Johnnie High
Encyclopedia
Johnnie High was a music
impresario
, starmaker, and performer of Texas
who established Johnnie High's Country Music Revue
, a live Saturday night show, in 1974 in Grapevine, Texas
.
. He began learning music from an early age. He acquired a $6 guitar
and when he was 13, hitchhiked to nearby Waco to audition for a radio show. In 1948, Johnnie married Wanda Davis in Waco when they were still teenagers. For many years, he worked at the radio station
, singing and accompanying himself on guitar. He collected words to songs from the magazine Country Song Roundup, which published song lyrics. He couldn't read music nor did he need to. As with many other country musicians he played guitar by ear.
's Palace Theatre. In 1979, Childs moved to Branson, Missouri
, when High opened his Saturday night show at Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth. It stayed there for almost 13 years before moving to Haltom City's Shannon Auditorium.
In 1995, High bought an old movie theater in Arlington, Texas
and created the Arlington Music Hall.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
, starmaker, and performer of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
who established Johnnie High's Country Music Revue
Johnnie High's Country Music Revue
The Johnnie High's Country Music Revue is a weekly variety show held at the Arlington Music Hall in Arlington, Texas near the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. It helps to showcase local talent; Old or young. It was created by Johnnie High, a singer, musician, songwriter and businessman. The Revue began...
, a live Saturday night show, in 1974 in Grapevine, Texas
Grapevine, Texas
Grapevine is a city in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census the city population was 46,334. The city's moniker is derived from the native grapes prevalent in the area. In recent years several wineries have...
.
Early life
High was raised in McGregor, TexasMcGregor, Texas
McGregor is a city in Coryell and McLennan Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 4,727 at the 2000 census.McGregor lies in two counties as well as two metropolitan areas...
. He began learning music from an early age. He acquired a $6 guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and when he was 13, hitchhiked to nearby Waco to audition for a radio show. In 1948, Johnnie married Wanda Davis in Waco when they were still teenagers. For many years, he worked at the radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
, singing and accompanying himself on guitar. He collected words to songs from the magazine Country Song Roundup, which published song lyrics. He couldn't read music nor did he need to. As with many other country musicians he played guitar by ear.
Revue career
In 1974, High began his country music show, when he and dance teacher Chisai Childs of Fort Worth, bought and renovated GrapevineGrapevine, Texas
Grapevine is a city in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census the city population was 46,334. The city's moniker is derived from the native grapes prevalent in the area. In recent years several wineries have...
's Palace Theatre. In 1979, Childs moved to Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
, when High opened his Saturday night show at Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth. It stayed there for almost 13 years before moving to Haltom City's Shannon Auditorium.
In 1995, High bought an old movie theater in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
and created the Arlington Music Hall.