Johnny Preston, born John Preston Courville on 18 August 1939 in Port Arthur, Texas, was an American singer known for his contributions to rock 'n' roll and rockabilly music. His early musical endeavours included performing with his high school choir and later forming the rhythm'n'blues band The Shades while attending Lamar State College in Beaumont. His breakthrough came when he met disc jockey J.P. Richardson, also known as The Big Bopper, and producer Bill Hall, who facilitated his audition at Mercury Records. His career took off with the release of "Running Bear", a song written by J.P. Richardson that became a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in January and February 1960. The single also topped the charts in the UK. Following this success, he released his debut album Running Bear in January 1960. His subsequent singles included "Cradle of Love", which reached the top ten in both the US and UK. However, his chart presence waned after 1962. Despite changing labels multiple times-including stints at Imperial and Hall-Way Records-and attempting different musical styles, his later efforts did not achieve the same level of success. He continued to perform live, appearing on Dick Clarkâs American Bandstand and touring extensively in the UK between 1998 and 2005. He underwent a heart bypass operation in December 2010 but passed away on 4 March 2011 at the age of 71. He was posthumously inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
