Johnny Tillotson (born April 20, 1939 in Jacksonville, Florida; raised in Palatka, Florida) is an American singer and songwriter.

While still in high school, Tillotson was making records and performing on stage, and as a student at the University of Florida he had his own musical variety show on regional television. Following graduation in 1959 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Communications, he signed with Cadence Records and moved to New York City to pursue his music career. In 1960 he recorded his first hit, his own composition titled "Poetry In Motion", that went to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music charts in the USA and No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.

A "crossover" artist, several of Tillotson's songs were successful on both the country music charts and pop charts. He earned a Grammy Award nomination for another of his own compositions, "It Keeps Right On A Hurtin", and also for the song "Heartaches By The Number", nominated for Best Vocal Performance of 1965. He also appeared in the 1963 film Just For Fun, and sang the theme song for the 1965 Sally Field television comedy, Gidget.

In a career spanning more than forty years, Tillotson has recorded twenty-six singles that made it onto Billboard's charts and performed at venues across the United States and other places around the globe.

He was featured in the 1966 camp comedy The Fat Spy starring Jayne Mansfield, Jack E. Leonard, Phyllis Diller, Brian Donlevey and Jordan Christopher & the Wild Ones. This film was featured in the 2004 documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (#46).

Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 Singles

• 1960 Poetry In Motion (#2)

• 1961 Jimmy's Girl (#25)

• 1961 Without You (#7)

• 1962 Dreamy Eyes (#35)

• 1962 It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin' (#3)

• 1962 Send Me The Pillow You Dream On (#17)

• 1962 I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) (#24)

• 1963 Out Of My Mind (#24)

• 1963 You Can Never Stop Me Loving You (#18)

• 1963 Talk Back Trembling Lips (#7)

• 1964 Worried Guy (#37)

• 1964 I Rise, I Fall (#36)

• 1964 She Understands Me (#31)

• 1965 Heartaches By The Number (#35)

External links

• Johnny Tillotson Official Site
• Johnny Tillotson Lyrics

1939 births | Living people | American country singers | American male singers | American pop singers | American songwriters | People from Florida

Johnny Tillotson | Johnny Tillotson