Join me Sunday, December 7th at 11 a.m. for the life and music of Johnny Lee on the Sunday Morning Country Classic Spotlight. 

John Lee Hamm, Johnny's real name, was reared on a dairy farm south of Houston, Texas.  He didn't have to travel far to join the house band at Gilley's Night Club in the late seventies.  Lee worked ten years with Mickey Gilley, both on tour and at Gilley's Club in Pasadena, Texas.

The 1980 movie, Urban Cowboy was mostly shot at Gilley's Club.  It was the soundtrack from the movie that shot Johnny to fame.  The record spawned several hit singles, one of which was Looking for Love.  That song was written by Wanda Mallette, Bob Morrison and Patti Ryan.  Mallette and Ryan turned this song into a commercial country standard with the help of Johnny Lee.

Looking for Love rose to number one and stayed there for three weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart.  The song was certified Gold for sales of one million copies.

His other number one hits include One in a Million, Bet Your Heart On Me,  You Could've Heard a Heart Break and The Yellow Rose, which was a duet with Lane Brody.  The Yellow Rose was the theme song to the NBC TV series of the same name starring Cybill Shepherd.

In 1982 Lee married Dallas actress Charlene Tilton.  They had two children , a daughter named Cherish and a son, Johnny Lee Jr. who died at age 23.

You can hear country classics  Sundays from 9 am to 1 pm.  We also take your requests at 320-252-9897 or email dick@98country.com.

More From 98.1 Minnesota's New Country