RIP Johnnie Wright
I would hate for the passing of Johnnie Wright at the age of 97 to go unnoticed on this web site. Johnnie was a county music pioneer and a first hand witness to most everything that shaped country music. Johnnie is perhaps best know for helping build and promote the career of his wife, Kitty Wells. However the accomplishments of Johnnie’s own musical career should not be overlooked. Along with his brother in law, Jack Anglin, they formed the duo of Johnnie and Jack and were widely regarded as the most popular duo of the 50’s. When Jack died in 1963 Johnnie continued a solo careeer including a #1 hit with Hello Vietnam. Johnnie continued to tour and perform with Kitty and thier family until the end of 2000.
Although Kitty has received much deserved recognition and fame, the accomplishments and career of Johnnie and Jack seems to haved faded into relative obscurity. For some reason they have not been admitted into the Country Music Hall of Fame despite having a body of work that would seem to warrent the recognition.