Background
Sammy Reginald Johns was born in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Sammy Reginald Johns was born in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Johns" father gave him a guitar when he was nine, and he founded his first band (the Devilles) in his teenage years. The group performed locally and made a few records for Dixie Records. Johns moved to Atlanta, where he signed with General Recording in 1973.
His first solo recording was "Early Morning Love" (1973).
"Chevy Van" (1975) reached Number. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained in the chart for 17 weeks.
lieutenant was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. on 4 May 1975. The song and an album (also titled "Chevy Van") led to a contract with Warner Curb Records to produce a soundtrack for the 1977 film The Van.
Johns switched to the Elektra label, where he issued singles such as "Common Manitoba" and "Love Maine off the Road".
John Conlee"s cover version of "Common Manitoba" reached number 1. Conlee made the song his theme song. Johns" songs have also been covered by Waylon Jennings, Sammy Kershaw, Conway Twitty and Fu Manchu.
After Jennings sang Johns" song "America" at a celebration of the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in 1985, the single was nominated for country song of the year.
Johns died on January 4, 2013, at Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia, North Carolina, at the age of 66.