By: Judy Shields
Rancho Cucamonga, California (The Hollywood Times) 02/10/2021 – “I was in a hotel room with Johnny Paycheck back in the 80s and the song ‘Livin’ Hell’ was written from that night.” Johnny Lee told The Hollywood Times during a phone conversation last week.
Urban Cowboy legend Johnny Lee is here to stay and at 74 years young, he brings us several songs that have never been released and felt like this was the time to release them. Although the pandemic of 2020 has brought us sadness and some loneliness, we are Blessed to have talented songwriters like Johnny Lee to give us hope and happiness with his new album in over five year, “Everything’s Going To Be Alright” on February 12, 2021. The title track and first single was released on January 8, 2021.
I had the opportunity to speak to Johnny Lee on the phone to discuss his upcoming new album. I have been a long time fan of Johnny Lee’s music.
Pull up chair, grab your favorite drink and enjoy our conversation.
Part 1
Part 2
The Hollywood Times.today has the great pleasure and honor of premiering exclusively today, my favorite song of his upcoming album, “If You Drive Your Husband to Drinkin’.” You may wonder why this is my favorite song. Well, my pop has told me a couple of times that “you drive your husband to drinkin’, so Johnny Lee and I had a good laugh talking about that.
Watch below to hear Johnny Lee talk about why he wrote this song.
Enjoy listing to “If You Drive Your Husband to Drinkin'” https://youtu.be/KE30OokBBoc
Thank you Johnny Lee for bringing us some good ole traditional country music. This is the album to buy to bring you back to those days of steel guitars and fiddles. It has been missed! Not a bad song on this new album, great lyrics and music. Get a copy today. Judy Shields, The Hollywood Times
Don’t miss the opportunity to add this amazing album to your collection of country music and spread the word about it to your family and friends, they will thank you for it.
“Everything’s Gonna’ Be Alright” consists of fourteen songs, some written or co-written by Johnny, that he has saved throughout the years for the perfect album that truly reflects his life and legacy. Lee also wanted to include “Statue Of A Fool,” which was the first country song he ever learned. A special lyric video for “Everything’s Gonna’ Be Alright” premiered on Taste of Country and is available on all streaming platforms.
Watch the lyric video for “Everything’s Gonna’ Be Alright” HERE.
Johnny Lee – Everything’s Gonna Be Alright
UPC – 819376025322 – BFD 253
- Everything’s Gonna Be Alright – (Johnny Lee/Tony Ramey) Cookie Jar Music (BMI) Rhyme Heart Music (BMI)
- Pledge Of Allegiance
- Take Me Back To Texas
- Did You Enjoy Hurting Me – Written by Johnny Lee – Cookie Jar Music (BMI) (Guitar on “Did You Enjoy Hurting Me”: Willie Nelson)
- A Song For You – (Leon Russell) – Universal Music Publishing Group (ASCAP) (Vocals on “A Song For You”: Toni Jolene Clay)
- Statue Of A Fool – (Jan Crutchfield) – Dixie Jane Music (BMI)
- Sawin’ On The Fiddle – (Johnny Lee) – Cookie Jar Music (BMI)
- I Know Me – (Kelly Lang)- Kelly Lang Music (BMI)
- Highways Run Forever – (Johnny Lee) Cookie Jar Music (BMI)
- Annie – (Johnny Lee) – Cookie Jar Music (BMI)
- If You Drive Your Husband To Drinkin’ – (Johnny Lee, Don Crumb) – Cookie Jar Music (BMI)
- There Never Was A Doubt In My Mind- (Johnny Lee, Alex Harvey) – Cookie Jar Music (BMI) – Preshus Child Music Company (BMI)
- Livin’ Hell -(Johnny Lee) – Cookie Jar Music (BMI)
Cherish Lee - Father’s Daughter – (Cherish Lee, Bill Diluigi) – Pantsman Publishing (BMI) – 888 King Music (BMI) – Cookie Jar Music (BMI) [sung by Lee’s Daughter Cherish Lee. Cherish, whose mother is Charlene Tilton wrote the song for her father and he is proud of the song]
Produced by Johnny Lee and Buddy Hyatt
Engineer: Zach Allen
Mixed by Buddy Hyatt
Musicians:
Guitar: Brent Mason
Drums: Lonnie Wilson
Bass: Duncan Mullins
Piano: Buddy Hyatt
Acoustic Guitar: Joel Key
Steel Guitar: Scotty Sanders
Fiddle: Megan Mullins
