Johnny Horton

John Gale "Johnny" Horton (April 30, 1925-November 5, 1960), was an American country music singer who was most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which launched the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s. With them, he had several major crossover hits, most notably in 1959 with "The Battle of New Orleans" which won the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. The song won the Grammy Hall of Fame Award and in 2001 ranked No. 333 of the RIAA's "Songs of the Century". In 1960, Horton had two other crossover hits with "North to Alaska", in John Wayne's hit film, North to Alaska; and "Sink the Bismarck". Horton was also a rockabilly singer, and was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

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