Jimmy Clanton
Wikimp3 information about the music of Jimmy Clanton. On our website we have 70 albums and 70 collections of artist Jimmy Clanton. You can find useful information and download songs of this artist. We also know that Jimmy Clanton represents Pop genres.
Biography
[Edit]To most rock & roll listeners who recognize it at all, the name Jimmy Clanton likely evokes one image — the slightly stiff but honest performance that Clanton gave in Go Johnny Go, the 1959 Alan Freed-produced jukebox movie. It would be difficult, based on the evidence of that film, to tell that Clanton was one of the most serious and complex of the generation of teen idols in which he is usually grouped, standing head and shoulders above the likes of Fabian, Bobby Rydell, and others, but Clanton was a dedicated R&B enthusiast and singer with a great voice and a genuine feel for New Orleans music. What's more, he also wrote many of the songs that he recorded — a relative rarity among white singers of his day.
Clanton was born in Cut Off, LA on September 2, 1938. He reached his teen years just as R&B was starting to find an audience among younger whites. By the time he formed his first band, the Dixie Cats, in 1956, he was emulating the sounds of Fats Domino, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley, and his other influences included Johnny Ace. His rivals in those days included a young John Fred, more than a decade away from his chart-topping "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" and Johnny Ramistella, later known as Johnny Rivers and still eight years from his big break. Clanton joined forces with a rival bandleader, pianist Dick Holler (later the author of "Abraham, Martin and John"), in the Rockets, a combo that was hot enough to justify a 1957 trip to New Orleans and a visit to Cosimo Matassa, who owned the only recording studio in the city.
Matassa was taken with Clanton's easygoing charm and his way with a song — he sang R&B from the heart, and he had an outgoing, likable personality. Matassa signed both Clanton and Holler under his management, recorded each one fronting the Rockets, and then got them both recording deals with Mississippi-based Ace Records in September 1957.
At first, Clanton stood somewhat in the shadow of Huey "Piano" Smith, who was Ace's golden boy with "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu" under his belt and "Don't You Just Know It" waiting in the wings. Gradually, however, Clanton's "Just a Dream" began to gain airplay and sales, starting in the South and then building elsewhere. Eventually, the record reached number four on the Billboard Pop chart and topped the R&B charts in 1958, and suddenly Clanton was one of Ace's hottest properties. Appearances on American Bandstand followed, along with his first bookings outside of the South. There were engagements at the Hollywood Bowl and performances on Freed's package tours, which in turn led to Clanton's starring role in the second of Freed's two rock & roll films, Go Johnny Go, in which Clanton was seen performing "Ship on a Stormy Sea," "My Love Is Strong," and "It Takes a Long, Long Time." What's more, he held his own in a cast that included Chuck Berry, Jackie Wilson, Sandy Stewart, the Flamingos, the Cadillacs, Jo-Ann Campbell, Eddie Cochran, and Ritchie Valens.
Clanton's next release was a double A-side single: "Letter to an Angel" (which owed a lot in feel and content to Johnny Ace's "Pledging My Love") and "A Part of Me," both of which charted, though not high. He reached number 33 with "My Own True Love," which was adapted from the main title music of Gone with the Wind — this was, ironically enough, Clanton's first single that he didn't write or co-write (usually with Matassa). It wasn't until 1960 that he again reached the Top Ten, with "Go Jimmy Go," written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, which hit number five. By that time, the teen idol boom was going full-force and Clanton was firmly cast in this role — he was a natural with his good looks and easygoing personality, and his music was reshaped from R&B to more of a softer White rock & roll vein. He still wrote an occasional song, but Clanton increasingly turned to outside writers, including Pomus and Shuman and Neil Sedaka and Howie Greenfield.
In early 1961, Clanton was drafted, and he spent the next two years in the U.S. Army. Ace did its best to keep his name in the public eye with a series of single releases. Those early-'60s singles, including his own "Don't Look at Me" and Dr. John's "Because I Do," were pretty powerful rockers, and marked something of a return to Clanton's original New Orleans-based sound, in the wake of his success with pop ballads.
His return to performing coincided with the release of his last major hit, "Venus in Blue Jeans," which peaked at number seven in mid-1962, maintaining his status as a mainstay of the Mississippi-based label. He had one further chart entry with "Darkest Street in Town," but that was the end of Clanton's run of hits. He continued performing even after Ace Records folded in the mid-'60s and later recorded for Phillips, Mala, Laurie, and Imperial, but the British Invasion heralded a shift in public taste that made it more difficult to get steady bookings.
Clanton became a disc jockey in the '70s and performed in an oldies revue of his own, and reportedly had a religious conversion in the '80s. He performed at oldies shows in the '90s with his one-time labelmate Frankie Ford, and his appearances at oldies shows continued during the first decade of the new millennium.
