Birth name John Fred Gourrier Name John Fred Labels Paula, Montell | Years active 1956–2002 Instruments Vocals | |
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Occupation(s) Musician, singer-songwriter Albums The History of John Fred and the Playboys People also search for Harold Cowart, Andrew Bernard | ||
John fred and his playboy band back in the u s s r the beatles cover
John Fred Gourrier (May 8, 1941 – April 14, 2005), known by his stage name John Fred, was an American blue-eyed soul, swamp pop, R&R, and R&B performer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, best known for the 1968 hit song "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)".
Contents
- John fred and his playboy band back in the u s s r the beatles cover
- John Fred Young Black Stone Cherry Musicians Career interview
- Career
- Later life and death
- Awards
- References
John Fred Young (Black Stone Cherry) - 'Musicians Career' interview
Career
His group, John Fred and the Playboys, was formed in 1956 when Fred was 15; their first hit single was in March 1959's "Shirley". He appeared on Alan Freed's show, but when Dick Clark asked him to sing on American Bandstand, Fred had to turn him down because he had to play in a basketball game. Fred played basketball and baseball at Louisiana State University and Southeastern Louisiana University.
By 1967, the band was renamed John Fred & His Playboy Band (to avoid confusion with Gary Lewis & The Playboys) and Fred and band member Andrew Bernard co-wrote "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)", whose name is a parodic play on the title of The Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". The song, issued by Louisiana-based Jewel Records on the Paula label, became successful, knocking another Beatles song ("Hello, Goodbye") out of the No. 1 chart position on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in January 1968. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. With the success of the single, John Fred & His Playboy Band was branded as a novelty act and never had another major success. The follow-up single, "Hey, Hey, Bunny" peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard chart and the band never again hit the Hot 100. Only after years of struggles did Fred obtain full legal rights to "Judy in Disguise" and its royalties.
Later life and death
Fred continued to perform in bands, coached high school basketball and baseball, remained a fixture at concerts and shows in his hometown, and hosted a popular local radio show, The Roots of Rock 'n' Roll. In 2002, he released his final album, Somebody's Knockin.
In 2004, Fred's health began to fail and after receiving a kidney transplant, complications ensued which culminated in a long hospital stay in New Orleans until his death on 14 April 2005. He died at the age of 63, survived by his wife, Sandra, and a son, Kevin, his wife Jodi, and a grandson, Jon Sterling Gourrier in Miami.
Awards
In April 2007, Fred was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. He has been inducted into the Delta Music Museum in Ferriday, Louisiana.