East Tennessee-born country performer Lois Johnson died Monday
at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Born and raised in Union County, Johnson began performing at age
11 and appeared on Knoxville radio and television shows,
including “The Midday Merry-Go-Round,” “The Tennessee Barn Dance”
and “Cas Walker’s Farm and Home Hour.” She had a string of
charting country songs from 1969 to 1984, including
“Loving You Will Never Grow Old,” which went to No. 6 in 1974. Johnson
also recorded a number of duets
with Hank Williams Jr. The two had two
Top 20 duets with “So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)” (1970)
and “Send Me Some Lovin’” (1972).
Cash Box magazine listed her as its No. 6 Country Singles solo artist
in 1975. During her career, Johnson recorded for Columbia Records, MGM, 20th
Century Records and Polydor.
Bradley Reeves of the Knoxville-based Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound said the
archive has several vintage recordings of Johnson performing in Knoxville.
“She appeared on the ‘Tennessee Barn Dance’ in 1957. (Radio impresario)
Lowell Blanchard introduces her and she’s just great. She had a
great voice. It was just beautiful, and she deserved more credit than she got.”
Reeves plans to dedicate at least an hour to Johnson’s recordings
on his weekly radio show “The Tennessee Quiver” this week.
The program airs 10 p.m. Thursday on WDVX, 89.9 and 102.9 FM and streams
at www.wdvx.com.
Memorial services are being planned in Nashville and Knoxville. More information on Johnson
can be found at www.loisjohnson music.com.
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