Title: Just a Dream - Single
Artist: Jimmy Clanton
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock, Rock & Roll, Pop, Teen Pop
Title: The Swamp Pop R&B Teenage Idol (Remastered) (CD1)
Artist: Jimmy Clanton
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Pop
Title: The Jimmy Clanton Collection 1957-62 (CD1)
Artist: Jimmy Clanton
Genre: Rock & Roll, Pop Rock
Title: The Jimmy Clanton Collection 1957-62 (CD2)
Artist: Jimmy Clanton
Genre: Rock & Roll, Pop Rock
Title: Jimmy Clanton - The Essential
Artist: Jimmy Clanton
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Pop
Title: Venus In Blue Jeans / Just A Dream (Digital 45) - Single
Artist: Jimmy Clanton
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock, Pop, Teen Pop
Title: Go Jimmy Go - The Very Best Of Jimmy Clanton
Artist: Jimmy Clanton
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Pop
Title: Jimmy Clanton - Greatest Hits
Artist: Jimmy Clanton
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Pop
Title: I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (Remastered) - Single
Artist: Jimmy Clanton
Title: Just a Dream & Other Great Hits
Artist: Jimmy Clanton
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll, Pop, Teen Pop
Collections
Title: Teenage Rock & Roll Party, Vol. 2
Genre: Rock
Title: Essential Doo Wop Pop Vol 1
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: Just the Very Best of Rock, Vol. 10
Genre: Rock
Title: A Salute to Johnny Ace
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: Rock & Roll Superstars
Genre: Rock
Title: Let's Have a Rock 'n' Roll Party (36 Rockin' Greats)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock
Title: Vol 1 Popular and Doo Wop Hits
Genre: Pop
Title: Just hits Vol 4
Genre: Pop
Title: Teenage Idols
Title: The Hits of 1958, Vol. 2
Genre: Pop
Title: A Big Mix of Hits, Vol. 5
Genre: Pop
Title: All Star Chartbusters
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll
Title: Million Sellers From Louisiana Cajun Hits
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Fabulous 50's
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1958, Vol. 2
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: Drive-In Memories 1
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: 101 Rock 'N' Roll Classics (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll
Title: 50's Rock 'n' Roll - Whole Lot of Shakin'
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll
Title: The Teen Years - My Special Angel CD 1
Genre: Pop Rock
Title: The Teen Years - Hey Baby CD 1
Genre: Pop Rock
Title: Rock'N'Roll Love Songs (CD2)
Genre: Rock
Title: 1958 Top 50
Genre: Rock & Roll
Title: 100 Hits Of The Sixties - CD2
Genre: Rock & Roll, Pop
Title: Billboard Top 100 Hits Of 1960 CD2
Genre: Rock
Title: Billboard Top 100 Hits Of 1962 CD4
Genre: Blues
Title: Slow Dancing Original Super - Hits Collection (CD4)
Genre: Pop, Instrumental
Title: Sounds Of The Sixties - 1960 (CD2)
Genre: Pop Rock
Title: 60s Les Annees Jukebox 2012
Title: We Love To Rock 'N Roll
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: Glory Days Of Rock 'n' Roll Vol 01 - Teen Idols
Genre: Rock
Title: Glory Days Of Rock 'n' Roll Vol 02 - Teen Ballads
Genre: Rock
Title: Stateside Story 1 Twist & Shout '62
Genre: Garage, Jazz, Rockabilly
Title: 25 Super Oldies (CD4)
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll, Pop
Title: Pan-American Recordings (Vol. 17 ~ Love Charms)
Genre: Rockabilly
Title: The Top Rank Story 1961 (CD1)
Genre: Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Pop
Title: Top Rank Story 1959 (CD1)
Genre: Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Pop
Title: Happy Days 50's & 60's (CD1)
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll, World Music, Pop, Pop Rock, Retro
Title: The Best Of Jukebox (CD1)
Title: 100% Hit Records, Vol. 4
Title: Happy Days (CD3)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rock, Country, Pop
Title: The Teen Years Vol. 4 - My Special Angel (CD1)
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll, Pop
Title: The Teen Years Vol. 5 - Hey! Baby
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll, Pop
Title: Jukebox Hits Of 1959 Volume 2
Genre: Rock & Roll
Title: Jukebox Hits Of 1958 Volume 1
Genre: Rock & Roll
Title: Jukebox Hits Of 1962 Volume 2
Genre: Rock & Roll
Title: American Heartbeat 1958 (CD2)
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll, World Music, Rockabilly, Pop, Pop Rock, Folk
Title: Beat Of The Pops Vol. 28
Genre: Rock & Roll, Pop
Title: Beat Of The Pops Vol. 30
Genre: Rock & Roll, Pop
Title: Radio Gold Vol. 5
Title: I Love Rock 'n' Roll Love Songs (CD2)
Genre: Rock & Roll
Title: The 60's Collection Volume 4
Genre: Pop
Title: This Magic Moment: The Sound Of The Brill Building (CD1)
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll, Pop
Title: This Magic Moment: The Sound Of The Brill Building (CD2)
Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll, Pop
Title: The Ace Story Vol. 1
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues, Rockabilly
Title: The Ace Story Vol. 2
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues, Rockabilly
Title: The Ace Story Vol. 5
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues, Rockabilly
Title: Ultimate 60s (CD1)
Genre: Soul, World Music, Country, Pop Rock, Folk
Title: Ultimate 60's (60 Classic Tracks Of The Decade) (CD1)
Genre: Soul, World Music, Country, Pop Rock, Folk
Title: My Favourite Hits Of 1960 (CD2)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues, Rock, Rock & Roll, Country, Country Rock, Pop, Pop Rock
Featuring albums
Title: I Love the 50's: 1959 (Re-Recorded Versions)
Artist: Various Artists
Title: I Love the 50's: 1958 (Re-Recorded Versions)
Artist: Various Artists