John Gale Horton (1925 - 1960)

Born 30 Apr 1925 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States

Ancestors

Died 5 Nov 1960 at age 35 in Cameron, Milam, Texas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Dan Horton [send private message]

Biography

Johnny Horton is Notable.

Johnny Horton was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest of the five children of the former Ella Claudia Robinson and John Loly Horton and raised in Rusk in Cherokee County in east Texas. His family often traveled to California to work as migrant fruit-pickers. After he graduated from high school in Gallatin, Texas in 1944, Horton attended Lon Morris Junior College in Jacksonville, Texas on a basketball scholarship. He later attended Seattle University and briefly Baylor University in Waco, although he did not graduate from any of these institutions.^{[1] [2][3]}

In the 1930 census John, Claudia and their five children were farming in Smith, Texas.^[4][5]

Name	Age	Relation to Head	Birthplace
John L Horton	41	Head	Texas
Claudia Horton	36	Wife	Alabama
Browning Horton	15	Son	Texas
Nola Bee Horton	14	Daughter	Texas
Frank Horton	11	Son	Texas
Marie Horton	8	Daughter	Texas
Gayle	4	Son	California

Horton returned to California and got a job in the mail room at Selznick International Pictures, where his future wife, Donna Cook, was working in the studio as a secretary. After a short stint studying geology in Seattle in 1948, Horton went to Alaska to look for gold. During this period he began writing songs. Returning south, he entered and won a talent contest in Henderson, Texas. Encouraged by this result, he returned to California to pursue a music career.^[1]

His guest appearances on Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree on KXLA-AM and KLAC-TV in Pasadena and his own half-hour show, The Singing Fisherman, led to the opportunity to record some songs on the Cormac record label.[1] By the time the company folded in 1952, Horton recorded 10 singles for that label. Fabor Robison, owner of Abbott Records, acquired the masters. Around that time, Horton married Donna Cook.^[1][6]

"Musician. Born in Los Angeles, California, he was a popular singer-guitar player, best remembered for his saga songs and historical ballads. He began his career performing on local radio stations, which led to shows with the Louisiana Hayride. Changing his style from traditional country ballads to rockabilly, he was signed to Columbia Records which produced his first hit "Honky Tonk Man" in 1956. His recording career spanned only a few years but it was a rich varied musical legacy with number one hits on both the country and pop charts to include "The Battle of New Orleans" (1959), "North to Alaska" (1960) and "Sink the Bismarck" (1960). He died in Milano, Texas, in an auto accident at age 35 and was posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and Rockabilly Hall of Fame."

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith^[7]

Johnny was killed in November 1960 in Milano, Milam, Texas . ^[8][9]

He is buried in Red Chute, Bossier Parish, Louisiana.^[7]

Research Notes

Siblings

1. Fred Browning Horton DoB 8 Jun 1914 ^[10]
2. Nola Bee Horton DoB 7 Oct 1915^[11]
3. Benjamin Franklin Horton DoB^[12]
4. Marie Horton DoB 28 Sep 1922^[13]

Horton was married twice. His first marriage, to Donna Cook, ended with a divorce granted in Rusk, Texas. In September 1953 he married Billie Jean Jones, the widow of country-music singer Hank Williams.[1] (She was Williams' second wife.) Billie Jean and Horton had two daughters, Yanina (Nina) and Melody, and Horton adopted Billie Jean's daughter Jeri Lynn.

Spouses

Doris Donna Cook DoB 13 Nov 1927^[14]

