Johnnie & Joe
Johnnie & Joe | |
|---|---|
| Origin | The Bronx, New York, USA |
| Genres | R&B |
| Years active | 1957–1988 |
| Labels | Chess Records (under lease from J & S Records) |
| Past members | Johnnie Richardson, Joe Rivers |
Johnnie & Joe were an American R&B vocal duo from The Bronx, New York, United States, who were best known for their 1957 hit "Over the Mountain; Across the Sea."
History
Johnnie Louise Richardson (June 29, 1935, Montgomery, Alabama – October 25, 1988, New York City)[1] and Joe Rivers (March 20, 1937, Charleston, South Carolina – August 26, 2025, Suffern, New York)[2][3] began singing together in 1957 and released several singles on Chess Records,[4] which were leased from J & S Records, to whom the duo were under contract. Richardson was the daughter of the J & S label owner, Zelma "Zell" Sanders, who had been a touring member of The Hearts.[2]
Richardson and Rivers resumed their professional partnership later in the 1960s. During the 1970s and '80s they performed in oldies concerts, and made a critically acclaimed album, Kingdom of Love, in 1982.[5] Johnnie Richardson died of complications from a stroke in 1988.
Discography
Three of the songs hit the U.S. singles charts. "Over the Mountain; Across the Sea," written by Rex Garvin, went to #3 on the R&B chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100,[6] and "I'll Be Spinning," written by Freddie Scott, went Top 10 R&B, both in 1957.[4][7] "My Baby's Gone," a #15 R&B hit, was their last hit,[4] although "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea" returned to the pop charts in 1960, peaking at #89 the second time around.[6]
References
- ^ Johnnie Louise Richardson at AllMusic
- ^ a b "REX GARVIN". Rockabilly.nl.
- ^ Scott, Ronald E. (18 September 2025). "Joe Rivers, famous doo-wop singer, dies at 88". Amsterdam News. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ a b c Wynn, Ron. Biography of Johnnie & Joe at AllMusic
- ^ "Johnnie & Joe Biography". Oldies.com.
- ^ a b Billboard Singles for Johnnie & Joe at AllMusic
- ^ Review of I'll Be Spinning at AllMusic