Johnny Darrell born 23 July 1940

Johnny Darrell (July 23, 1940 – October 7, 1997) was an American country music artist. 

Darrell was born Eddie Ray White in Hopewell, Alabama but grew up in Marietta, Georgia. Hel had taught himself to play guitar whilst still in his early teens and on joining the army performed at base dances. By 1964, having left the military, he was managing a Holiday Inn motel in the Nashville area and found himself regularly dealing with people in the music business. 

He soon came to the attention of United Artists music producer Kelso Hairston through his friend Bobby Bare. Hairston, who liked Darrell's brand of songwriting quickly signed the musician to a contract with United Artists in 1964. Keen to pursue his own interest in that field, it wasn't until the country star Bobby Bare arranged a meeting with United Artists that he got the chance to cut a record. His debut disc for the label in 1965, the first recording of Curly Putman's now classic "Green, Green Grass of Home", fared poorly, becoming a country hit only when covered the same year by Porter Wagoner and an international smash when tackled by Tom Jones in 1966. 

                                   

His next single, "As Long as the Wind Blows" (1966), again penned by Putman, found its way into the country Top 30 and saw Darrell being named "Most Promising Male Artist" by Cash Box magazine. His chart run continued and in 1967, by now produced by the label head and former Buddy Holly associate Bob Montgomery, his version of Mel Tillis's "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" went to the Top 10. Inspired by an incident during the Second World War, the song's reference to "this crazy Asian war" was widely believed to refer to Vietnam and, trading on that presumed association, became a huge pop hit two years later for Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. 

Darrell's next single, the original version of another future pop smash, Dallas Frazier's "Son of Hickory Hollow's Tramp" (1968), made it only into the Top 25. It was followed by "With Pen In Hand", the closest Darrell came to a chart-topper and his only single to edge its way into the US pop chart. After "I Ain't Buying" (1968) and "Woman Without Love" (1969) came a duet, "The Coming of the Roads", with the underrated Anita Carter of the famous Carter Family; its lowly chart placing failing to reflect its obvious quality. 

Having garnered the respect of the cream of Nashville's songwriting community, Darrell next turned to two of its heaviest hitters, gaining Top 25 successes with first, Mickey Newbury's "Why Have You Been Gone So Long" and second, Billy Ed Wheeler's "River Bottom" (both 1969). 

In the 1970s, Darrell continued his association with friend Bobby Bare, and also became part of the outlaw country movement by joining the Grand Ole Opry's Party Night. The event was an English concert that celebrated the birthday of a now defunct Opry magazine. The lineup of performers included Nat Stuckey, Hank Snow, Wes Buchanan, and Willie Nelson, among others. The hits however, begin to dry up, a label switch to Monument producing the uncharacteristic "Dakota the Dancing Bear" (1973), and a further move to Capricorn resulting in one album and a final hit, an unsuccessful reworking of the bluegrass standard "Orange Blossom Special" (1975). 

Diagnosed in the mid-Seventies with the diabetes which eventually would kill him, Johnny Darrell cut just one further album, in 1979 re-recording of his hits for Gusto before fading into an undeserved obscurity. Darrell succumbed to the disease at age 57 in Kennesaw, Georgia, 7 October 1997and was survived by his wife Jody. He was buried in the Winkenhofer-Pine Ridge Memorial Park, Kennesaw, Cobb County, Georgia. 

In 2000, three years after his death the album, "Singin' It Lonesome: The Very Best...1965-1970", was released in his memory. The album included all of Darrell's chart topping successes. 

(Edited from  Paul Wadley obit @ The Independent,, Wikipedia & Find a grave)