All Current Photos: Alan Mercer
Photos taken at the Texas Opry Theater in Weatherford, Texas
Texas-born Country Singer Johnny Lee spent years as a journeyman performer, playing Lone Star honky tonks and recording for various labels, before finally breaking through as a major crossover star with the 1980 hit ‘Lookin' for Love.’ John Lee Ham was born in Alta Loma, Texas, and he came of age listening to first-generation rock & roll artists such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Billing himself as Johnny Lee, he went from fan to performer in high school, when he and his friends formed a band called the Road Runners. The Road Runners' local success came to a halt when Johnny joined the Navy and served in Southeast Asia as America's involvement in Vietnam grew. After Johnny Lee was discharged, he bounced around from Texas to California looking for gigs and landed his first serious break when he met honky tonk man Mickey Gilley in 1968. Johnny reminded Gilley of the time they had met and talked music in Galveston, Texas, and Gilley allowed Lee to join him on-stage that evening. Gilley eventually signed Johnny as a backing vocalist and trumpet player, unaware that Lee was pulling his leg and the two hadn't previously met.
Johnny with Mickey Gilley 1979
For five years, Johnny Lee was part of Gilley's band for his standing engagement at Gilley's nightclub in Pasadena, Texas, and when Gilley was playing road dates, Lee was the headliner in his absence. Johnny stepped out as a solo act in 1973. He cut a few songs for the tiny Astro label, but when they failed to chart, he started working with Gilley again.
Johnny Lee's shot at the big time came in 1979, when filmmaker James Bridges came to Texas to shoot the movie ‘Urban Cowboy.’ Irving Azoff, the high-powered music business mogul who was producing the film and coordinating the soundtrack, helped Johnny land a small part in the film playing himself, and asked him to record a song for the soundtrack. Johnny was given the song ‘Lookin' for Love,’ and when Urban Cowboy's soundtrack album came out in tandem with the film in 1980, ‘Lookin' for Love’ rose to number one on the country charts and number five on the pop charts. Johnny Lee dropped his own album titled ‘Lookin' for Love,’ and it spun off three more country hits, ‘One in a Million,’ ‘Pickin' Up Strangers,’ and ‘Prisoner of Hope.’
Johnny Lee was a consistent hitmaker on country radio for the next few years, touring regularly with his own band and charting high with tunes like ’Cherokee Fiddle,’ ‘Bet Your Heart on Me,’ ‘Sounds Like Love,’ ‘Hey Bartender,’ ‘You Could Have Heard a Heart Break,’ and ‘The Yellow Rose’ (a duet with Lane Brody).
Johnny even landed a TV star spouse, marrying Charlene Tilton, one of the stars of Dallas, on Valentine's Day, 1982. However, Johnny and Charlene split up in 1984.
Johnny Lee remains active as a touring act, playing regularly in Texas and the Southwest, and documenting two shows with independent live albums, 1999's ‘Live at Gilley's’ and 2002's ‘Live at Billy Bob's Texas.
In 2008, Johnny began appearing regularly in Branson, Missouri, playing his hits for his longtime fans. While business dealings led to a falling out between Lee and Mickey Gilley in the '80s, in 2015 the two buried the hatchet and reunited for a concert tour celebrating the 35th anniversary of the release of 'Urban Cowboy.'
Johnny Lee lost his son to a drug overdose in 2014. He recorded his first new album in ten years titled ‘You Ain’t Never Been To Texas,’ published his memoir titled ‘Still Lookin’ For Love’ and became a grandfather last year. At 71 he's going strong still touring and performing like someone half his age.
Alan Mercer: Johnny how has being a grandfather changed your life?
Johnny Lee: It hasn’t changed my life. It’s added to it. I just have more love now.
AM: Do you get to spend a lot of time together?
JL: Not as much as I want. They live in Tennessee and I live in Missouri, so we use the modern technology and we facetime a lot. He knows who his grandpa is.
AM: How awesome! You also released your first new album, ‘You Ain’t Never Been To Texas,’ in many years. What was that like?
JL: I just put it together and went in and recorded it. Me and Buddy Hyatt produced it. I was going to get a real producer, but they wanted to charge me an ungodly amount of money, so I said, “Screw you guys,” I’ll just do it myself. I think the quality of the album is equal to anything I have ever recorded.
AM: The covers you sing of ‘What’s Forever For’ and ‘You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me’ are stunning. You really feel those lyrics.
JL: Oh yes, that’s the reason I cut them.
AM: You sing better than ever.
JL: I’d like to think we learn as we live and get better at what we do.
AM: I read your memoir which I really enjoyed. I found it to be candid and so funny! You could have been a comedian.
JL: Who says I’m not? (Laughter)
AM: I guess you are. You do tell a lot of jokes on stage. Was writing the book a cathartic experience for you?
JL: Some of it was. Some of it was a pain in the butt. Every time I felt like it was dragging along I just had to look for the outcome of it. I compare it to making a cake. You might be bored putting it all together, but you will have cake to enjoy when you’re finished.
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AM: Are people surprised by the book at all?
JL: Yes, some people are a little surprised, but I’ve gotten all positive reviews. Some people say they laughed and others said they cried.
AM: How did it feel to be in ‘Urban Cowboy’ back in 1980?
JL: It felt pretty good. I knew my life was changing for the better. The thing that stands out now is I was 33 years old when I hit the big time. Now I would be considered too old.
AM: What's it like having such a big hit like ‘Lookin’ For Love?’
JL: I know the song will outlive me. Little kids know that song.
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Johnny with his daughter Cherish Lee
AM: You must be proud of your daughter Cherish and how well her career is going.
JL: Oh yeah, she has always impressed me with her work ethics and her determination. She’s a really gifted artist in more ways than one. She is a great painter and visual artist and she’s a great lyricist. She takes after her old man on stage I believe.
AM: You have performed together at times, haven’t you?
JL: We have done shows together before.
AM: She has a new album coming out right away, doesn’t she?
JL: She’s going to release it on February 22.
AM: How long have you lived in Branson?
JL: I moved back to Branson about three years ago because this is where my son is buried.
AM: Do you have plans to record another album anytime soon?
JL: Yes, but I don’t know when I’m going to do it. I’m going to take a look at some songs that I wrote in the past that never have been recorded.
AM: That’s a great idea.
JL: No sense in letting them die on the vine.
