Johnny and the Hurricanes, an American instrumental rock band from Toledo, Ohio, were formed in 1957 as the Orbits by saxophonist Johnny Paris. The group initially consisted of school friends who played on recordings behind local rockabilly singer Mack Vickery. In 1958, they signed with Twirl Records and were renamed Johnny and the Hurricanes. Their breakthrough came with "Crossfire", recorded in a vacant cinema to achieve an echo effect, which reached number 23 on the US chart in spring 1959. The band's most notable success was "Red River Rock", an instrumental version of "Red River Valley" that topped both sides of the Atlantic, reaching number 5 in the US and number three in the UK, selling over a million copies. Throughout their career, Johnny and the Hurricanes released several albums, including Johnny and the Hurricanes (1959), Stormsville (1960), and The Big Sound of Johnny and the Hurricanes (1960). They also had hits with "Reveille Rock" and "Beatnik Fly", both of which made the Top 40. The band continued to tour and record until 1987, with their last charting releases being "Old Smokie" and "Traffic Jam". Johnny Paris, the only constant member, continued touring with various lineups of the Hurricanes in Europe and the United States until his death on 1 May 2006. The band's influence extended to inspiring songs by other artists, including the Auteurs' "Johnny and the Hurricanes" and mentions in songs by the Kinks and Burton Cummings.
