Johnny Horton was born 97 years ago today.
Horton was country and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs," which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
With them, he had several major successes, most notably in 1959 with the song "The Battle of New Orleans," written by Jimmy Driftwood.
During 1960, Horton had two other successes with "North to Alaska" for John Wayne's movie, North to Alaska, and "Sink the Bismarck."
That same year, near Milano, Texas, Horton was crossing a bridge when a truck came at him. It hit both sides of the bridge before plunging into Horton's Cadillac. He had in the past avoided head-on collisions by driving into ditches, but on the narrow bridge he had no such opportunity.
He was still breathing when he was pulled from the car, but died en route to the hospital. Horton was 35 years old when he died.
Here, Horton performs “North to Alaska” in 1959 on live television