S.O.D. "North to Alaska" by Johnny Horton

1/14/2016     It was all about the gold rush back then.  Written by Mike Phillips for the 1960 movie of the same name starring John Wayne and Stewart Granger.  Unfortunately Horton passed on to Music Heaven soon after the tune was released.  It topped the Billboard Country Singles chart and climbed to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song was also listed as one of the top 100 Western Songs of All Time by the Western Writers of America.  

     Although Horten was only active for 10 years in the music business, he certainly made his mark with a  string of historical ballads of which most made it into motion pictures.  He nailed a couple Grammys on the way, making 11 albums and 23 singles. Horton has been inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.  

     When he was around 25 years old, he won his first talent contest in Longview, Texas. It inspired him to enter more contests and eventually led to his career in music. The first place prize was an ashtray on a pedestal.