Music (Don Kirshner's & Al Nevins' music publishing company), including "Foolish Little Girl" for The Shirelles and "It Hurts to Be in Love," the latter a huge hit for Gene Pitney. Crawford's light tenor soars above the terrific arrangement (by no less than producer Gerry Goffin, under the moniker "Jerry Goffin," then better known as the lyricist partner of his wife Carole King) of some sweet strings and "do dooby dooby, sha la la la la" back-up vocals (perhaps including King's voice from a non-erased demo). This record is generally considered Crawford's best effort from his early period of recording. I do agree with you with respect to one of Crawford's Del-Fi platters, though. Johnny's delivery of "Lonesome Town," a tune interpreted by some as about suicide, was certainly all the more poignant from an adolescent voice than the more definitive, hit version by Ricky Nelson. Apart from the hokey back-up vocals (that could have been the Ray Conniff Singers they sounded so inappropriate) on this side, Crawford's angelic tenor lends an even more haunting tone to the tune than Nelson's version. If only those back-up pipes had been replaced by some more echo on Crawford's leads, and the syrupy strings eliminated altogether (a simple guitar strumming and light keyboards would have been sufficient), Johnny could well have given Rick Nelson a run for his money on that one. Still, Crawford recorded some other fine sessions for Bob Keane's small label (not that small, though, as was also the recording home of rockabilly legend Ritchie Valens), among them "Proud," a stirring ballad by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil (also of Aldon Music; their best-known hit a little ditty by The Righteous Brothers called "You've Lost That Lovin' Felling"), and the huge hit "Cindy's Birthday." The flip side of "Cindy's Birthday" is an orchestral version of a song Johnny performed with just an acoustic guitar on the "Young Man's Fancy" episode of "The Rifleman," part of a courting strategy by his character, "Mark McCain," to woo the visiting daughter (portrayed by fellow ex-Mouseketeer, the late and lovely Cheryl Holdridge) of his father's friend, a slightly older girl with whom "Marl" was smitten. As Crawford demonstrated even back then, his talents were very suited to period minstrel performance and the music of an earlier time. But I think my very favorite record on Del-Fi with Johnny Crawford's involvement may be The Crawford Brothers' "Good Buddies." The blood harmonies of real teen bros Bobby & Johny Crawford recall a younger Everly Brothers in a very catchy upbeat tune with a twangy guitar (and some nice reverb in the mix, too) that drips with a lyrical irony belying the song's title: "They never have been known to have girlfriends of their own/I'm sure that's cause they're always busy lookin' after mine." Yeah, be careful about allowing good friends to "mind the store" is the lesson Bobby & Johnny seemed to have learned at a young age. Bobby Crawford was also an actor, best known for his role as "Andy Sherman" in the TV western "Laramie." And, by the way, that "Good Buddies" session was written & produced by Goffin & King, who would soon be on their way to compose some more hits in a few years for The Beatles ("Chains," orig, by The Cookies, Dimension Records' house girl group), Herman's Hermits ("I'm Into Something Good," orig, by Earl-Jean McCrea) and The Monkees ("Pleasant Valley Sunday"), and already struck gold a few times with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" (The Shirelles) and the big dance hit by Little Eva, "The Locomotion." A greatest hits compilation of Johnny Crawford's, plus a few 45s by his brother Bobby and their lone duet 45, would be a great addition to anyone's pop and rock & roll collection. Actually, of all the so-called "teen idols" who also had acting careers and then pop music careers created for them to cash-in on the film and/or TV fame, Johnny Crawford and Ricky Nelson stand out as the only ones who had any real business in the music business. By comparison with Fabian, Frankie Avalon, and Paul Petersen, certainly, Crawford and Nelson had superb musical abilities evident from the very beginning of their initially-manufactured music careers. Perhaps some of Crawford's releases could have been better produced, as well some more broadly-appealing material chosen. But, on the whole, Crawford's records stand up pretty well indeed. And that's really saying something, considering the times of their release and relative innocence about a recording career in what was still the early period of rock & roll.
Wow, how old is Johnny here? He looks and sounds great. Going through the JC clips here it's easy to tell he's a goodfella, has a fun sense of humor and real talent.
