Johnny Powers / Rock and Roll

Johnny Powers



Johnny Powers (born John Leon Joseph Pavlik on May 25, 1938 in Detroit, Michigan); † January 16, 2023, was an American rockabilly singer.




Powers joined his brother's country band, Jimmy Williams and the Drifters, as a guitarist in 1953 at the age of 15. Due to his enthusiasm for Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley, Powers began to incorporate more and more rock 'n' roll elements into his style.

By 1955, Powers was performing under his birth name. Fortune Records co-owner Devora Brown got the idea for the stage name while recording Honey Let's Go when she saw Johnny eating a "Power House" candy bar during the break.

Powers released a number of singles on the Fox Records label, including his best-known track, Long Blond Hair.
After Fox went bankrupt, Powers went to Sun Records in 1959, which released the single With Your Love - With Your Kiss / Be Mine, All Mine under number 327.
In 1960, Powers met Berry Gordy and became the first white musician to join Motown Records for the next five years. Johnny Powers is the only artist who was signed to the two classic record labels Sun and Motown.

Powers is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and is to date actively touring the US and Europe.

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