Catching up with Johnny Lee
The afternoon we called Johnny Lee to chat while he was on the road. He’s on the road a lot. His itinerary took him to Coffeyville, Oklahoma the night before we called and he was on his way to Royse City, Texas, then on to the Seattle area, back to Iowa, then home for a few days.
A few years back, Johnny hosted an infomercial, Country Jukebox, for StarVista LIVE’s addiliated brand, Time Life. He has starred on two sailings of StarVista’s Country Music Cruise, and he’ll be back in 2017. You know you can count on hearing Johnny’s biggest hit, “Lookin’ for Love,” but right now Johnny Lee shares a few things you might not know about Johnny Lee.
We’re so pleased you’re joining us again. As an infomercial host and regular on our Country Music Cruise, you’re like family.
I enjoyed the infomercial with Katie Cook so much, I almost felt guilty getting paid for it. I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me and said they enjoyed seeing me make a fool of myself on television. And, as for the cruises, I’m so proud they thought enough of me to invite me back because it’s the classiest cruise I’ve ever been on or even heard about. First class all the way. The StarVista people are super-professional and just super-great people to work with. I love the atmosphere they create on-board. The Wade Hayes band is top-notch. Couldn’t have asked for a better back-up band. They’ve got it down.
I do the lifeboat drill like everyone else, and one time a lady came up to me and said, “You’re Johnny Lee!” I said, “Yes, ma’am.” She said, “You look just like my sixth husband.” I said, “Ma’am, how many husbands have you had?” She said, “Five!” You leave the cabin and you’re fair game, and I love that because I’ve never met a stranger. Folks come on-board to see you, visit with you, hear your stupid jokes, and get to know you … and I’m happy to oblige. Hell, one time, I autographed biscuits.
What’s a good day like for Johnny Lee?
Sounds corny, but I still enjoy giving the folks some good music. Golf and fishing are pretty far up the list, too. Whatever it is, I like to enjoy myself, and I like folks around me to have a great time.
If you’re thumbing through records at home for a little fun or relaxation, who do you play most often?
Lee Ann Womack, Otis Redding, and – this’ll surprise you – Leona Boyd. If you haven’t heard of Leona, she’s a classical guitar player. When I was married to Charlene Tilton, who was Lucy Ewing on Dallas, she introduced me to Leona’s music. When Charlene was pregnant with our daughter, she held some headphones to her belly so the baby could hear Leona Boyd. Now that little girl’s going to be a mother in October and I’m gonna be a grandfather and I bought the same CD so my grandson will hear the same music my daughter did.
When you were starting out, was there an artist or a song or a show that made you say, “I want to do THAT”?
Yeah, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. I just idolized Ricky Nelson. I loved those music spots on the show, and who’d have thought that his guitar player on all those shows and all those records, James Burton, would work with me in the studio. Who’d have thought I’d be sitting backstage talking to Ricky Nelson. If someone had told me that would happen, I’d have said they were insane. Strange how life works out. Strange in a good way.
Growing up in Texas, did you listen to Western Swing or other brands of country music?
This’ll sound weird, but I was a rock ‘n’ roller. Didn’t get into country music until I was in my twenties. After I got out of the service, I came back to Texas and I was going to be a Highway Patrolman, but I didn’t want to put on another uniform. So, I started playing the drums and singing. There’s a club, the Cedar Oaks, in Dickinson, Texas. It was an after-hours club. They hired us, then the guy said, ‘My wife loves country music. You gotta learn a couple of country songs.’ I said, ‘That’s cool with me’. First country song I ever sang in my life was Jack Greene’s Statue of a Fool. Later on, I got to meet Jack, hang out with him and tell him that. I’ve got a new CD out now that has some Western Swing songs on it. I’ve come to love it, and of course I loved watching Ray Benson tear it up on those old Bob Wills songs on the last cruise.
Were there times early on when you gave thought to giving up? If so, what brought you back around?
Oh, man, so many times I just got disgusted with it. I was so impatient. One time, I was at my Uncle James’ house, and I was standing on the back porch. I threw my hands up in the air, and I said, ‘God, listen to me. Please make this happen.’ I swear it wasn’t six months before things turned around. I knew I wanted to be successful or die trying. I just refused to let disappointment get the better of me and kept working toward my goal. Starting out, I’d be doing everyone else’s songs, so I said to myself, ‘OK, dumbass, no one else is gonna sound like Johnny Lee and Johnny Lee is gonna sound like no one else ever again.’ I found a style and got accepted with it.
“Lookin’ for Love” was turned down by many artists. Has anyone ever come up to you and fessed up to turning it down?
Yes, Helen Cornelius. She told me that, and I said, “Thank you very much.” That song was so much about me, I couldn’t believe I didn’t write it myself. Those two schoolteachers down in Mississippi who wrote it, man, they love ‘em some Johnny Lee. I always thought Mickey Gilley’s Stand by Me was gonna be the hit from the movie, but then John Travolta himself come up and said, “That Lookin’ for Love, that’s my favorite song in the movie.”
After the session, did you walk out of the studio thinking, “Now that’s a hit”?
Y’know, I really figured it was. I knew it hung on the movie. If the movie was successful, we had a good shot.
How does it feel to have recorded a song that is so special to so many people for so many reasons?
Feels great. The other night an eight-year-old boy come up and sung it with me on-stage. He knew every word. So many people have told me so many stories of what that song means to ‘em. It has been played at weddings and someone told me that a lady wanted it played at her funeral. People say, “That’s the song that got me into country music,” or “That’s the song that was playing when I met my wife.” How fortunate does that make me?
Are you looking forward to setting sail with us again in 2017?
Man, yeah! If you see me walking around the ship, just come on and say hi. Don’t be shy. We’ll visit, we’ll take photos, we’ll have a great time.
- Colin Escott © 2016