Johnny Fortune - Guitarist & 60's "Surf Music legend"
aka Bob
Johnny Fortune
Johnny Fortune a guitarist, vocalist music teacher and teen idol of
the 60's passed away Sunday Jan. 8, 2006 peacefully in his home in
Rialto California.
He left behind his beloved wife Rose of 27 years; his son Johnny
Fortune Jr.; his step-children Jeff, Kari and Teri; his grandchildren
precious Johnny Matthew Christopher and Ashlee; two brothers Vince and
Al; three sisters Bave, Marty and Kathy.
Viewing will be held Friday Jan. 13, 2006 from 3-5 p.m. at Richardson
Peterson Funeral Home 123 W. G St. Ontario. A church service will be
held on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2006 at 11 a.m., Zion Temple Four Square
Gospel Church 9797 Feron St., Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Gathering
immediately following memorial service at Upland Cancade Mobile Home
Park Club House.
Published in the Los Angeles Times on 1/12/2006.
http://www.nervous.co.uk/shindex.htm?http://www.nervous.co.uk/reviews/z501.htm
Johnny Fortune
The guy who made 'Dragster' all those years ago 'goes Country'. Real
name Johnny Sudetta. Johnny Fortune was born in Ohio. He started when
he was barely ten years old, and patterned his style after Chet
Atkins.
Johnny Fortune moved to Ontario, California, from Ohio in 1959.
His earliest recordings were vocals dating from 1959. These were
recorded at the nearby Pal Recording Studio in Cucamonga. He obtained
some studio session work in Los Angeles in 1960 and 1961. Among the
several recordings he played on were Sam Cooke's 'Chain Gang' and
Barbara George's 'I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)', both Top 10
hits.
During this period, he met John Fisher, a local guitarist and
singer. In 1963, Fisher decided to form a record label and wanted
Fortune to have the first release. According to an interview with
author Robert Dalley, Fortune said: "I wrote 'Soul Surfer' on the way
to the studio in the car. I had my guitar and was playing different
riffs and John was telling me to play this, so I would play it until
it sounded good. Then he would tell me to play something else high on
the neck until I did play something that sounded good. That's how I
wrote the whole thing.
"My brother Joe was only ten years old when he played the drums
on the recording. I played in the booth and went direct into the
board. The drums were placed way down at the end of the studio and Joe
used earphones. Jim O'Keith played sax and I overdubbed the bass."
Johnny Fortune made it all seem so simple, yet 'Soul Surfer' was
not a particularly easy guitar piece. 'Soul Surfer' made a respectable
showing on local radio stations in May and June of 1963, but failed to
receive any national recognition. In truth, the other side, 'Dragster'
was the much better track.
Photo (scroll down): http://www.rockabillyhall.com/PeterHallock.html
http://www.reverbcentral.com/reviews/comp/rare0856.html
Johnny Fortune was already a successful session musician before the
surf sound hit. He'd play guitar on Sam Cook's "Chain Gang" and
Barbara George's "I Know".
In '63, at the age of 16, Johnny recorded the Soul Surfer sessions at
Bob Summers' Sound House studio in El Monte, where the Lively Ones
also recorded much of their output. The session musicians were Johnny
Fortune (Sudetta - guitar, bass), Jim O'Keith - sax, and Joey Sudetta,
a mere 10 years old at the time, on drums.
Johnny's bandmates John Fisher, who co-wrote many of the tunes, and
brothers Vincent Sudetta and George Sudetta did not play on the
sessions.
Offered a chance to tour England with Johnny Burnette, he had to
decline due to his being under eighteen. Johnny's sound is quite
unusual within the surf genre. He has a warm and muffled, relatively
dry sound with unusual whammy action that sets it apart from the rest,
and from the big guitar sound of the Duane Eddy's of the world.
Johnny's tunes are melodic and rhythmic, and have a lasting quality
about them.
More photos (1977):
http://community.webshots.com/photo/30712720/30713058NKdHZVvigV#
http://community.webshots.com/album/30712720oPNYjuzerl
Discography:
http://rcs.law.emory.edu/rcs/artists/f/fort1000.htm
"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen
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Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
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