Billie Jean Jones

Children

Yanina Horton

Melody Horton

Jeri Lynn (Williams) Horton adopted step-daughter

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Wikitree, Mather, Shaun (2004). "Johnny Horton". Rockabilly Hall of Fame
2. ↑ "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLW-PBKD : 9 December 2020), John Gale Horton, 30 Apr 1925; citing Birth, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, California State Archives, Sacramento.
3. ↑ "California Birth Index, 1905-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGFR-VTT : 27 November 2014), John Gale Horton, 30 Apr 1925; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, Department of Health Services, Vital Statistics Department, Sacramento.
4. ↑ 1930 Census: "1930 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1930; Census Place: Precinct 3, Smith, Texas; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0029; FHL microfilm: 2342125
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6224 #61125522 (accessed 16 November 2021)
   Name: John L Horton; Birth Year: abt 1889; Gender: Male; Race: White; Age in 1930: 41; Birthplace: Texas; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head; Home in 1930: Precinct 3, Smith, Texas, USA; Map of Home: Precinct 3, Smith, Texas; Street Address: Highway Number 37; Dwelling Number: 86; Family Number: 87; Home Owned or Rented: Rented; Radio Set: No; Lives on Farm: No; Age at First Marriage: 23; Attended School: No; Able to Read and Write: Yes; Father's Birthplace: Texas; Mother's Birthplace: Texas; Able to Speak English: Yes; Occupation: Farmer; Industry: General Farm; Class of Worker: Working on own account; Employment: Yes;
   Household Members Age Relationship:
   John L Horton 41 Head
   Claudie Horton 36 Wife
   Browning Horton 15 Son
   Nalobie Horton 14 Daughter
   Frank Horton 11 Son
   Marie Horton 8 Daughter
   Gayle Horton 4 Son.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HV82-36Z : accessed 15 February 2021), Gayle Horton in household of John L Horton, Precinct 3, Smith, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 29, sheet 4B, line 98, family 87, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2391; FHL microfilm 2,342,125.
6. ↑ "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8DY-3JR : 10 December 2017), John Gale Horton and Doris Donna Cook, 13 Jan 1952; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 1,283,750.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1990/johnny-horton : accessed 16 November 2021), memorial page for Johnny Horton (30 Apr 1925–5 Nov 1960), Find A Grave: Memorial #1990, citing Hillcrest Memorial Park and Mausoleum, Red Chute, Bossier Parish, Louisiana, USA ; Maintained by Find a Grave .
8. ↑ "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K341-7G8 : 13 March 2018), John Gale Horton, 05 Nov 1960; citing certificate number 67599, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,116,477.
9. ↑ Death Registration: "Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903-1982"
   Texas Department of State Health Services; Austin Texas, USA
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2272 #21482826 (accessed 16 November 2021)
   Name: John Gale Horton; Gender: Male; Race: White; Age: 35; Birth Date: 30 Apr 1925; Birth Place: Hollywood, California; Residence: Shreveport, Caddo, Louisiana, USA; Death Date: 5 Nov 1960; Death Place: Cameron, Milam, Texas, USA; Father: John L Horton.
10. ↑ Military: "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947"
    National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 841
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2238 #17933868 (accessed 16 November 2021)
    Name: Fred Browning Horton; Gender: Male; Race: White; Age: 26; Relationship to Draftee: Self (Head); Birth Date: 8 Jun 1914; Birth Place: Brownwood, Texas, USA; Residence Place: Bell Gardens, California, USA; Registration Date: 16 Oct 1940; Registration Place: Bell Gardens, California, USA; Employer: Nutt Bros; Height: 5 11; Weight: 165; Complexion: Light Brown; Hair Color: Brown; Eye Color: Gray; Next of Kin: Henry Murr;
    Household Members Age Relationship:
    Fred Browning Horton 26 Self (Head).
11. ↑ Death Registration: "Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903-1982"
    Texas Department of State Health Services; Austin Texas, USA
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2272 #539187 (accessed 16 November 2021)
    Name: Nola B Echols [Nola B Horton]; Gender: Female; Race: White; Age: 64; Birth Date: 7 Oct 1915; Birth Place: Texas; Residence: Rusk, Cherokee, Texas, USA; Death Date: 12 May 1980; Death Place: Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA; Father: John Horton; Mother: Claudia Robinson; Spouse: Marvin Echols; Certificate Number: 38371.
12. ↑ Military: "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947"
    National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 840
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2238 #18222280 (accessed 16 November 2021)
    Name: Benjamin Franklin Horton; Gender: Male; Race: White; Age: 22; Relationship to Draftee: Self (Head); Birth Date: 19 Apr 1918; Birth Place: Tyler, Texas, USA; Residence Place: Downey, Los Angeles, California, USA; Registration Date: 16 Oct 1940; Registration Place: Downey, Los Angeles, California, USA; Employer: Nutt Bros Cookie Company; Height: 6; Weight: 155; Complexion: Light; Hair Color: Brown; Eye Color: Gray; Next of Kin: Fred Browning Horton;
    Household Members Age Relationship:
    Benjamin Franklin Horton 22 Self (Head).
13. ↑ Unclassified: "Texas, U.S., Birth Index, 1903-1997"
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8781 #521185 (accessed 16 November 2021)
    Name: Marie Horton; Birth Date: 28 Sep 1922; Birth Place: Archer, Texas, USA; Certificate Number: 49097; Roll number: 1922_0007.
14. ↑ Unclassified: "California Birth Index, 1905-1995"
    Birthdate: 13 Nov 1927; Birth County: Los Angeles
    Ancestry Record 5247 #1369772 (accessed 16 November 2021)
    Name: Doris Dona Cook; Birth Date: 13 Nov 1927; Gender: Female; Mother's Maiden Name: Goods; Birth County: Los Angeles.