ROOTS of Country Music

The Professional Work of Johnny Duncan

Johnny Richard Duncan

(Oct. 5, 1938 ~ Aug. 14,  2006)

Career Highlights

Grand Ole Opry

Film, Night Club, Radio & TV

• Austin City Limits, 4
• Ernest Tubb’s  Midnight Jamboree, 3
• Gilley’s Club, 2
• Hee Haw, 4
• Nashville Now, 4
• Pop Goes the Country, 4

1-Film, 2-Night Club, 3-Radio, 4-TV 

Billboard Chart Data 

• No. 1 Singles: 3
• Top-20 Singles: 18
• Crossover Singles: 0
• Charted Singles: 39
• Chart Years Active (1967-1986)

Career Label:

Billboard Top-10 Singles

1. There's Something About a Lady -1971
2. Baby's Smile, Woman's Kiss
3. Fools -1972
4. Sweet Country Woman -1973
5. Talkin' with My Lady
6. Stranger, 1 -1976
7. Thinkin' of a Rendezvous*#
8. It Couldn't Have Been Any Better* -1977
9. A Stranger in the Night
10. Come a Little Bit Closer, 1
11. She Can Put Her Shoes Under My....* -1978
12. Hello Mexico (And Adios Baby to You)
13. Slow Dancing -1979
14. The Lady in the Blue Mercedes
15. Play Another Slow Song -1980
16. I'm Gonna Love You Tonight
17. He's Out of My Life, 1
18. Acapulco

*-No. 1 Chart Single

1-Biggest Chart Single

1-With Janie Fricke

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thinkin' of a Rendezvous: The Johnny Duncan Story

Johnny Duncan was born in Dublin, TX and learned guitar from his mother as a child. Johnny also had two future performers in his family; his cousins Dan Seals and Jimmy Seals (of England Dan & John Ford Coley and Seals & Crofts, respectively).

Duncan took up singing in his late teens and moved to Clovis, NM, in 1959, where he recorded some demos and worked as a DJ. Johnny moved to Nashville in 1964 and worked odd jobs, including a DJ position at a Franklin, Tennessee radio station. While there hed sometimes sing a jingle or write a song on the air.

In 1966, Johnny landed a guest spot on Ralph Emery's television show. That led to a deal with Columbia Records, which released his debut single, Hard Luck Joe in 1967

About three years later, Duncan joined forces with famed producer Billy Sherrill in a long-running partnership. It took a couple of years and some minor hits until the new team broke into the Top Ten with Sweet Country Woman.

A series of top chart singles followed, including Stranger, Thinkin of a Rendezvous, It Couldnt Have Been Any Better, Slow Dancing and his biggest single, She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed Anytime. Those hits catapulted Duncan into the national spotlight. Some of Duncans biggest singles included the backing vocals of Jane Fricke. Consequently, Janies outstanding vocals on these songs gained her national exposure.

Duncan also scored a couple big hits of his own, including the Top Five Hello Mexico (And Adios Baby to you). His last Top Ten appearances came in 1979 with Slow Dancing and The Lady in the Blue Mercedes. His star power faded in the early 1980s and he and Columbia Records parted ways. However, his songs remained popular on country radio through the late 1980s and early 1990s.

After the years of great success, he decided to take a hiatus from the business of singing and spend more time with his family. Duncan died of a heart attack on August 14, 2006, at the age of 67.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Researched, compiled and written by Richard Bell, Roots of Country Music, Sep. 4, 2009