Johnny Moore (musician)
Encyclopedia
Johnny Moore was an American
rhythm and blues
singer with The Drifters
.
Born John Alfred Moore in Selma, Alabama
, United States
, he began as lead of the Cleveland based group, The Hornets, before being discovered by The Drifters. He joined the group as lead vocalist, in New York in 1955, at age 21. He was drafted into the US Army
for national service; upon returning, he recorded as a soloist under the name "Johnny Darrow". He rejoined the Drifters, now with four new members, and became the lead singer in 1964, after the death of Rudy Lewis
. The group was due to record "Under the Boardwalk
", and Moore took over the lead vocals. Subsequently, he became permanent lead. Moore had a string of hits with the group in the 1960s, most notably "Saturday Night At The Movies", "Come On Over To My Place", "At The Club" and "Up In The Streets Of Harlem". He remained with the group touring the United Kingdom
from early 1970 to 1999, establishing him as the group's longest-serving member.
In 1988, Moore was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
.
Moore died of respiratory failure
in 1998, and was survived by his wife Jennifer Moore, and their five children.
Moore was given a posthumous Pioneer Award in 1999 by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer with The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
.
Born John Alfred Moore in Selma, Alabama
Selma, Alabama
Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, Alabama, United States, located on the banks of the Alabama River. The population was 20,512 at the 2000 census....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he began as lead of the Cleveland based group, The Hornets, before being discovered by The Drifters. He joined the group as lead vocalist, in New York in 1955, at age 21. He was drafted into the US Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
for national service; upon returning, he recorded as a soloist under the name "Johnny Darrow". He rejoined the Drifters, now with four new members, and became the lead singer in 1964, after the death of Rudy Lewis
Rudy Lewis
Rudy Lewis was an American rhythm and blues singer with The Drifters. He was the lead singer on a few of their hits such as "Some Kind of Wonderful", "Please Stay", "On Broadway", and "Up on the Roof"....
. The group was due to record "Under the Boardwalk
Under the Boardwalk
"Under the Boardwalk" is a hit pop song written by Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick and recorded by The Drifters in 1964.-Premise:The lyric describes a tryst between a man and his beloved in a seaside town, who plan to privately meet "out of the sun" and out of sight from everyone else under a...
", and Moore took over the lead vocals. Subsequently, he became permanent lead. Moore had a string of hits with the group in the 1960s, most notably "Saturday Night At The Movies", "Come On Over To My Place", "At The Club" and "Up In The Streets Of Harlem". He remained with the group touring the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from early 1970 to 1999, establishing him as the group's longest-serving member.
In 1988, Moore was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
.
Moore died of respiratory failure
Respiratory failure
The term respiratory failure, in medicine, is used to describe inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, with the result that arterial oxygen and/or carbon dioxide levels cannot be maintained within their normal ranges. A drop in blood oxygenation is known as hypoxemia; a rise in arterial...
in 1998, and was survived by his wife Jennifer Moore, and their five children.
Moore was given a posthumous Pioneer Award in 1999 by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation
Rhythm and Blues Foundation
The Rhythm and Blues Foundation is an independent American nonprofit organization dedicated to the historical and cultural preservation of rhythm and blues music....
.