Johnny Nash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnny Nash
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Nash in 1965
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Lester Nash Jr. |
| Born | August 19, 1940 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | October 6, 2020 (aged 80) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Traditional pop, reggae |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, composer, actor |
| Years active | 1956–2020 |
| Labels | Epic, JAD, Cayman Music |
John Lester Nash Jr. (born August 19, 1940 – died October 6, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He was most famous for his 1972 hit song "I Can See Clearly Now". Johnny Nash sang mostly reggae and pop music. He was one of the first artists from outside Jamaica to record reggae songs in Kingston.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Johnny Nash was born in Houston, Texas, on August 19, 1940. As a child, he sang in his church choir. When he was 13, he started singing R&B songs on a local TV show called Matinee. From 1956, he appeared on Arthur Godfrey's radio and TV shows for seven years. Nash was married three times and had two children.
Music Career Highlights
Johnny Nash signed with ABC-Paramount and released his first major song, "A Teenager Sings the Blues," in 1957. He had his first popular song in 1958 with "A Very Special Love". People sometimes saw him as a rival to another singer, Johnny Mathis.
In 1963, Nash sang the theme song for the cartoon series The Mighty Hercules. This show was on TV from 1963 to 1966.
In 1964, Nash and his manager, Danny Sims, started their own record company called JoDa Records in New York. Later, they decided to focus on bringing American singers to Jamaica. This was because recording music there was less expensive.
In 1965, Nash had a top-five hit song called "Let's Move and Groove Together" on the US R&B music chart. That same year, he and Sims moved to Jamaica. There, they met Bob Marley and his band, The Wailing Wailers. Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, and Rita Marley helped Nash learn about the local music scene. Nash signed all four of them to a music publishing deal.
In 1967, Nash, Arthur Jenkins, and Sims created a new record label called JAD Records. They recorded their music in Kingston. In 1968, JAD released Nash's reggae-style song "Hold Me Tight". This song became a top-five hit in both the U.S. and the UK. In 1971, Nash had another hit in the UK with his cover of Bob Marley's song "Stir It Up".
Johnny Nash's most famous song, "I Can See Clearly Now", came out in 1972. It was influenced by reggae music and sold over one million copies. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on November 4, 1972, and stayed there for four weeks. His album I Can See Clearly Now also included four songs written by Bob Marley.
Nash also helped create music for the Swedish romance film Want So Much to Believe (1971). He also acted in this movie.
In the UK, Nash had another big hit in 1975 with "Tears on My Pillow", which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.
After the 1970s, Nash was not as active in music for many years. He made a comeback in the mid-1980s with the album Here Again (1986). Younger people discovered Nash's music when Jimmy Cliff covered "I Can See Clearly Now" for the 1993 movie Cool Runnings. Nash's original song was also used in the 1997 film Grosse Point Blank. In 2006, Nash started working on transferring his old songs from the 1970s and 1980s into digital format.
Acting Career
Besides singing, Johnny Nash also acted in films and on television.
- In 1959, he played the main role of Spencer Scott in Take a Giant Step. This was one of the first movies about a black family written by a black writer.
- In 1960, he appeared with Dennis Hopper in the crime drama Key Witness.
- In 1971, he played the character Robert in the Swedish romance film Vill så gärna tro.
Death
Johnny Nash passed away peacefully at his home in Houston on October 6, 2020. He was 80 years old and had been in declining health.
Images for kids
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Nash in 1965
See also