Thanks to all the musicians who worked on my new album. Without them it would have been impossible to make. A special thank you to Megan Mullins for your great fiddle playing. Special thanks to my great friend Mickey Gilley for no other reason than I love you. Thank you, Buddy Hyatt, for all your hard work in getting the songs done. Thank you to 3rd Coast Talent for keeping me out there on the road. Thank you, Larry Black, for your friendship and having me on your show. Thank you, Willie Nelson, for your amazing guitar playing on track #4. Thank you Snuffy Garrett and Larry Buxton for your love and friendship. Thank you, Toni Jolene Clay, for singing and playing on #5. Thank you to my daughter Cherish Lee for writing the song Father’s Daughter that is a bonus song on the album. Thank you to all my fans for keeping me going. I cannot thank you enough. Thank you, family, for always supporting me all these years. And finally, thank you God for giving me the talent to be able to write and sing the songs that I love. – Johnny Lee – July 2020
C & P 2020 Johnny Lee. Distributed exclusively by BFD through the Orchard. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of all applicable laws. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Made in the USA.
#JohnnyLee releases #EverythingsGonnaBeAlright with an exclusive premiere by @TasteofCountry & is the title track of the new album due out Feb 12. LISTEN/DOWNLOAD: orcd.co/
Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the hit movie Urban Cowboy, which changed the dynamics of country music and catapulted it to the next level in pop culture. As part of the celebration, Johnny Lee reunited with Mickey Gilley for the Urban Cowboy Reunion Tour. In November at the 54th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, both were recognized for their contributions to country music and Lee’s hit single “Lookin’ For Love” was featured and performed by Old Dominion. The Urban Cowboy Reunion Tour will continue throughout 2021.
The Hollywood Times had the opportunity to catch up with Johnny Lee and Mickey Gilley in January 2019 at the Sugar Creek Casino in Hinton, Oklahoma for the 1st show of the tour. Here are some photos:
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About Johnny Lee
Johnny Lee was born in Texas City, Texas, and is a member of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. In 1968, he began a 10-year working relationship with Mickey Gilley, at the World Famous Nightclub ‘Gilley’s’ in Pasadena, Texas. In 1979, Lee’s first screen role was in a TV Movie, ‘The Girls in the Office,’ starring Barbara Eden and Susan St. James.
He was then asked to perform in the film, ‘Urban Cowboy,” starring John Travolta and Deborah Winger. “Lookin’ For Love,” was included on the movie’s soundtrack, and became Lee’s first Gold record. The song spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard Country chart, and #2 on the Pop chart. It later became one of the Top 100 Best Country Songs of all Time.
Johnny’s familiar songs include a string of Top 10 hits, such as “One In A Million,” “Bet Your Heart On Me,” “Cherokee Fiddle,” “Sounds Like Love,” “Hey Bartender,” “You Could’ve Heard a Heart Break,” and many more. When not traveling and performing, Johnny can be seen on many celebrity hunting and fishing shows, as well as on RFD TV’s “Larry’s Country Diner” & “Country’s Family Reunion”. Currently, Johnny can be seen performing solo and together with Mickey Gilley on the Urban Cowboy Reunion Tour.
For more information, visit thejohnnyleemusic.com.
About Bob Frank Distribution (BFD):
Bob Frank Distribution (BFD) was formed in 2013 as a boutique independent music distributor with a global sub-distribution arrangement with The Orchard. BFD currently represents over 50 companies and artists with thousands of masters including Righteous Babe, Blue Hat, DPTV, Astor Place Recordings, Big Deal Records, Once Upon A Time, Node Music, Silva Screen, Woodward Avenue Records, The Atlantic Screen Group (Filmtrax), REMT, Pra/Bad Dog, UFO, as well as artist-owned labels and catalogs including Crystal Gayle, Dale Watson, Dave Davies, Mark Collie, Darryl Worley, Lee Roy Parnell, Trini Lopez, and Charlie Daniels.
Visit bobfrankent.com for more information.