Donnie Brooks, born John Dee Abahosh on 6 February 1936 in Dallas, Texas, was an American singer known for his contributions to rock'n'roll and pop music. After moving to San Diego as a child and being adopted by his stepfather, he initially studied opera but later transitioned to rock'n'roll after losing his soprano voice due to adolescence. He began his career working in radio, clubs, and for publishing companies, where he recorded demos. In November 1957, he was hired by John Marascalco and Kenny Babcock of Surf Records to re-record "Bertha Lou" after Dorsey Burnette's version couldn't be released due to contractual issues. This led to his first hit single. He then released several singles under different names, including Dick Bush and Johnny Jordan, before settling on Donnie Brooks. His breakthrough came with the song "Mission Bell", which reached number seven on the charts in 1960 and remained there for 20 weeks. Other notable hits include "Doll House" (1960) and "Memphis" (1961). He moved to Reprise Records in 1964, releasing two singles before heading to Challenge Records. He later collaborated with Al De Lory from Capitol Records on several projects. In 1970, he released an album under Happy Tiger Records, produced by Ray Ruff. Donnie Brooks died on 23 February 2007 from a heart attack.
